Can't connect to Belkin F5D8231-4 router

[carpenzano]

Please, help me! I am a new user of Linux Mint 17 (coming from Windows XP) and everything is ok but the wifi (and cable) connection.
I have a Belkin N1 Wireless Router (F5D8231-4, ver.2) that works very well with all my devices (my Windows notebook, my iPad, my iPhone); when I try to connect to it from my Linux notebook (a Dell Vostro 1510), it sees my home network, tries to connect and after few seconds it disconnects itself and immediately connects to my neighbour's unprotected network . My Linux notebook connects itself very easily with my iPad (used as an hotspot) as well.
So I think everything is ok in Linux itself and the problem is its relationship with the Belkin Router.
I have updated its firmware, tried every possible configuration, but without any result.
Could anyone help me, please?
Regards
Giovanni

[PatH57]

Hi,

let's see this
open terminal and copy paste this into it:

Code: Select all

wget -N -t 5 -T 10 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/57264241/wireless_script && \chmod +x wireless_script && \./wireless_script

It will download a script and create a file named wireless-info.txt or wireless-info.tar.gz in your home folder with wireless information so we can see the condition of your wireless at the time. The MAC address, WPA key and WEP key are removed for your security. Paste contents of the wireless-info.txt or wireless-info.tar.gz file at http://pastebin.ubuntu.com or alternatively http://pastebin.com/ then post the link here in your question.

[carpenzano]

Thank for the prompt answer, PatH57.
As I have said, I can't access my wifi network from my Linux notebook. Should I use my neighbour unprotected network or my iPad acting as hotspot?
Thanks
Giovanni

[PatH57]

use one or the other. The script just need to be downloaded, also I could send it to you if needed.

[carpenzano]

This is the link to the contents of my wireless-info.txt file:
http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/8138154/
Thanks very much for your help.
Best regards
Giovanni

[carpenzano]

PS: the ESSID of my network is KarVal (cell 02).
Thanks again
Giovanni

[PatH57]

Channel occupancy:

4 WLAPs on Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1)
1 WLAPs on Frequency:2.417 GHz (Channel 2)
1 WLAPs on Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
3 WLAPs on Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
1 WLAPs on Frequency:2.467 GHz (Channel 12)
1 WLAPs on Frequency:2.472 GHz (Channel 13)

there are 3 other AP on channel 1, you should change your router to use channel 3 or 4 as they are unused.

country 00:

your country code is not set.
take a look at this guide http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=175809

Also right click on your network icon, select edit connections in the wifi section remove the one from the ipad and your "free" one (you can always reconnect later on but it will stop your card trying to automatically connect to them)

ESSID:"IP3 Giovanni"

was the one your wifi was connected to when you did run the script?
KarVal (cell 02) must have been the ipad?

IPv4 Settings:
Address: 172.20.10.3
Prefix: 28 (255.255.255.240)
Gateway: 172.20.10.1

DNS: 172.20.10.1

this is really unusual, most of the time the connection is set to assign automatically an IP and DNS through the router, did you change it to manual?

[carpenzano]

Thanks, I'll follow your suggestions later (at the moment I am not at home) and let you know.
In the meantime I point out that:
1) ESSID: "IP3 Giovanni" is the one my wifi was connected to when I did run the script (iPad hotspot);
2) ESSID: "KarVal" (cell 02) is my network I am not able to connect to with Linux.
Best regards
Giovanni

[PatH57]

ok the the ip settings make sense.
I see 2 karval in the list so you may have a hotspot running on your router or a guest account. one is on channel 1 the other on channel 2.
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2417 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 47 WPA WPA2 probably channel 2
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 40 WPA2 probably channel 1

Also on channel 2 you are using WPA/WPA2 ,wifi being lazy by nature will use WPA so not optimal for security and no N speed.

Why do you need 2 similar access points?

