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Bug 706565 - re-boot is required before connection to wi-fi access point is possible
re-boot is required before connection to wi-fi access point is possible
Status: RESOLVED NOTABUG
Product: NetworkManager
Classification: Platform
Component: general
unspecified
Other Linux
: Normal critical
: ---
Assigned To: NetworkManager maintainer(s)
NetworkManager maintainer(s)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2013-08-22 09:51 UTC by Desmond Armstrong
Modified: 2013-08-26 19:56 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Attachments
Log File before re-boot (5.22 KB, text/plain)
2013-08-23 09:33 UTC, Desmond Armstrong
Details
Log File after reboot (3.08 KB, text/plain)
2013-08-23 09:34 UTC, Desmond Armstrong
Details
Status of network (727 bytes, text/plain)
2013-08-23 11:36 UTC, Desmond Armstrong
Details

Description Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-22 09:51:31 UTC
It is impossible to connect where several access points of the same name exist.

If we have single access point then after entering encryption key we must re-boot before connection is possible (re-boot) should only be required if we need to patch kernel

This problem has existed for some years, and, while workaround is possible using wicd this is not the right answer when a fundamental problem exists.

Reference:-
https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11053
https://bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=10727

The problem is consistently repeatable with Mageia but is reported for other distributions.
Comment 1 Thomas Haller 2013-08-22 12:34:47 UTC
Could you please post the content of the relevant logfiles?

Probably that's in the file '/var/log/messages'. Or depending on how logging is configured, it might be another file under '/var/log'. Or if Mageia uses the systemd journal, you might have to call something like `journalctl --since=today > ~/my-logfile-for-today`. YMMV.

Anyway, it should be the logging where you can find the messages written by NetworkManager.


I don't really understand. After a fresh boot you are able to connect successfully -- but only once? And you have to reboot until you can connect anew?


Thank you
Comment 2 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-22 18:16:50 UTC
The process is:-
1/ connect to an access point.
2/ enter encryption code.
3/ connection fails.
4/ re-boot machine and the connection is fine.
5/ once the encryption code is accepted in this way then it connects straight away every time after booting.

I am going to try to find the log file and will use the process of simply changing my access point's encryption each time, I think this will work.

This problem means that in any situation where there are several access points connection is impossible I think one sets it up and then after re-boot it tries to connect to another access point.

The process of rebooting surely is only relevant when we patch the kernel certainly not for something so mundane as entering an encryption code.

I first observed the problem when I tried to connect in a venue where there is no encryption and found it to be impossible to connect.

I should add I am seeing this problem with Mageia 2 and with Mageia 3 and with several computers.
Comment 3 Thomas Haller 2013-08-23 08:11:38 UTC
Thank you very much for taking the effort to report an issue.

But the log files are very important. Without them, it is very difficult, to figure out what the actual problem is.

You are right, reboot should never be necessary for connecting to a network -- and it usually is not necessary.


NetworkManager is a system service and stores the configuration how to connect to a network; except the security information, such as passwords. These can be saved and provided on demand by clients (for example nm-applet).
These clients usually use something like gnome-keyring to encrypt these passwords with a user provided password.
So maybe there lies the issue.

But without knowing more details, that cannot be decided.

When you configure a connection in NetworkManager, you can also choose that NetworkManager itself stores the password. If you do that, it might work (obviously, the password is than not encrypted(!!) and readable by users with root previleges).
Comment 4 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 08:31:13 UTC
I have now found the relevant log files and will forward these.
I have fresh install of Mageia and again it has demonstrated this problem.

I think that the simple expedient of changing the WPA encryption will allow me the capture the log file. 

Thank you for your confirmation that re-boot should not be required, nobody else has confirmed this (simple) fact.

During today I will be doing the required work which, hopefully will give you enough information.
Comment 5 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 09:33:23 UTC
Created attachment 252822 [details]
Log File before re-boot

Log file when Wi-Fi fails
Comment 6 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 09:34:21 UTC
Created attachment 252823 [details]
Log File after reboot

This is the log file after reboot
Comment 7 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 09:45:32 UTC
I have added the two log files, one before re-boot and the one after.

This process is absolutely consistent, after entering encryption key re-boot is essential to achieve connection.

If there is something else I can add please let me know. I am determined to get this problem solved.

I am confident that once we can solve this then I will be able to connect to the unencrypted network where there are many access points (all with the same name.)
Comment 8 Thomas Haller 2013-08-23 11:05:41 UTC
According to the attached logfiles, you are not using NetworkManager but ifplugd.

You would see the status of the NetworkManager with

$ systemctl status NetworkManager

I guess you don't have NetworkManager running/installed.
You have the choice between several methods for managing your network connections (wicd, ifplugd, NetworkManager, ...). 
You probably want to use only *one* of them at a time.

You can see installed packages with
$ rpm -qa '*NAME*'

and with systemctl you can see the running services.
Comment 9 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 11:21:50 UTC
Now this has thrown me!
I shall follow your instruction later on.
At least I know that I do not have wicd as this is a clean install of Mageia 3.

So doing some searching on ifplugd I am certainly finding some issues.

NetworkManager is certainly installed on the system, so now I am wondering what it is doing.

Certainly I can see that I need to resolve just what is running ifplugd or NetworkManager.
Comment 10 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 11:36:03 UTC
Created attachment 252836 [details]
Status of network

The Status of the Network
Comment 11 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-23 11:40:15 UTC
Now I am not sure where to go.

NetworkManager is, according to that running.

It seems to me that we should be un-installing ifplugd and relying on NetworkManager
Comment 12 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-24 18:03:55 UTC
Now I have been doing some experiment and find that I can uninstall NetworkManager and all is working fine ifplugd cannot be uninstalled.

So with NetworkManager uninstalled everything is fine but now what I believe is the critical test (disconnect and reconnect) does do as required and NO RE-BOOT is required.
NetworkManager was installed originally when the system was installed, presumably in response to the presence of Wi-Fi card.

So this leaves some questions unanswered:-

Why is NetworkManager installed?
Surely ifplugd should be complete without even parts of NetworkManager?
Comment 13 Thomas Haller 2013-08-26 10:06:34 UTC
Hi,

I would say, that in most cases it does not make much sense to have more then one networking service running. Obviously, because they might interfere with each other.

I don't fully understand, but does now everything work with NetworkManager deinstalled?

Sorry, I cannot really follow you what your remaining issues are :) but it seams to me, that it is more related to your distribution (Mageia). The question why one package is installed or not has to do with package management and the dependency between packages.

NetworkManager has nothing to do with ifplugd, except that they can serve a similar purpose.
Comment 14 Desmond Armstrong 2013-08-26 17:02:36 UTC
Thank You Thomas.
You gave me the clue here and I have simply un-installed NetworkManager and now everything is fine.

I cannot un-install ifplugd as otherwise I would have left NM installed.
Clearly yes, the issue is with Mageia.

It has taken quite a lot of testing and clean install to get to the root of the issue, but the main thing is it now works correctly (without re-boot).

I have reported this to Mageia but we got nowhere there.

For me, the problem is clear, install ifplugd or wicd or NM but only one of those.
Comment 15 Thomas Haller 2013-08-26 19:56:33 UTC
Ok Desmond,

then I close this bug.

Thank you for your effort and if you have further issues, please feel free to reopen or create a new bug.