[Om2008.9] Wifi associating is very unreliable

[Matthias]

I'm using the Wifi-method described in

​http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo_FreeRunner_Wifi#Using_WPA_and_.2Fetc.2Fnetwork.2Finterfaces

i.e. having a working config file /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
for all my known access points (which is just a copy of that I'm using
daily and stable in my two FreeBSD based laptops); and I'm trying to bring
up the eth0 with

# ifup eth0

this works very unreliable; in (let's say) 8 of 10 cases it can't
associate to the AP, even not after fresh re-boots and independently if
the AP at my home works with WEP or in my office with WPA;

I'm attaching:

relevant part of /etc/network/interfaces
iface eth0 inet dhcp

wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

pre-up iwconfig eth0 essid off
up route del default gw 192.168.0.200
down route add default gw 192.168.0.200
iface eth1 inet dhcp

relevant part of /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

network={

priority=99
ssid="santaclara"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
psk="XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"

}

output of 'iwlist eth0 scan'

eth0 Scan completed :

Cell 01 - Address: 00:04:E2:A1:76:0B

ESSID:"santaclara"
Mode:Master
Frequency:2.442 GHz (Channel 7)
Quality=19/94 Signal level=-76 dBm Noise level=-95 dBm
Encryption key:on
Extra:bcn_int=100
Extra:wpa_ie=dd180050f20101000050f20201000050f20201000050f2020000

output of 'ifup eth0':

root@om-gta02:~# ifup eth0
WPA: Configuring Interface
wpa_supplicant: using default driver type: wpa-driver wext
wpa_supplicant: /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -B -P /var/run/wpa_supplicant.eth0.pid -i eth0 -D wext -c /etc/wpa_supplicant
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
wpa_supplicant: ctrl_interface socket located at /var/run/wpa_supplicant/eth0
udhcpc (v1.9.1) started
run-parts: /etc/udhcpc.d/00avahi-autoipd exited with return code 1
Sending discover...
Sending discover...
Sending discover...
No lease, failing

and a full debug log of a session:

root@om-gta02:~# /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -d -P /var/run/wpa_supplicant.eth0.pid -i eth0 -D wext -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -C /var/run/wpa_supplicant > wpadebug.txt

[Matthias]

I've re-booted the FR and without any kind of changes in software now I have one working case:

root@om-gta02:~# ifdown eth0
WPA: Terminating
wpa_supplicant: terminating wpa_supplicant daemon via pidfile /var/run/wpa_supplicant.eth0.pid
stopped /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant (pid 1516)
root@om-gta02:~# ifup eth0
WPA: Configuring Interface
wpa_supplicant: using default driver type: wpa-driver wext
wpa_supplicant: /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -B -P /var/run/wpa_supplicant.eth0.pid -i eth0 -D wext -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -C /var/run/wpa_supplicant
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Operation not supported
wpa_supplicant: ctrl_interface socket located at /var/run/wpa_supplicant/eth0
udhcpc (v1.9.1) started
run-parts: /etc/udhcpc.d/00avahi-autoipd exited with return code 1
Sending discover...
Sending select for 10.0.1.217...
Lease of 10.0.1.217 obtained, lease time 7200
run-parts: /etc/udhcpc.d/00avahi-autoipd exited with return code 1
adding dns 10.0.1.201
adding dns 192.87.44.17
adding dns 192.168.52.230

[andy]

Have you tried this same test with a recent 2.6.29 kernel, from andy-tracking or stable now? There have been several changes in WLAN stack there.