Wireless doesn't work. Faith quite shaken in OLPC project.

[Tiktaalik]

What sort of bizarre voodoo do I have to do to get this thing to connect to a wireless connection? I'm using a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router and I haven't been able to get anything to work. Usually I use a WPA connection, so I switched to a WEP connection with a 128bit passphrase, but that wouldn't connect. I tried converting that passphrase to hex but and inputing that as a hex password as I saw suggested somewhere but that didn't work either (I'm a bit out of my water on this one, because I've rarely play around with WEP). I have also tried changing channels between 11,6,1 and others and that has not worked. Amazingly, even when I disabled the security completely, I could still not get a connection. For a moment I thought that maybe it was a hardware fault, so I tried another one that I ordered for a friend, but that one didn't work either.

I am simply at a loss. I've set up wireless networks numerous times and I don't understand what the problem is. It simply doesn't work, at least, not with this router. If it is just this router, well that really shouldn't happen, considering that it's likely the most popular consumer router in Canada (and perhaps the USA). The extreme difficulties I've had with getting this to work with such a simple, VITAL task has given me serious concerns with the long term viability of the OLPC project. Wireless is one of the absolute key features of this device, and you'd think that this device would be tested again and again with many different setups to ensure compatibility. If I can't get this thing to work, the chances of a child or average, untechy teacher to be able to get it to work are very low, and that's not good at all.

I know I'm not alone on this. This person for example, had a huge amount of issues as well.

I'll be taking this to work tomorrow to put on the newest version of the OS with a USB key. Hopefully that solves things. If anyone else has some advice in the meantime though, I'd graciously accept some ideas.

[BradandRhonda]

Good luck with the USB update. I bought a new Kingston 2GB USB yesterday to support this and couldn't get it to work. See my post. XO may not like Kingston devices.
http://en.forum.laptop.org/viewtopic.php?f=1334&t=150779

I have a D-Link DI-524 router. I have been unsuccessful in getting any internet connection to work with WEP but I am able to connect in I if temporarily disable security and used that to do an online upgrade to Build 653 this morning.

Still no luck getting secure wireless internet to the XO.

[Ben James Ben]

The issue may be because you are using a Linksys WRT54G. That model of router suffers from a problem called "Lazy-WDS". Most other routers don't have that problem.

The XO software has been re-written to implement a workaround for the Lazy-WDS problem. The fix is scheduled to be released with Update.1 (which should be coming in three days, if all goes according to plan).
Please see: Ticket #4858 XO doesn't see my access point

[Tiktaalik]

Upgrading to the newest version of the software fixed my issues as I had hoped. I'm glad to see that OLPC developers are cognizant of the issues that exist and are clearly eager to deal with them.

[capsid]

I still can't connect to my home network. I was able to connect out of the box and for several weeks, but now it won't work. Kind of like the problem here:
http://www.olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=1517.msg11722;topicseen

Updating didn't work for me. I followed this guide to update:
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activated_Upgrade
cat /etc/issue gives me "OLPC build 656"

I'm not currently using and have not used any security on my home network. I was able to connect briefly to an unsecured network downtown, but I still can't connect to mine. I took the router off autochannel and made sure it was on channel 6, but I still can't connect. Let me reiterate that I made no changes to my home network before or after the XO stopped being able to connect to it.

Unlike the bug ticket submitted for the Lazy WDS problem, my XO definitely can see the access point.

Any ideas? Please let me know what more info I can provide...Thanks.

[Ben James Ben]

capsid, I recommend trying to delete the /home/olpc/.sugar/default/nm/networks.cfg file and then restart Sugar (or reboot the laptop). It sounds as if the problem might be a corrupted networks.cfg file, and removing the offending file would fix it, if that indeed is the problem.

Code: Select all

$ rm /home/olpc/.sugar/default/nm/networks.cfg

(Ctrl-Alt-Erase to restart Sugar.)


[dbirk]

I'm having the same problem after two succesful weeks of wifi connection. The wifi function appears to have deteriorated with builds 653 and 656. My experience:
Under build 650 of the XO operating system, I had no problem connecting to a Meraki mesh wifi (open) after I whitelisted the XO. I use a DLink DIR655 router connected to a DSL feed. To the DLink is connected a Meraki mini broadcasting an open network and a secure network.

I upgraded to 653 - had trouble connecting - then went to build 656.
Now when the XO searches for a network, it "connects" to the phantom Network Mesh 1 (channel 1) of the non-existent school server. It also connects to my Meraki open mesh network but not properly.
The white ring appears, but no connection.

I can monitor all wifi traffic via the backend Meraki Dashboard: it shows the XO laptop as a user, and shows uploads of some 200kb but 0 kb downloads during the time of attempting to connect. i.e. no Internet connection achieved. I havn't found a way to shut down the phantom school nets which appear to be corrupting the connections. Signal strength from the nearest Meraki repeater can be 100% and still no connect.

I tried the solution of removing networks.org [ CORRECTION: networks.cfg ]
That just removes all colour from the connect icon in Home view.
The colour comes back after a few minutes, but still no Browse connect.

UPDATE:
An hour later, I shut down my entire network (turned off DLink 655 router, Speedstream DSL modem and my Meraki minis). Then re-connected all. Lo and behold, the XO Laptop was able to reconnect to the Internet. This suggests that the solution is:
1. Remove networks.cfg in Terminal mode (as others advise).
2. Turn off modem & router. Reconnect. Check you have Internet via other computer.
3. Connect via XO Laptop browser.

Good Luck. We all seem to need it.

[Nabil]

Dbirk- thanks for your account, it's good to know this can be solved. A quick question- when you refer to removing networks.org, do you mean using the terrminal command on networks.cfg as cited above? Or is there a different file networks.org that must be removed in addition to the networks.cfg file?

Thanks

Nabil

[dbirk]

Correction: remove networks.cfg NOT networks.org Sorry for typo.

[rorry]

I followed the steps mentioned by dbirk on Mon Feb 04, 2008. removed networks.cfg, restarted by router and rebooted the XO. Still not connecting to Internet. I too have the same problems where it continues to ask me for the Wireless Key and not accepting it. And I too have my faith shaken in this project - in fact, my wife is very upset with me for purchasing it given that our son has yet to be able to really use it, as we can rarely connect to the Internet.

[MarkS]

Maybe this is saying the obvious, but don't forget if you're connecting to a secured system that you might have also set up MAC screening. Filtering out MAC addresses is one of the first steps most people do when setting up their routers, but its easy if its been a few months to forget that part of security.

[momendo]

I would try a couple of things.

1. Turn off encryption temporarily to see if you can get it to work at all. If it works...
2. Try to connect to other wireless bases other than your own. Your router may have issues with the OLPC.
3. Use 40bit WEP.
4. Turn off WEP all-together and if your router supports it, turn on MAC-based filtering. You have to determine your laptop's MAC address. On the OLPC's terminal app, type ifconfig and look at the wireless adapter in the list. Write that down and add it to the MAC filter list in your router's web admin. Using MAC filtering, the router will reject unknown network adaptors attempting to connect. It's not secure but will prevent free-loaders.
5. Get a cheap USB ethernet adapter. Search the forums for known adapters that work with the laptop.

[jblangi]

Check out Tiger Direct a online seller. I picked up a few D-Link DUB-E100 (USB Ethernet adapters for my XOs one with build 650 and one with 656). They worked right out of the box, & no reboot needed. These D-Link adapters are units that were refurbished by Tiger Direct, and have worked fine to-date. Big savings over new units.

[BigD]

If it helps with sanity, I have two XO computers that came at the same time. One logs on just fine and one won't take my password key. I'm going to try the code fix above.

[Ben]

Check out Tiger Direct a online seller. I picked up a few D-Link DUB-E100 (USB Ethernet adapters for my XOs one with build 650 and one with 656).

For the same price ($25), you can get a brand new USB Ethernet adapter (ZoWii) in XO green.

http://studiofibonacci.com/index.php?ma ... ducts_id=1