[ILUG] Re: Strange problem with WiFi cards

[Gavin McCullagh]

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005, Timothy Murphy wrote:

> On Sat 26 Mar 2005 12:13, Gavin McCullagh wrote:
> 
> > > I have two identical WiFi cards (Orinoco Gold PCMCIA cards).
> > > I use one in my laptop all the time, and it works perfectly.
> > > I thought I would try the other this evening,
> > > but for some reason it would not connect to my desktop.
> 
> > > It is as though Linux somehow takes my usual card as default,
> > > though I don't find anything anywhere to specify that.

> Thanks for your response.
> 
> I probably didn't express myself properly.

I think it's more that I didn't read your message fully. Sorry about that.

Assuming they are truly identical cards and you've removed the other wifi
card, I'd say all that can have changed is your MAC address.

You said:

> I notice I get a DHCPREQUEST on my desktop from Windows with the second
> card, but not from Linux:

If linux is not sending a DHCP request, then I'd guess that card is not
functioning or else that interface is not setup to use DHCP.  You should be
able to bring up the network config stuff which looks (apparently) like
these screenshots:

http://fedora.redhat.com/projects/config-tools/redhat-config-network.html

What interfaces are present?  Are any set to use DHCP?  What is the output
if "/sbin/ifconfig"?

> I only have one interface, eth0, on my laptop,
> and that is what I am using with both WiFi cards.
> (I am using the default orinoco_cs driver.)

Yup.
 
> The only sense I can make of it
> is that it has something to do with dhcp leases,

If your dhcp server had run out of IP addresses it might not get an address
(the old card would probably still be taking up an address).  I don't know
how your dhcp is set up but I would expect to see a DHCPREQUEST in the
server logs regardless of whether your dhcp server actually gave back an
answer or not.  For that reason I'm inclined to point the finger at the
laptop not the dhcp server.

One last thing.  Are you using WEP?  Is your wireless Access Point setup to
block unknown MAC Addresses?

Gavin

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