wlan...almost there

Hi,
(System: slackware 10.1 kernel 2.6.12.3; os on other pc: windows me)

I am trying to set up a wireless network, right now just between two pcs.
The topology is:

ethernet->llinux pc->linksys wap11-----windows pc with pci wireless adapter.

The wap11 and the pci adapter on the windows machine see each other.
For example the wap11 logs file the message:

Wireless PC Connected Mac: 00-40-f4-d7-a8-a7

as soon as the windows pc boots, and the wireless adapter on the windows pc
logs the mac of the wap11.

This is a new area for me but I think the next step is to get the wap to assign an ip to
the windows pc. I have tried to use dhcpd from the linux box with no luck so
far. My
dhcpd.conf is:

subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
# --- default gateway
range 192.168.1.20 192.168.1.255;
option routers 192.168.1.251; #ip of wap11
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
option ip-forwarding off;

default-lease-time 600;
max-lease-time 73200;

}
host downstairs{
hardware ethernet 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7; # 00:00:F4:A8:A7;
fixed-address 192.168.1.28;
}
ddns-update-style none;

(It doesn't matter if I choose a range or a fixed address)

When everything is turned on and dhcpd is running, tcpdump reports this kind of
chatter:

22:24:47.744554 IP 192.168.1.5.netbios-ns > 192.168.1.255.netbios-ns: NBT UDP
PACKET(137): QUERY; REQUEST; BROADCAST

22:26:12.202892 IP 0.0.0.0.bootpc > 255.255.255.255.bootps: BOOTP/DHCP,
Request from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, length: 300

The ip of the nic on the linux box (not the wap11) is 192.168.1.5 and
the mac of the windows wireless adapter is 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, so it looks to
me like they aretalking to each other. However the windows box never gets an
ip address.

When I start dhcpd all I get is:

Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server V3.0.1
Copyright 2004 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
Wrote 0 deleted host decls to leases file.
Wrote 0 new dynamic host decls to leases file.
Wrote 0 leases to leases file.
Listening on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24
Sending on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24


I would appreciate any insight you can provide.
Thanks, JWC

jwc wrote:
> Hi,
> (System: slackware 10.1 kernel 2.6.12.3; os on other pc: windows me)
>
> I am trying to set up a wireless network, right now just between two pcs.
> The topology is:
>
> ethernet->llinux pc->linksys wap11-----windows pc with pci wireless adapter.
>
> The wap11 and the pci adapter on the windows machine see each other.
> For example the wap11 logs file the message:
>
> Wireless PC Connected Mac: 00-40-f4-d7-a8-a7
>
> as soon as the windows pc boots, and the wireless adapter on the windows pc
> logs the mac of the wap11.
>
> This is a new area for me but I think the next step is to get the wap to assign an ip to
> the windows pc. I have tried to use dhcpd from the linux box with no luck so
> far. My
> dhcpd.conf is:
>
> subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
> # --- default gateway
> range 192.168.1.20 192.168.1.255;
> option routers 192.168.1.251; #ip of wap11
> option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
> option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
> option ip-forwarding off;
>
> default-lease-time 600;
> max-lease-time 73200;
>
> }
> host downstairs{
> hardware ethernet 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7; # 00:00:F4:A8:A7;
> fixed-address 192.168.1.28;
> }
> ddns-update-style none;
>
> (It doesn't matter if I choose a range or a fixed address)
>
> When everything is turned on and dhcpd is running, tcpdump reports this kind of
> chatter:
>
> 22:24:47.744554 IP 192.168.1.5.netbios-ns > 192.168.1.255.netbios-ns: NBT UDP
> PACKET(137): QUERY; REQUEST; BROADCAST
>
> 22:26:12.202892 IP 0.0.0.0.bootpc > 255.255.255.255.bootps: BOOTP/DHCP,
> Request from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, length: 300
>
> The ip of the nic on the linux box (not the wap11) is 192.168.1.5 and
> the mac of the windows wireless adapter is 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, so it looks to
> me like they aretalking to each other. However the windows box never gets an
> ip address.
>
> When I start dhcpd all I get is:
>
> Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server V3.0.1
> Copyright 2004 Internet Systems Consortium.
> All rights reserved.
> For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
> Wrote 0 deleted host decls to leases file.
> Wrote 0 new dynamic host decls to leases file.
> Wrote 0 leases to leases file.
> Listening on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24
> Sending on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24

Is there a firewall in the Linux box?

If yes, are UDP ports 67 and 68 open to the Windows
box direction and back?

Please drop the upper limit of the lease range: the 192.168.1.255
address is the local link broadcast address in this configuration.

