can't connect to WPA2 network

[bad medicine]

i'm trying to connect to my university's secure WPA2 wifi network. They wont provide any support for Linux. I can connect to all of the other Univsersity wifi networks, and any non-university network. The problem could be that the login window never appears. It doesn't appear if I click on the WPA2 network in the panel jump-up menu of nearby networks and it doesn't appear when i go into network settings and click on the connect arrow. It just swirls around as if its trying to connect, but never does.

Help?



Thinkpad T410 i5 2.4 Ghz 4GB
Mint Cinnamon 17.3 64-bit
kernel 3.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit)

[Pjotr]

First do a clean upgrade to Mint 19.1 (with previous formatting of your Linux partitions). Your current 17.x will become unsupported in two months, so there's no use in tinkering with that anymore.

Then take it from there. Still a problem? Post it here and we'll try to help.

[bad medicine]

First do a clean upgrade to Mint 19.1 (with previous formatting of your Linux partitions). Your current 17.x will become unsupported in two months, so there's no use in tinkering with that anymore.

Then take it from there. Still a problem? Post it here and we'll try to help.

Ehhhh...not ready to upgrade yet, too much else going on and certainly can't take a chance during school the next 2 months...but if 17 is the problem I'll stop trying to get onto the network. No temporary workaround?

[absque fenestris]

I am currently connected to a WPA2 wifi network via Mint 17.3.
Also Mint 18.3 on the other device has no problems and neither does my Android tablet.
And for customers where the landline network is freaking out via Ethernet I use my smartphone the same way (Mac & Windows usually...)

[bad medicine]

I am currently connected to a WPA2 wifi network via Mint 17.3.

So how do I get it to ask for my login?

[absque fenestris]

Android Smartphone is my Hotspot. Android Wi-Fi-Hotspot configuration:

Name of network (SSID) > ... give a name
Security / WPA2 PSK > ... chose a (good) password
save configuration on Android

on Android: Activate > Mobile data transfer and Hotspot

on Linux Mint Wi-Fi network must be activated. Check any switches on your device (e.g. my Acer has such a Wi-Fi switch, the MacBook doesn't).

At the bottom right of the panel (notifications), you should now see all available Wi-Fi networks.
Select yours (the name you gave it) and enter your password.
Save this settings as your preferred network.

[bad medicine]

Android Smartphone is my Hotspot. Android Wi-Fi-Hotspot configuration:

Name of network (SSID) > ... give a name
Security / WPA2 PSK > ... chose a (good) password
save configuration on Android

on Android: Activate > Mobile data transfer and Hotspot

on Linux Mint Wi-Fi network must be activated. Check any switches on your device (e.g. my Acer has such a Wi-Fi switch, the MacBook doesn't).

At the bottom right of the panel (notifications), you should now see all available Wi-Fi networks.
Select yours (the name you gave it) and enter your password.
Save this settings as your preferred network.

wIFI IS ACTIVE AND i SEE THE NETWORK SORRY CAPS....but it wont prompt me for password like all other secure networks do

[absque fenestris]

viewtopic.php?f=90&t=286842

by fabien85 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:27 pm

Connect to internet through another mean (ethernet cable, USB tethering with a smartphone...), then go to Menu > Administration > Driver Manager, and see whether it offers a driver for your wifi card. Broadcom cards, as mentioned by absque fenestris, are the most common on macbooks, and the driver is straightforwardly available on the Ubuntu/Mint repositories.

by fabien85 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:55 am

I can use my smartphone as a wifi hotspot. I assume that's what you mean by being connected by air. That's not useful to roryjones however since he cannot use his wifi yet.
In my case I can also connect my phone to my computer with a USB to mini-USB cable. If the phone is connected to internet via my mobile operator, then on the computer in the network manager I see an option "mobile broadband" which can give the computer access to internet (by default it automatically switches on if other internet access means like wifi are off). That's what I mean by USB tethering.

Did you try USB tethering as fabien85 suggested lastly in this other thread? What's going on under Windows 7 - I see your ThinkPad is dual booting?

What did you see in > Network Connections? There you can edit the listed networks (Add... Edit... Delete...)

[bad medicine]

viewtopic.php?f=90&t=286842

by fabien85 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:27 pm

Connect to internet through another mean (ethernet cable, USB tethering with a smartphone...), then go to Menu > Administration > Driver Manager, and see whether it offers a driver for your wifi card. Broadcom cards, as mentioned by absque fenestris, are the most common on macbooks, and the driver is straightforwardly available on the Ubuntu/Mint repositories.

by fabien85 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:55 am

I can use my smartphone as a wifi hotspot. I assume that's what you mean by being connected by air. That's not useful to roryjones however since he cannot use his wifi yet.
In my case I can also connect my phone to my computer with a USB to mini-USB cable. If the phone is connected to internet via my mobile operator, then on the computer in the network manager I see an option "mobile broadband" which can give the computer access to internet (by default it automatically switches on if other internet access means like wifi are off). That's what I mean by USB tethering.

Did you try USB tethering as fabien85 suggested lastly in this other thread? What's going on under Windows 7 - I see your ThinkPad is dual booting?

What did you see in > Network Connections? There you can edit the listed networks (Add... Edit... Delete...)

I'm too smart to have a smart phone. I was able to get in under W7 today, but its a long involved process with a lot of settings. I'll see if I can duplicate that process using "add network" in Mint.

[bad medicine]

This is weird. Ever since I got into the WPA2 network on W7, I havent been able to get back on my new home wireless network after suspending, without rebooting. I've tried closing and reopening my browser but that doesnt do anything. If I turn off wifi switch and turn it back on it says wifi unavailable. This is a new home wifi network but this has never happened on any of the dozens of networks I've used regularly before. It doesn't seem likely that a Windows setting would affect my Linux connectivity, but could it?

[absque fenestris]

I'd really like to help you - but how?
With my Android smartphone I can really connect any* wireless device to the internet - as long as I know my password.

* Linux, Mac OSX, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS

Well - I don't have a single double-boot system...

[bad medicine]

I'm unclear as to how your having a smart phone connection helps me...I don't have a smart phone, and will not be getting one, nor should I need one to prevent from having to reboot every time I suspend just so I can connect to my home wifi....so I'm just not sure what you're trying to tell me

[absque fenestris]

The other way:
When I visit my girlfriend I can connect my devices via her router. Either with Ethernet - this is done by cable without any passwords - or wireless via WPA:

SSID: is specified by her provider > look in the contract
Password: is specified by her provider > look in the contract

After selecting the SSID and entering the password, the connection is established...

[bad medicine]

[bad medicine]

Solved the issue at the home network, it was a network issue not a Bad Medicine issue. I still haven't tried what I said I was going to try for the WPA2 a few posts up...since most of my school work needs to be done in Windows anyway I may not get to it soon