troubles getting a wifi key working, and mounting about any flashkey I think

[spermwhale_warrior]

Hello everyone.
First installation in a lot of time(subjectivily, but no more than one year I think). I used the opportunity of a global crash of a linux system, from I fortunately could get back my data, to try once again Netbsd. I need internet of course, I have got an atheros wifi stick seen as athn0. My network is VodafoneMobileWiFi-C6F222 and my passphrase 7297854146, Windows says the security is WPA2. I never used a wireless network from the CLI.

I can’t copy the whole log files as I discovered I don’t know how to mount a memory stick or any disk on netbsd … I supposed it was simply ‘mount –t msdos /dev/sd0a /mnt/sandisk00’ but the result is ‘mount_msdos /dev/sd0a on /mnt/sandisk00’. I precise : the flashkey is not new, has a fine FAT16 or 32 filesystem, and is readable from linux and windows(from which I am writing). I would be glad to fix that problem first, I think.

Excerpts from /var/run/rc.log

[running /etc/rc.d/mountcriticlocal]
mount : Unknown special file or file system ‘/var'
mount : Unknown special file or file system ‘/ust'
[running /etc/rc.d/random_seed
random_seed : /var/db/entropy_file : Not present
athn0 : Failed to initialize wpa_supplicant
athn0 : Failed to initialize driver interface
/etc/rc.d/wpa_suppplicant exited with code 1
Building databases : deviconfig : setifbroadaddr : getifflags : Device not configured
, utmp, tmpx

at the end of dmesg's output :

athn0: could not load firmware (35)

rc.conf in totality (what I changed):

HOSTNAME=«sentinel166»
raidframe=YES
wscons=YES
dhclient=YES
dhclient_flags=«-nw athn0»
wpa_supplicant=YES
wpa_supplicants_flags=«-B –i athn0 –c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf»
critical_filesystems_local=«/var /usr»

My network protection is WPA2, so I did
‘wpa_passphrase VodafoneMobileWiFi-C6F222 7297854146 >> etc/wpa_supplicant.conf’
Though, interestingly, if I let the wifi key already plugged in at boot, it can't charge the driver, and doesn't appear in the output of 'ifconfig'. But it does appear if I plug it in after boot, after logging in for instance. Though, despite wpa_supplclient, dhclient etc the status is always 'no network'

I pray all the gods in the universe to help us make this dream come true : me, running a workable Netbsd !
thanks !

[IdOp]

Hi,

I'd like to recommend that you edit your post and remove the references to your passphrase, if indeed you've posted your real passphrase by oversight. It would also be a good idea to change it if possible, in that case.

Your error shows

athn0: could not load firmware (35)

Without the firmware being loaded, the driver cannot operate the device, so you will have no network connection through it. This same problem has been noted on OpenBSD with the athn driver when used with some devices. (It has happened to me.) I can't recall having this same problem on NetBSD. That said, it's been quite a while since I tried my athn device with either system.

It may be helpful for people to know what version of NetBSD you're using.

[spermwhale_warrior]

Amnesiac, so the last version.

[shep]

This is the most recent athn manual page for NetBSD. I'm assuming your using a usb wifi dongle based on one of the following chips:

AR9271 2GHz 1x1:1 USB 2.0
AR9287+AR7010 2GHz 2x2:2 USB 2.0

I would first review your dmesg(4) to verify that the device is recognized. Also verify that you have the firmware files:
/libdata/firmware/athn-ar7010
/libdata/firmware/athn-ar7010-11
/libdata/firmware/athn-ar9271

There are also some syntax errors as posted

wpa_supplicants_flags=«-B –i athn0 –c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf»
critical_filesystems_local=«/var /usr»

the <<>> should be double quotes ",

Lastly, I have had better results using dhcpcd as described in this wiki.