William Shu wrote:
> --- John Summerfield <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> William Shu wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>> I have 3 issues related with using my wireless router, and
>>> making sure changes take effect at boot time.
>>>
>>> ISSUE 1: Obtaining DHCP from router
>>> My wireless router can be used if my machine (an hp
>> pavillion
>>> 5000 series laptop) is given a fixed IP address. For this to
>>> happen, the ipW3945d service (driver) has to be activated so
>>> that the wireless connection is associated with the eth1
>>> interface. (From the HOWTO's this is done so that sofware
>> that
>>> can change certain wireless connectivity parameters into
>>> unlawful values cannot be tampered with by a user, which is
>> an
>>> FCC legal requirement) eth0 is associated with the wired
>> network
>>> interface.
>>>
>>> My router may issue DHCP IP addresses, but I cannot use the
>>> wireless connection because I would need the issued IP
>> address
>>> to configure the eth1 interface needed for the connection!
>>> Unfortunately, the router cannot issue both fixed and DHCP
>> IP
>>> addresses at the same time! Furthermore, the accepted
>> address
>>> range set for the router need not be known by the user, who
>> need
>>> not have root/admin access.
>>>
>>> QUESTION: How can I configure my eth1 interface so that it
>> can
>>> get a DHCP IP address from the router?
>> What brand/model of wireless router? I failed to get a dlink
>> working, 
>> though I've had n problems with Apple's airports or a linksys.
> 
> The router is a TRENDnet TEW432BRP

Someone with particular knowledge of that device might respond now; I've 
never heard of it.

> (I closed the former thread "direct network cable connection
> between two SL5 machines" to start this thread of limited scope
> -- hope the correct course of action! -- but it seems the mail
> got corrupted/never got through. I now hope to give one final
> feedback to close both threads!) 
> 
>> I don't use the builtin dhcp server, but I do use dhcp.
> 
> Any hints? The problem, as I understand it, is that
> system-config-network does not "see" the eth1 interface until it
> has an IP address and so I cannot even configure it to accept
> dhcp, the same way eth0 can be configured.  This explains why I
> had to use the individual commands "/sbin/iwconfig" and
> "/sbin/ifconfig" on the command line.

I also use a variety of distributions; the only NIC I can recall for 
sure I configured with system-config-network is Atheros-based, and the 
PCI information for those say "this is an ethernet NIC" which means it's 
not handled like any other.

If system-config-network won't configure a wireless NIC until it's got 
an IP address, then that's a bug.

However, do check that the driver for the device is loaded and the 
device is functioning properly before running system-config-network. I 
would expect that to mean just that the driver's loaded, and its 
firmware is loaded. The latter should "just happen," but check for any 
messages.


> 
>>>
>>> ISSUE 2: Adding configuration start-up commands at boot time
>>> The following are actually more of linux boot-related
>> questions:
>>> I used /sbin/chkconfig to start the ipw3945d service at boot
>>> time. However, the initialisation commands
>>> 	# /sbin/iwconfig eth1 essid "doit1wlan" channel 6 rate auto
>>> txpower auto
>> I would not specify the channel on a client.
> 
> Okay, I will remove the channel and try it out again.
> 
>>> 	# /sbin/iwconfig eth1 key open s:xxxxx
>> what's that work "open?" "key" is supposed to be followed
>> immediately 
>> by the key.
> 
> From iwconfig man page, it seems security has two modes: open vs
> restricted; I did try all options, including "no option".
> Restricted seems to be the same thing as what is termed "shared"
> on the Trendnet. Moreover, I read somewhere (can't give
> reference) that if the network is "open", then the WEP
> encryption security will be guaranteed both in the wireless and
> wired segment of the LAN.
> 
> I'm afraid I just dabble in all these, following the man pages
> and any other documentation available, and the above parameters
> are combinations that ended up working!.

You realise that a WEP key can be cracked in under two minutes, don't you?

"open" means no security. Usually. Don't follow the word "open" with a key.

> 
>>> 	# /sbin/ifconfig eth1 up 192.168.110
>>> which are used to configure the device are lost. 
>>>
>>> QUESTION: How should I save these commands so that they are
>>> automatically executed at time? (.bashrc does not seem
>> right!)

You can put them in /etc/rc.local but that's not normally required. It 
has the disadvantage of always running the command, and that might not 
what you want.




>>
>> If you use RH's configuration tools, it should all work. The 
>> information's stored in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts and
>> it's possible 
>> to edit the files with a little vim, but I prefer to see
>> something to 
>> work on.
> 
> As explained above, system-config-network does *not* see the
> eth1 interface.
> 
> I feel slightly un-nerved editing files in the
> /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts. Are they not automatically
> generated? Or should I just create a shell script and add to the
> directory?

If you can make system-config-network see the wireless NIC by any means, 
then create a configuration using it. The files it creates are simple 
text files, and you probably will feel fairly easy about using vim on 
them once you see their contents:-)



> 
>>>
>>> ISSUE 3: Controlling Services across sessions
>>> Sometimes, when my laptop runs out of power and shuts down,
>> the
>>> subsequent reboot restart or resume some of the programs
>>> (processes) that were running before. This does not happen
>> when
>>> I shutdown the system. I have deleted the processes from the
>>> current session services, but they still re-appear on
>> subsequent
>>> boots. (such processes seem to be hvve unusual names, id's
>> or
>>> directory paths appended/prepended to them). I think at one
>> time
>>> in the distant past, pm-hibernate or pm-suspend had been
>> called.
>> If the system hibernates, then it should resume to the same
>> state it was 
>> in before. By definition.
>>
>>> QUESTION 1: How can I turn this on or off -- at my
>> discretion?
>>
>> I have in the past had success setting my choices in KDE>
> 
> I am on gnome. What commands are actually given?
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 

Cheers
John

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