Usb Wifi key can't connect

I bought a Wifi USB key in order to connect my workstation to the wifi. It worked about week, and then, he tries to authenticate, but can't (I get prompted 3 times to enter the password (which is correct) but fails.

I'm on Fedora 17 x64, and my key is a NETGEAR WNA3100M

Here's more details :

uname -a :
    Linux pc-cyril 3.6.8-2.fc17.x86_64 #1 SMP Tue Nov 27 19:35:02 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

dmesg (the wifi key part, after plugged) :
[193300.392090] usb 2-2: USB disconnect, device number 7
[193302.789804] usb 2-2: new high-speed USB device number 8 using ehci_hcd
[193302.906005] usb 2-2: New USB device found, idVendor=0846, idProduct=9021
[193302.906012] usb 2-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[193302.906016] usb 2-2: Product: NETGEAR WNA3100M
[193302.906019] usb 2-2: Manufacturer: Realtek
[193302.906021] usb 2-2: SerialNumber: 00e04c000001
[193302.907746] rtl8192cu: Chip version 0x11
[193303.008087] rtl8192cu: MAC address: 2c:b0:5d:6c:51:f2
[193303.008098] rtl8192cu: Board Type 0
[193303.008328] rtlwifi: rx_max_size 15360, rx_urb_num 8, in_ep 1
[193303.008407] rtl8192cu: Loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8192cufw.bin
[193303.056633] ieee80211 phy13: Selected rate control algorithm 'rtl_rc'
[193303.058737] rtlwifi: wireless switch is on
[193303.101172] rtl8192cu: MAC auto ON okay!
[193303.135277] rtl8192cu: Tx queue select: 0x05
[193303.514795] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[193305.144082] wlan0: authenticate with 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d
[193305.168193] wlan0: send auth to 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (try 1/3)
[193305.178009] wlan0: authenticated
[193305.178413] rtl8192cu 2-2:1.0: wlan0: disabling HT due to WEP/TKIP use
[193305.190193] wlan0: associate with 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (try 1/3)
[193305.210486] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (capab=0x411 status=0 aid=2)
[193305.210728] wlan0: associated
[193305.210745] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
[193313.002990] wlan0: deauthenticated from 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (Reason: 15)
[193313.011526] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
[193313.033636] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
[193313.033644] cfg80211:   (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[193313.033650] cfg80211:   (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[193313.033655] cfg80211:   (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[193313.033660] cfg80211:   (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[193313.033664] cfg80211:   (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[193313.033668] cfg80211:   (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[193313.033705] cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: FR
[193313.038307] cfg80211: Regulatory domain changed to country: FR
[193313.038313] cfg80211:   (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[193313.038318] cfg80211:   (2402000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm)
[193313.038323] cfg80211:   (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm)
[193313.038327] cfg80211:   (5250000 KHz - 5330000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2000 mBm)
[193313.038374] cfg80211:   (5490000 KHz - 5710000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (N/A, 2700 mBm)
[193313.894369] wlan0: authenticate with 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d
[193313.906507] wlan0: send auth to 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (try 1/3)
[193314.107139] wlan0: send auth to 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (try 2/3)
[193314.308066] wlan0: send auth to 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d (try 3/3)
[193314.509039] wlan0: authentication with 00:26:f2:76:f3:1d timed out

I don't know what's going on, if it's the key that have a problem, or an update of the kernel, but now, I'm lost :/

Do you have any idea what's happening ? thanks! :)

Cyril N.

Posted 2012-12-12T13:24:01.640

Reputation: 433

Answers

Something similar happens to me too on Ubuntu with another WiFi USB key, everytime I upgrade the OS. Have you by chance installed any updates recently or changed the kernel?

Anyway, I am always able to fix it by recompiling the USB key drivers after every update.

user1301428

Posted 2012-12-12T13:24:01.640

Reputation: 2 985

"_(o_O)_/" How can "recompiling the USB key driver" fix a problem? Do you mean "upgrading to a newer version, so newer than the other that there must have been some fix in between"? If so, and upgrading the whole distribution is not an option, then it will probably be simpler to upgrade the kernel through the distribution's packaging tools (probably adding an extra source repository). – Stéphane Gourichon – 2016-01-27T17:58:00.970

1@StéphaneGourichon "How can "recompiling the USB key driver" fix a problem?" I have absolutely no idea, it just worked every time for me. Perhaps it was just the modprobe in the process which solved it, 3 years later I don't remember :P – user1301428 – 2016-01-28T13:40:02.870

I tend to have this issue every time after a kernel update as well. Same solution. – nerdwaller – 2012-12-12T15:14:37.013

How do you recompile it ? – Cyril N. – 2012-12-12T16:00:15.973

@CyrilN. have a look at the following guide, it's rather extensive but it may help you get a deeper understanding of the topic: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=885847

– user1301428 – 2012-12-12T16:16:21.870

@CyrilN. ok, let me know if it works for you too – user1301428 – 2012-12-13T13:15:51.633

So I didn't recompiled the driver (I don't feel too comfortable for that), but I tried an other USB key, same problem : I'm connected for a few ... seconds (!) and then no connection but the wifi still indicate connected (ping isn't working). I know it's my computer because with a laptop, there isn't any problem. The other driver used is rtl8712u.bin. I'm using Fedora 17, I'll wait the 1/8 for Fedora 18. – Cyril N. – 2013-01-02T13:01:24.733

@CyrilN. is the laptop running the same OS and kernel versions? – user1301428 – 2013-01-02T13:31:17.623

@user1301428 yes – Cyril N. – 2013-01-02T14:13:31.167

@CyrilN. uhm, that is weird... – user1301428 – 2013-01-02T14:32:31.430

I finally updated Fedora to the latest version (I was n-1 late) and the key started working again. I suppose there was some sort of bugs not fixed in the previous version that wasn't updated.

I checked the answer from @user1301428 because if you want to stay (for any particular reason) in a n-1 version of Fedora, you will probably have to do this method.

But if you can, I highly recommend you to update your version to the latest.

Cyril N.

Posted 2012-12-12T13:24:01.640

Reputation: 433

If the driver is the official Fedora one, driver recompiling and such shouldn't be needed at all. By the log shown, the driver seems to be working.

If you updated the kernel, Fedora should have kept the old one around. Try booting with the one that used to work, and check again. It that works, report the problem via bugzilla.

vonbrand

Posted 2012-12-12T13:24:01.640

Reputation: 2 083