Wifi problem between BCM4313 & TP-Link Wifi Range extender

[Kventino]

Hello!
At first, here's the result of

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uname -a
Linux Ursule 3.2.0-23-generic #36-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 10 20:41:14 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

And MintWifi:

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* I. scanning WIFI PCI devices...
  -- Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
      ==> PCI ID = 14e4:4727 (rev 01)
-------------------------
* II. querying ndiswrapper...
-------------------------
* III. querying iwconfig...
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth1      IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=200 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          
eth0      no wireless extensions.

-------------------------
* IV. querying ifconfig...
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:24:54:dc:ed:ae  
          inet addr:192.168.1.100  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::224:54ff:fedc:edae/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:32562 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:28263 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:20897237 (20.8 MB)  TX bytes:4911959 (4.9 MB)
          Interrupt:18 

eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:1b:b1:4f:48:71  
          inet6 addr: fe80::21b:b1ff:fe4f:4871/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:107 errors:15 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:50130
          TX packets:1698 errors:878 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:17707 (17.7 KB)  TX bytes:365866 (365.8 KB)
          Interrupt:16 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:7569 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:7569 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:591953 (591.9 KB)  TX bytes:591953 (591.9 KB)

My problem is related to the wireless connection (it works with an ethernet cable) of my computer to a wifi range extender (TL-WA850RE). The computer sees two networks with the same name and can't connect to either one. So I thought the problem would be the fact that the original network and the extender one have the same name, but when I change the Extender network name, it still can't connect to it (though this time, it connects to the original network again).
I should also add that I use another computer (with an Atheros card) on Mint and it works flawless.

I've seen many problems with Broadcom (and some with tp-link configuration) but, unless I missed one, none fits.

I hope this isn't a PEBKAC... Anyway, thanks for the help!

[JeremyB]

You might want to look at the results from

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iwlist scan

and see if the encryption is different between the router and extender. Normally WPA2 Version 1 with CCMP listed as the only method works best as WEP, WPA, TKIP usually cause issues

[Kventino]

Thanks! That worked... Kind of.
So, you were right, here's what I got from iwlist scan when connected on the extender

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                    IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (2) : CCMP TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
                    IE: WPA Version 1
                        Group Cipher : TKIP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (2) : CCMP TKIP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK

And, as info, for my normal router:
Scan completed :

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                    IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
                        Group Cipher : CCMP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK

So I changed the extender's wifi settings and now I get :

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Scan completed :
(...)
                    IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1
                        Group Cipher : CCMP
                        Pairwise Ciphers (1) : CCMP
                        Authentication Suites (1) : PSK

But... the computer still won't connect. It connects to the router when it's right next to it, but nothing else.

I don't know it that's linked, but when I do iwconfig, I get

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lo        no wireless extensions.

eth1      IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
          
eth0      no wireless extensions.

and in my /etc/network/interfaces appears only:
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

I already find it odd that the card is called "eth", but even stranger that it doesn't appear in the interfaces file. Is the problem with the extender maybe linked to it?

Thank you already!

[JeremyB]

Show me the results from

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lspci -nnk | grep 14e4

[Kventino]

Here:

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05:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:4727] (rev 01)

[JeremyB]

Did it say kernel module in use with that command?

[Kventino]

All it said is in the previous post

[JeremyB]

Is the extender using wireless N only, I would try it on b/g and see if it connects
And turn power management off with

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sudo iwconfig eth1 power off

[Kventino]

The mode is 11 bgn mix, should I still try to change it to 11 b/g?
Plus, I can change this setting on my router but I didn't find how to change it for the extender. Should it be done on the Extender management page?

[JeremyB]

The mode is 11 bgn mix, should I still try to change it to 11 b/g?
Plus, I can change this setting on my router but I didn't find how to change it for the extender. Should it be done on the Extender management page?

I would definitely try it for a while as I heard some of the broadcom cards don't work very well with n

[Kventino]

I've tried it but it didn't work. As I said, I couldn't change it for the extender, but I did for the router. Still, I don't think that's the problem: the main router's mode is also b/g/n and my computer connects to it without problem.