[carpenzano]

ok the the ip settings make sense.
I see 2 karval in the list so you may have a hotspot running on your router or a guest account. one is on channel 1 the other on channel 2.
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2417 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 47 WPA WPA2 probably channel 2
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2412 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 40 WPA2 probably channel 1

Also on channel 2 you are using WPA/WPA2 ,wifi being lazy by nature will use WPA so not optimal for security and no N speed.

Why do you need 2 similar access points?

I have set my router to use only channel 3;
I have set my country code in Linux as "IT" as I am in Italy: (iw reg set IT);
my IPv4 and IPv6 setting is on "automatic"
...but my Linux notebook stays in "connecting..." status with my wifi network (KarVal) and after few seconds drops down the connection

Probably there are 2 KarVal in the list because I use a Netgear wifi range extender, which has the same SSID and the same password of my Belkin Router. I have tried to switch off the extender, in case it is the reason of my problems with Linux, but without any result.

Is there any software that keeps track of what the computer is doing during the connection so that we can understand where is the problem?

Thanks very much for your help.
Giovanni

[PatH57]

switch off the wifi extender and run the script again, it has all information needed in it. the part about dmesg logs any activity and errors from the wifi activity.

[carpenzano]

switch off the wifi extender and run the script again, it has all information needed in it. the part about dmesg logs any activity and errors from the wifi activity.

This is the link to the contents of the wireless-info.txt file with the netgear extender switched off and no wifi connection:
http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/8144020/
Thanks
Giovanni

[PatH57]

ok,

we still have this problem
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2417 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 72 WPA WPA2
you are running a mixed mode wpa/wpa2. force the router to wpa2 only. and let's see what happens.

[carpenzano]

ok,

we still have this problem
KarVal: Infra, <MAC addr KarVal>, Freq 2417 MHz, Rate 54 Mb/s, Strength 72 WPA WPA2
you are running a mixed mode wpa/wpa2. force the router to wpa2 only. and let's see what happens.

I have forced my router to wap2 only and...no result
Thanks very much, PatH57, for your very kind and prompt help.
Do you think there is anything else we could try?
Best regards
Giovanni

[PatH57]

run always the script once you made a change so I can "see" what happens.

[carpenzano]

run always the script once you made a change so I can "see" what happens.

The link to the script file is: http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/8152914/
Thanks
Giovanni

[PatH57]

your country code is still not set.
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=175809

also right click on the network icon, select edit connections, delete the one or more you had for kavac and reconnect.

[carpenzano]

your country code is still not set.
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=175809

also right click on the network icon, select edit connections, delete the one or more you had for kavac and reconnect.

I'm sorry for the country code, I was pretty sure of having set it previously. Anyway, now it is set to "IT".
I have done what you said, unfortunately again without result.
This is the link to the new info file: http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/8156331/
Many thanks again
Giovanni

[PatH57]

ok,

let's dig even deeper

Code: Select all

sudo wpa_supplicant -v

to check the version of the wpa suppliacant used.
the error message

deauthenticating from <MAC addr KarVal> by local choice (reason=3)

means the router doesn't like something, is the firmware up to date? did you power cycle it(reset)?
BTW what is the router?

[carpenzano]

ok,

let's dig even deeper

Code: Select all

sudo wpa_supplicant -v

to check the version of the wpa suppliacant used.
the error message

deauthenticating from <MAC addr KarVal> by local choice (reason=3)

means the router doesn't like something, is the firmware up to date? did you power cycle it(reset)?
BTW what is the router?

Hi, PatH57.
The answer to the supplicant command is:
wpa_supplicant v2.1
Copyright (c) 2003-2014, Jouni Malinen <j@w1.fi> and contributors.

My router's firmware is updated and I have reset it many times in these days.

I don't know if I have misunderstood your question, anyway:
1) a "router" is http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_router ;
2) my router is a Belkin F5D8231-4 version 2: http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage. ... _Id=439142

Yesterday I installed the last version of Lubuntu on an old and poor notebook (a Dell Aspire Latitude X1) and it connects without any problem to my router.

Thanks for your help
Giovanni