Strange wireless connection problem

[Grimble]

Hi, new member of the newsgroup here, posting because the experts at
alt.os.linux.mandriva don't seem to have a solution.
Setup is laptop with ra2500 wireless card running Mandriva 2007.0
(mostly), Windows XP (sometimes), DG834 wireless router.
Setup worked perfectly for a number of months at location A. Moved to
location B, where wireless connection worked immediately with XP, but
failed to connect to my SSID under Mandriva, although the SSID was
visible in the list of wireless networks. Using Mandriva's network
monitor, packets were being sent but none received. The "signal
strength" indicator for my network was showing minimum. When I looked at
the DG834's list of attached devices, I saw the following:
# IP Address Device Name MAC Address
1 192.168.0.3 HAYDN 00:16:17:52:AD:FD
2 192.168.0.4 HAYDN 00:16:17:52:AD:FD
3 192.168.0.6 NAS1 00:07:40:FB:C4:F8
IP ...3 is (supposed to be) the wireless connection, IP...4 is the wired
ethernet connection.
In other words, the wireless connection wants to use the same MAC
address as the ethernet connection, whereas I know the wireless MAC is
00:13:D3:81:1E:9C.
Unfortunately, because there is no wireless connection, I cannot tell
what MAC address is associated with 192.169.0.3 when the ethernet
connection is switched off.
Has anyone observed this mixup on attached devices? Has anyone a
solution how to break the association between the wireless acrd and the
eternet MAC? (Don't suggest moving back to location A - the house has
been sold and the money's in my bank!).
Thanks
Grimble

[Jeff Liebermann]

Grimble <grimble@nospamthanx.net> hath wroth:

>Setup is laptop with ra2500 wireless card running Mandriva 2007.0
>(mostly), Windows XP (sometimes), DG834 wireless router.

Any particular product? The chipset description is useful if I were
building my own driver, but doesn't do much for dealing with firmware
bugs or product specific anomalies.

>Setup worked perfectly for a number of months at location A. Moved to
>location B, where wireless connection worked immediately with XP, but
>failed to connect to my SSID under Mandriva, although the SSID was
>visible in the list of wireless networks.

Failed to connect with what error message? The usual goof is some
kind of IP layout problem, especially if you're using static IP's.
What does your network topology look like?

>Using Mandriva's network
>monitor, packets were being sent but none received.

That's usually an indication that there's no connection. Sent to what
IP? What device? Note that 802.11 type wireless is all bridging. The
devices don't know anything about IP (layer 3) addresses and only deal
with MAC addresses (layer 2). What do you get when you run:
apr -a

>The "signal
>strength" indicator for my network was showing minimum.

Signal strength indicated where? On the XP client? Linux client? In
the access point diagnostics? With a wireless sniffer (Kismet or
Netstumbler)?

>When I looked at
>the DG834's

Ahah. You have a Netgear DG834. Not exactly may favorite DSL
wireless router. Which country and which firmware version are you
using? Some versions have problems.

>list of attached devices, I saw the following:
># IP Address Device Name MAC Address
>1 192.168.0.3 HAYDN 00:16:17:52:AD:FD
>2 192.168.0.4 HAYDN 00:16:17:52:AD:FD
>3 192.168.0.6 NAS1 00:07:40:FB:C4:F8
>IP ...3 is (supposed to be) the wireless connection, IP...4 is the wired
>ethernet connection.
>In other words, the wireless connection wants to use the same MAC
>address as the ethernet connection, whereas I know the wireless MAC is
>00:13:D3:81:1E:9C.

That's easy. See:
<http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=68>
Scroll down a few articles until you get to where the author displays
the results of "arp -a". You'll find that the non-transparent
wireless client bridge also shows exactly the same behavior. The
explanation is in the article, so there's no sense in reposting it.

>Unfortunately, because there is no wireless connection, I cannot tell
>what MAC address is associated with 192.169.0.3 when the ethernet
>connection is switched off.

True. I could explain why it's legal to have more than one IP for a
given MAC addresses and get involved in this distraction. However
interesting, it has little to do with why you apparently have a weak
signal and are unable to connect. However, since I only know 2
operating systems, one DSL wireless router model, and absolutely
nothing else, I can't really guess(tm) what might be the problem.
Could I trouble you to supply some details, such as makers, models,
and versions? Also topology, layout, and wireless hardware
description.

>Has anyone observed this mixup on attached devices? Has anyone a
>solution how to break the association between the wireless acrd and the
>eternet MAC? (Don't suggest moving back to location A - the house has
>been sold and the money's in my bank!).

All things are possible with sufficient money. My guess is that the
problem is in some assumption or change that has happened between
locations. What changed? An easy sanity check would be to take the
wireless computer and temporarily connect it to the DG834 with a CAT5
cable. If that works, at least the computer is functioning and the
problem is in the wireless. If not, then look carefully at your IP
layout.



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558