Re: How to see which SSID I'm connected to, or join one from a group of available SSIDs

Kevin <lists-rlw6wC9k61x8UrSeD/[email protected]> Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:39:35 -0500
Newsgroups gmane.comp.handhelds.openzaurus.user
Message-ID <[email protected]>
Tom wrote:
> Kevin wrote:
>> Hi List-
>>
>> Well, I have the Ambicom WL1100C-CF now, and it works like a charm. 
>> Thanks
>> for the recommendation, Justin.
>>
>> One question for the list, though: how do I learn which wireless
>> network I'm
>> connected to?  I can, of course, see my IP address assigned by DHCP, but
>> I've look everywhere (it seems) for the SSID I'm connected to, or for
>> a way
>> to scan the air for available SSID's and join one in particular.
> if your feeling like doing it the old fassioned way:
> iwconfig is your baby

Doh!  Of course!  I guess I should have known that.  Although I was
expecting something in Opie.  But iwconfig is fine, too.

> 
> iwconfig eth0/wlan0 (note its MUCH better to use the hostap Driver for a
> Prismm II card.) mine loads the orinoco driver by default. If your using
> an orinoco it will be eth0 or wlan0 for hostap. Hostap does more stuff.
> To check its hostap use:
> hostap_diag wlan0

Thanks for your reply, Tom.  It seems that mine loads the orinoco driver by
default too, but I also see hostap modules in the kernel after inserting the
card:

Module                  Size  Used by
hostap_cs              56596  0
hostap                112804  1 hostap_cs
ieee80211_crypt         5056  1 hostap
orinoco_cs             14884  2
orinoco                40180  1 orinoco_cs
hermes                  6336  2 orinoco_cs,orinoco

when I do hostap_diag wlan0, I get this:

ioctl[PRISM2_IOCTL_HOSTAPD]: No such device
Could not communicate with the kernel driver.

How do I force the use of hostap when orinoco loads by default?

> 
> should give you firmware version, note firmware above 5.6 does standared
> mode WDS repeater, so you can make your Zaurus an access point repeater.
> Oh its just me that wants to do that then. However 7.4 is needed for
> WPA. Wpa suplicant ROCKS for wifi roaming. As you pop in all your
> favourite encrypeted nets and tell it to priorotise them or look for
> unecrypted. Ones I found a howto  on the net. Hostap on openzaurus
> (thank god last time I had to recompile it) has firmware ram download
> enabled so you can udate the firmware by temp ram download, any way I
> digress. basic consol wifi:
> 
> iwlist scanning
> scans all cells/aps in range. probably a good idea to pipe it to more:
> iwlist scanning |more
> 
> to nail it to an ssid:
> iwconfig wlan0 essid your-ssid-here
> 
> other good options
> Set a wep key:
> iwconfig wlan0 key fgkdfgkdfgds
> 
> Clear Wep Key:
> iwconfig wlan0 key off
> 
> use any availble ssid:
> 
> iwconfig wlan0 essid any
> 
> lock to a specific accesspoint:
> iwconfig wlan0 ap mac:of:ap:go:he:re
> 
> or you can use the utils in opie....
> 
> Tom PierToPier.net

Great!  Thanks for all the good info, Tom.  I just may try making my Zaurus
into an access point repeater too!

-Kevin

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