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 08:03:35 +0000, Tauno Voipio wrote:

> jwc wrote:
>> Hi,
>> (System: slackware 10.1 kernel 2.6.12.3; os on other pc: windows me)
>>
>> I am trying to set up a wireless network, right now just between two pcs.
>> The topology is:
>>
>> ethernet->llinux pc->linksys wap11-----windows pc with pci wireless adapter.
>>
>> The wap11 and the pci adapter on the windows machine see each other.
>> For example the wap11 logs file the message:
>>
>> Wireless PC Connected Mac: 00-40-f4-d7-a8-a7
>>
>> as soon as the windows pc boots, and the wireless adapter on the windows pc
>> logs the mac of the wap11.
>>
>> This is a new area for me but I think the next step is to get the wap to assign an ip to
>> the windows pc. I have tried to use dhcpd from the linux box with no luck so
>> far. My
>> dhcpd.conf is:
>>
>> subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
>> # --- default gateway
>> range 192.168.1.20 192.168.1.255;
>> option routers 192.168.1.251; #ip of wap11
>> option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
>> option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
>> option ip-forwarding off;
>>
>> default-lease-time 600;
>> max-lease-time 73200;
>>
>> }
>> host downstairs{
>> hardware ethernet 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7; # 00:00:F4:A8:A7;
>> fixed-address 192.168.1.28;
>> }
>> ddns-update-style none;
>>
>> (It doesn't matter if I choose a range or a fixed address)
>>
>> When everything is turned on and dhcpd is running, tcpdump reports this kind of
>> chatter:
>>
>> 22:24:47.744554 IP 192.168.1.5.netbios-ns > 192.168.1.255.netbios-ns: NBT UDP
>> PACKET(137): QUERY; REQUEST; BROADCAST
>>
>> 22:26:12.202892 IP 0.0.0.0.bootpc > 255.255.255.255.bootps: BOOTP/DHCP,
>> Request from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, length: 300
>>
>> The ip of the nic on the linux box (not the wap11) is 192.168.1.5 and
>> the mac of the windows wireless adapter is 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7, so it looks to
>> me like they aretalking to each other. However the windows box never gets an
>> ip address.
>>
>> When I start dhcpd all I get is:
>>
>> Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Server V3.0.1
>> Copyright 2004 Internet Systems Consortium.
>> All rights reserved.
>> For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
>> Wrote 0 deleted host decls to leases file.
>> Wrote 0 new dynamic host decls to leases file.
>> Wrote 0 leases to leases file.
>> Listening on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24
>> Sending on Socket/eth1/192.168.1.0/24
>
> Is there a firewall in the Linux box?
>
> If yes, are UDP ports 67 and 68 open to the Windows
> box direction and back?
>
> Please drop the upper limit of the lease range: the 192.168.1.255
> address is the local link broadcast address in this configuration.

OK, I fixed my firewall script and now I am getting this kind of chatter:

Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7 via eth1

Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.1.28 to 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7
via eth1

There is, however no DHCPACK followup signal sent. The windows client
monitoring program tells me that the signal strength varies from 60-75%
and the signal quality fluctuates around 75%. The green light on the
wireless adapter flickers periodically but does not stay on, and the ping
function does not work in either direction.


Am I right that I have to move the two devices closer to make this work?
Thanks, JWC

jwc wrote:
>
>
> OK, I fixed my firewall script and now I am getting this kind of chatter:
>
> Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7 via eth1
>
> Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.1.28 to 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7
> via eth1
>
> There is, however no DHCPACK followup signal sent.

OK - if the info is from the Linux box log, it means
that the DHCP is performing, but the Windows box does
not respond to it.

> The windows client
> monitoring program tells me that the signal strength varies from 60-75%
> and the signal quality fluctuates around 75%. The green light on the
> wireless adapter flickers periodically but does not stay on, and the ping
> function does not work in either direction.
>
> Am I right that I have to move the two devices closer to make this work?

Yes - at least until the connection is debugged.

For better analyzing the situation, get Ethereal
and WinPcap packages <http://www.ethereal.com/>
and install them on the Windows host. Get a
packet trace and see what's going on.

You can also use Ethereal on the Linux box (if
there is X window system in) or capture a trace
with 'tcpdump -w' and analyze it later with
the Windows box Ethereal.

HTH

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 09:09:48 +0000, Tauno Voipio wrote:

> jwc wrote:
>>
>>
>> OK, I fixed my firewall script and now I am getting this kind of chatter:
>>
>> Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7 via eth1
>>
>> Oct 29 13:08:56 915p dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.1.28 to 00:40:f4:d7:a8:a7
>> via eth1
>>
>> There is, however no DHCPACK followup signal sent.
>
> OK - if the info is from the Linux box log, it means
> that the DHCP is performing, but the Windows box does
> not respond to it.
>
> > The windows client
>> monitoring program tells me that the signal strength varies from 60-75%
>> and the signal quality fluctuates around 75%. The green light on the
>> wireless adapter flickers periodically but does not stay on, and the ping
>> function does not work in either direction.
>>
>> Am I right that I have to move the two devices closer to make this work?
>
> Yes - at least until the connection is debugged.
>
> For better analyzing the situation, get Ethereal
> and WinPcap packages <http://www.ethereal.com/>
> and install them on the Windows host. Get a
> packet trace and see what's going on.
>
> You can also use Ethereal on the Linux box (if
> there is X window system in) or capture a trace
> with 'tcpdump -w' and analyze it later with
> the Windows box Ethereal.
>
> HTH

Thanks for your help, I would not have got there without you. There was
another line in my firewall script that I forgot to uncomment. Also I had
to configure the windows wifi adapter to use tcp/it. Once I did that the
systerm worked.

Cheers, JWC

jwc wrote:
>>
>
> Thanks for your help, I would not have got there without you. There was
> another line in my firewall script that I forgot to uncomment. Also I had
> to configure the windows wifi adapter to use tcp/it. Once I did that the
> systerm worked.

Thank you - positive feedback keeps
the response engine running.

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi