WPA-PSK DHCP issue on Linksys WRT54G

I run a Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN card in my HP zv5000 laptop. My wife
runs an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection 2100B on her Toshiba
Portégé. We both have the latest drivers installed from the v3.1
WRT54G cdrom. The router firmware version is 4.20.7. The router has no
trouble whatsoever assigning multiple IP addresses in response to DHCP
requests using WEP encryption. I have the client quantity set to 5 on
the WRT54G. The problem I observe is independent of MAC address mask
enable/disable. The preshared key I use was generated from the WEP
setup -- 128bit.

However, when the router is configured with WPA PSK encryption, only
one client successfully completes DHCP registration. The other is
shutout -- it appears DHCP times out, suggesting that a data link error
arises. The "Billyware" network status indicator states "Limited
network connectivity." If the HP client configures the router for WPA,
only it can successfully complete a DHCP request; the Toshiba times
out. If the Toshiba client configures the router for WPA, only it can
successfully complete a DHCP request; the HP times out.

I have tried this configuration operation 5 times. It fails identically
for WPA encryption -- nice and deterministic :-<. I had a version 2.2
router and upgraded it 4.20.7 firmware. It also failed identically for
WPA encryption, but functioned fine for WEP.

I'm stumped. Any suggestions? Linksys has been unresponsive to my
direct inquiries.

Leon Spinks wrote:
> I run a Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN card in my HP zv5000 laptop. My wife
> runs an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection 2100B on her Toshiba
> Portégé. We both have the latest drivers installed from the v3.1
> WRT54G cdrom. The router firmware version is 4.20.7. The router has no
> trouble whatsoever assigning multiple IP addresses in response to DHCP
> requests using WEP encryption. I have the client quantity set to 5 on
> the WRT54G. The problem I observe is independent of MAC address mask
> enable/disable. The preshared key I use was generated from the WEP
> setup -- 128bit.
>
> However, when the router is configured with WPA PSK encryption, only
> one client successfully completes DHCP registration. The other is
> shutout -- it appears DHCP times out, suggesting that a data link
> error arises. The "Billyware" network status indicator states "Limited
> network connectivity." If the HP client configures the router for WPA,
> only it can successfully complete a DHCP request; the Toshiba times
> out. If the Toshiba client configures the router for WPA, only it can
> successfully complete a DHCP request; the HP times out.
>
> I have tried this configuration operation 5 times. It fails
> identically for WPA encryption -- nice and deterministic :-<. I had a
> version 2.2 router and upgraded it 4.20.7 firmware. It also failed
> identically for WPA encryption, but functioned fine for WEP.
>
> I'm stumped. Any suggestions? Linksys has been unresponsive to my
> direct inquiries.

Repost this at www.dslreports.com in the Linksys forum. This might well
be a problem with the router, and it has many. It might be that you
need to enter caps in the key, or lower case in the key. The router
might be filtering MAC addresses. The moon might be full (no, it
isn't). Anyway, dslreports has posters with significant expertise in
this router.

Q

On 23 Dec 2005 14:47:44 -0800, "Leon Spinks"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I run a Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN card in my HP zv5000 laptop. My wife
>runs an Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection 2100B on her Toshiba
>Portégé. We both have the latest drivers installed from the v3.1
>WRT54G cdrom. The router firmware version is 4.20.7.

What's the router HARDWARE version? It will be on the serial number
label as V1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.2, 3.0, 3.1, 4.0, or 5.0.

>The router has no
>trouble whatsoever assigning multiple IP addresses in response to DHCP
>requests using WEP encryption. I have the client quantity set to 5 on
>the WRT54G. The problem I observe is independent of MAC address mask
>enable/disable. The preshared key I use was generated from the WEP
>setup -- 128bit.
>
>However, when the router is configured with WPA PSK encryption, only
>one client successfully completes DHCP registration. The other is
>shutout -- it appears DHCP times out, suggesting that a data link error
>arises.

Try plugging the 2nd laptop into the router using a LAN cable instead
of going through the wireless link. I'll guess that it will work just
fine. If not, then it's the DHCP server. Have you done anything odd
on the DHCP setup? You mention that you have 5IP's configured. Are
they all within the netmask as set on the LAN side (i.e.
255.255.255.0). If you've set a different netmaks, you might wanna
try setting it back to the default and see if that allows additional
IP's via DHCP.

Also, there's a free DHCP query utility at:
| http://www.weirdsolutions.com/weirdS...ytool_free.exe
Run it on BOTH machines and see if it reports any useful errors.

>The "Billyware" network status indicator states "Limited
>network connectivity."

Yeah. That just means it didn't get an IP address and has resorted to
169.254.xxx.xxx. MS does not believe in useful diagnostic and error
messages. In the case of wireless, there are none as all errors
result in "limited connectivity...".

>If the HP client configures the router for WPA,
>only it can successfully complete a DHCP request; the Toshiba times
>out. If the Toshiba client configures the router for WPA, only it can
>successfully complete a DHCP request; the HP times out.

Ok, it's symmetrical. Are you using Windoze Wireless Zero Config to
run the wireless cards? Or are you using Intel Proset or whatever
Toshiba supplies?

>I have tried this configuration operation 5 times. It fails identically
>for WPA encryption -- nice and deterministic :-<. I had a version 2.2
>router and upgraded it 4.20.7 firmware. It also failed identically for
>WPA encryption, but functioned fine for WEP.

Well, I have a WRT54G 3.0 hardware with DD-WRT 2.3beta2 on it running
WPA with 3 customers laptops at this time. No problems.

>I'm stumped. Any suggestions? Linksys has been unresponsive to my
>direct inquiries.

The version of firmware supports WPA2 as well as WPA. Which are you
using under security mode?
WPA-PSK
WPA2-PSK Only
WPA2-PSK Mixed

Have you tried a grand reset on the router? I found I needed to do
that after a firmware update. Stomp on the button and hold it for
over 30 seconds or use the reset on the:
Admin -> Factory Defaults
menu.

Any chance you can bring in a 3rd laptop and try it? I'm still not
convinced it's the router. It might be the client, especially if
there's some network software in common, such as VPN shims, or 3rd
party WPA supplicants.

Good luck.

--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 (E-Mail Removed)
# http://802.11junk.com (E-Mail Removed)
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

The router H/W is v3.1. Per your suggestions, I configured WPA-PSK
using the HP. The Toshiba client wireless connection again indicated
Limited or No Connectivity. The router is setup to permit a maximum of
5 connections simultaneously. The client that configures successfully
(the HP in this case) possesses a class C netmask (255.255.255.0). The
client that does not configure via DHCP has a class B netmask
(255.255.0.0). I grabbed a network cable and plugged the Toshiba into
the WRT54G. A connection materialized instantaneously. Web surfing
restored. The wireless lan drivers on both clients are based on the
WRT54G cdrom for v3.1 contents. I tried the master reset button on the
router several times -- this WPA issue is persistent and an annoying.
I posted to dslreports per the previous discussion. I have not
attempted the DHCP sniffer.

On 25 Dec 2005 05:09:19 -0800, "Leon Spinks"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>The router H/W is v3.1.

That's one of the good ones. I have a 1.1, 3.0, 4.0 along with a mess
of customers that use these. However, all but one use alternative
firmware and not the stock Linksys firmware. I have never seen the
problem of only allowing a single DHCP delivered wireless connection.

Are you using SES (Secure Easy Setup)? Incidentally, stomping on the
front panel SES button for a "long" time is suppose to reset just the
wireless settings in the router.

Are you *SURE* you have 4.20.7 firmware installed? I'm asking because
version 4.00.7 had an interesting problem that vaguely sounds like it
might be involved.
- Resolves issue with enabling TKIP after enabling WEP
See release notes at:
| http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...&ssbinary=true

>Per your suggestions, I configured WPA-PSK
>using the HP. The Toshiba client wireless connection again indicated
>Limited or No Connectivity.

Argh. Have you tried to setup the Toshiba temporarily with a static
IP address, netmask, gateway, and DNS servers? I'm not sure what it
proves if it works, but it would be interesting to know.

>The router is setup to permit a maximum of
>5 connections simultaneously.

My sense of smell tells me that this is the source of the problem,
even though it totally legitimate. How are you limiting connections?
Do you have the DHCP server pool limited to 192.168.1.100 thru
192.168.1.104 in the WRT54G setup? That's fine. However, if you did
it by tweaking the netmask for the LAN side, methinks that might be
the problem. Leave it at 255.255.255.0 in the router on the:
Setup -> Basic Setup
page.

Oops, if the HP is successfully getting 255.255.255.0 from the WRT54g,
then the WRT54G is correctly setup with the proper netmask. So much
for that theory.

>The client that configures successfully
>(the HP in this case) possesses a class C netmask (255.255.255.0). The
>client that does not configure via DHCP has a class B netmask
>(255.255.0.0).

The 255.255.0.0 comes from when the DHCP request fails and the client
reverts to 169.254.xxx.xxx IP address. This is normal. If the DHCP
request is successful, the assigned netmask will be 255.255.255.0
unless otherwise changes in the LAN setup.

>I grabbed a network cable and plugged the Toshiba into
>the WRT54G. A connection materialized instantaneously. Web surfing
>restored.

OK, then it's not a trashed LSP stack or mangled winsock on the client
end. Basically, the Toshiba DHCP is working as expected.

>The wireless lan drivers on both clients are based on the
>WRT54G cdrom for v3.1 contents.

I'm not sure what that means. I've never used whatever is on the
cdrom that comes with the router. If you've installed some sort of
driver from Linksys on the Toshiba, you might wanna remove it and see
if the Intel 2100a Proset utilties (7.1.4.5) do a better job. For the
very latest, see:
| http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scri...&ProductID=944
| http://support.intel.com/support/wir...wlan/pro2100a/

>I tried the master reset button on the
>router several times -- this WPA issue is persistent and an annoying.
>I posted to dslreports per the previous discussion. I have not
>attempted the DHCP sniffer.

Could I trouble you for the operating system version on both machines?
Also the model number of the Toshiba Portege? It probably comes with
XP but I just wanna be sure.

I don't have a clue what is happening. My guess(tm) is that there's
either a major bug somewhere, or you're doing something creative in
the setup with the 5 IP address limit. Try resetting everything to
defaults (again). Get it working with no encryption. Leave every
other setting in the router at defaults. Delete any wireless profiles
on both the HP and Toshibah. In other words, start over and make no
assumptions that your previous work was correct. That should work as
you previously indicated. Then, enable WPA-PSK using an easy to type
encryption key (typo errors are rediculously common). Don't tinker
with limiting the number of connections and don't use wireless
profiles in the client. If you don't get a DHCP address, reboot the
client to be sure it's not "hung" or something odd. If that works,
put the DHCP address limits into the router and see what happens. If
it then doesn't work, you may have found a router bug.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558