Wireless fails in one location,
Forum: Networking
Topic: Wireless fails in one location,
started by: dslfool
Posted by dslfool on Aug. 20 2004,23:30
- stock DSL 0.7.3 HD install (no additional drivers compiled or installed)- NetGear MA401NAR 802.11b wireless card
There are two locations near my home with free wireless Internet access, a coffee shop and a supermarket. Using a notebook with the DSL install and NetGear card shown above, I can connect to the wireless access points at both locations, but unlike the coffee shop, at the supermarket the system can't resolve any Internet addresses.
"Menu > System > net setup > netcardconfig > DHCP > yes" returns OK.
Here's what I get from ifconfig & iwconfig at the supermarket -
ifconfig returns:
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:09:5B:4A:D7:48
inet addr:192.168.0.2 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:9 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:9 errors:1 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:5256 (5.1 KiB) TX bytes:5052 (4.9 KiB)
Interrupt:5 Base address:0x100
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:2 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:100 (100.0 B) TX bytes:100 (100.0 B)
iwconfig returns:
eth0 IEEE 802.11-DS ESSID:"Fred-Meyer-Stadium" Nickname:"Prism I"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412GHz Access Point: 00:20:E0:1F:92:B1
Bit Rate:11Mb/s Tx-Power=15 dBm Sensitivity:1/242700000
Retry min limit:8 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality:60/1 Signal level:-38 dBm Noise level:-143 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
----------
(I don't have the same info from the coffee shop, but I recall an eth0 IP address of 10.0.1.something.)
This is similar to another problem I reported with a different wireless card and an Apple AirPort base station - the system grabs IP settings from the wireless router which is supposed to provide IP and DNS, etc., but then can't resolve addresses.
Since it does work fine at one location does anyone have any ideas as to why it might not work at the other? Does this strike anyone as a DSL issue, a compatibility issue with the card, a problem with the supermarket's wirless system or something else?
Posted by roberts on Aug. 21 2004,06:45
Thanks great if both locations give you an IP address.But for resolving names, I would want to see what "they" gave you for nameserver
cat /etc/resolv.conf
Note the one that works.
For the one that does not, try editing in the nameserver of the one that did work
Posted by supermarket, wired ethernet -
Sorry - I forgot that /etc/resolv.conf's where the DNS info resides. Here's the IP and DNS info for three situations, including a wired ethernet option at the supermarket:----------
supermarket, wired ethernet (no name resolving) -
ifconfig =
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:E0:98:74:A3:FE
inet addr:192.155.1.3 Bcast:192.155.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
/etc/resolve.conf =
search domain.actdsltmp
nameserver 192.155.1.1
----------
supermarket, wireless (no name resolving)
ifconfig =
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:09:5B:4A:D7:48
inet addr:192.168.0.2 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
iwconfig =
eth0 IEEE 802.11-DS ESSID:"Fred-Meyer-Stadium" Nickname:"box"
/etc/resolv.conf =
search domain.actdsltmp
nameserver 192.168.0.1
nameserver 198.6.1.3
----------
coffee shop, wireless (name resolving works!)
ifconfig =
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:09:5B:4A:D7:48
inet addr:10.11.33.96 Bcast:10.11.33.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
iwconfig =
eth0 IEEE 802.11-DS ESSID:"www.personaltelco.net" Nickname:"box"
/etc/resolv.conf =
search personaltelco.net
nameserver 10.11.33.1
----------
I'm assuming that the " domain.actdsltmp" in resolv.conf at the supermarket is a default DSL string? Does this matter, or is it just the IP numbers that count? At the supermarket, the single DNS number does match the assigned IP.
Thanks!
Posted by dslfool on Aug. 21 2004,20:23
Boy, I'm batting 1000 today. :-) The last entry is mine, but I forgot to log in and didn't realize that the text "supermarket...", etc., would be entered as the poster. Gee, I'm dumb sometimes...I also forgot to ask - I haven't been back to the supermarket to try it, but in theory should the DNS text and/or numbers from the coffee shop work at the supermarket? Different network 'n all?
Posted by roberts on Aug. 21 2004,22:19
Both appear to be using internal DNS servers. So you cannot use one on the other. They might be limiting that which server by having internal DSN servers. Is the supermarket really for public use or did you just happen to connect to their wifi?If you can ping an outside IP then simply use an external DNS server.
You don't need that search line. All that is really required is the nameserver line(s) For example
Try to ping to 207.217.126.41 If it works then use
nameserver 207.217.126.41
Of course try to use on that is local to your location. Try using the external one from your ISP. Or try to google a public DNS server.
Posted by dslfool on Aug. 21 2004,23:18
Thanks as always! The supermarket wifi is public (and new) - it's in the part of the store with a Starbuck's, but it's free rather than the usual Starbuck's TMobile. They even have a bar with 5 ethernet jacks for those without wireless cards.I'll try my ISP's DNS as well as a couple of free public #s I googled & report back.
Posted by roberts on Aug. 21 2004,23:42
I am amazed at the growth of free wifi locations. < Free WiFI > So now, we can go out and show off what DSL can do. 
Posted by dslfool on Aug. 24 2004,21:39
OK, after all that, the problem is...the store's network. After trying manually replacing DNS, I spoke with a customer service rep. He said that the network I had been connecting to is the same one they use in their area and not the one meant for public access. He's tried to connect to the public network to no avail and has notified the store manager to let him know it's not working, but knowing that I couldn't connect either was, he said, good info.Serves me right for assuming that just 'cause they had a sign up the network was ready. Shoulda been more suspicious when I never saw anybody else there with computers...
So, anyway, per my experiences elsewhere, DSL 0.7.3/NetGear MA401N do indeed work, as long as the network they're connecting to is up.
Posted by roberts on Aug. 24 2004,23:29
Ah ha! That's why I asked you about the supermarket. I have the same problem. The store's intranet wireless has such a strong signal I always by default connect to it. You think they would protect their intranet.
Posted by dslfool on Aug. 25 2004,03:59
How to fool customers:1) Put up a sign advertising free wireless (and wired - cool) access, available now.
2) Allow customers to connect to your intranet, which has the name of your market.
I'm sure they'll sort it out eventually, but I'm also sure the sign will stay up in the meantime.