GUI network manager cannot connect to a specific type of router when secured with WPA2, but the CLI can connect (crashing the wifi network manager GUI in the process)
The technicolor TC8717T combined modem/router is a very common setup, and all other devices can connect to it without issue. When the network is unsecured, the problem computer can connect to the router as well. However, the wifi connection GUI system hangs and then eventually times out when trying to use the GUI to connect to this specific type of router when secured. I have observed this on two different routers of the same type, on two different Fedora laptops.
Notably, the system can connect with the CLI. After trial and error, I found that running the following would allow it to connect. wlp58s0
is just my particular wifi endpoint I found from ifconfig
.
sudo wpa_cli -i wlp58s0 select_network 0
sudo wpa_cli -i wlp58s0 save_config
sudo dhclient -r
sudo killall wpa_supplicant
sudo NetworkManager ifdown wlp58s0
sudo wpa_supplicant -B -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -i wlp58s0
sudo dhclient -nw
wpa_cli
> list_network # I already configured network 0 with the SSID and password for the endpoint
> select_network 0
> save_config
> quit
After hitting quit, the internet connection would work, but the wifi GUI is disabled (the button does not work in the top tool bar, and the wifi tab vanishes in network settings) and I cannot use VPNs at all, either through GUI or CLI:
Note: sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager
returns the GUI, but loses the ability to connect to the router. It can connect to other routers, however.
Steps to reproduce:
- Use a TC8717T router and try to connect with Fedora 29/30
- If it fails, run the above terminal commands to establish a wifi connection
Development Tasks
-
Determine what causes the WPA2 handshake to fail in the GUI process, but work in the CLI -
Make adjustments for said handshake failure
QA Tasks
-
Verify that the handshake works on normal router setups as well as this problematic router.