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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2003 7:22 am Post subject: Wireless: Broadcast SSID??

I have my WAP set to broadcast the SSID.

When it is broadcasting I can connect to it without problem.
If i turn off broadcast (to increase security) i cannot connect.

I have tried with two separate PCs one a laptop and the other a desktop.

The laptop with Linux and Windows XP Home and both act the same way.

The desktop PC has Windows XP pro.

Any suggestions how I can connect with broadcast off?

Thanks Confused

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 3:52 am Post subject:

hey random - what kind of WAP is it, and what kind of card?

usually you just make sure you're spelling the name of the network properly and it should connect, SSID broadcast or no.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 5:01 am Post subject:

EdisonRex wrote:
hey random - what kind of WAP is it, and what kind of card?

usually you just make sure you're spelling the name of the network properly and it should connect, SSID broadcast or no.

Linksys WAP, Belkin card.
Running on Linux so maybe that is the problem. I have no place to enter the name of the network. I may have to dig around and find a config file aye?

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 6:25 am Post subject:

hmmm

http://www.jacked-in.org/linux/belkin_wireless.php

Quote:

The card is now up and ready; by default it throws itself into Managed mode and scans for local WAPs. I've not had luck getting this setup to work with the pcmcia cardservices yet; it may just be the way I built things on my box but its basically not detecting the NIC as being PCMCIA - probably the way the PLX's bridge identifies itself to the system. So far I've just gone through and manually configured the card using iwconfig (I'm working on some startup scripts which I'll post here when I'm done). If you don't have the Wireless Tools you'll need to download them from Jean Tourrilhes' Site.

this sounds suspiciously like what you might need to do?

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:39 pm Post subject:

I'm going to try that tonight thanks.

I am concerned cause i am getting hit by unknown MAC addresses trying to connect to me.

I want to disable the broadcast but until i get that worked out i renamed my AP Honey Pot. Very Happy

A newbie won't care what the name is, prolly won't be able to get anymore than the AP name and a pro will think twice before trying I hope.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 6:31 pm Post subject:

Sigh.

Didn't work.

I also tried to enter the SSID into ifcfg-eth1 like this...
and then disable broadcast. no go again.
this is a PITA

Code: Select all

DEVICE=eth1


BOOTPROTO=dhcp


NETMASK=255.255.255.0


ONBOOT=no


MII_NOT_SUPPORTED=yes


WIRELESS_MODE=Auto


WIRELESS_ESSID=Honey Pot


NEEDHOSTNAME=yes


KEY=removed for obvious reasons.

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 6:44 pm Post subject:

Have you tried iwconfig that comes in the wireless-tools package? From the command line you run iwconfig and pass it the name of the network you want to connect to and the hex key and a few other things. I put the command in my net.eth1 script.

Code: Select all




/usr/sbin/iwconfig eth1 essid "Home" enc <hex code> mode Managed rate auto

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2003 6:05 pm Post subject:

That didn't work either. Confused

I got a hard lock up after i tried to restart the pcmcia card afterwards.
I have to say it is not worth the hassle. Mad

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2003 7:47 pm Post subject:

Sorry man. Buy a Mac. Even in Linux "It just works!" (tm)

I'm kidding of course.