Auto-NDISwrapper/Getting WPA&WPA2 support for AWUS036H in managed mode

[KenKKK]

Not wanting to sound "lazy" but would it mean
if using a usb stick or CD to boot from,
this driver install process would have to be done everytime?
If that be the case, and the Alfa AWUS036H is that popular,
it would seem to be a good thing to include it into the next
rev. of backtrack.

Let assume I made it this far..

Do I type the below statement at the bt ~# rmod r8187 (ENTER)
bt ~# modprobe ndiswrapper (ENTER)



Code:

rmmod r8187
modprobe ndiswrapper

You will now be able to connect to your WPA/WPA2 encrypted AP using the method of your choice, I personally tested both Wireless Assistant and wpa_supplicant. To get back into monitor mode and to be able to inject you will naturally have to revert back to the default driver.
Code:

rmmod ndiswrapper
modprobe r8187

This allows me to use airmon, aireplay,dirodump ??

My goal is to get the AWUS036H to work like my SRC 300mw pcmcia card
with the programs mentioned.

Thank you,
Ken

No.

It does not matter how you get a hold of the files, copying them over to an external media that you can access will work just as well as downloading them directly in BT.

Yes.

In case you did all the previous steps correctly all that is needed to use the ndiswrapper driver with your Alfa is the following two commands: rmmod r8187 and modprobe ndiswrapper. After this use the command iwconfig, not airmon-ng, to check if the wireless device is recognized.

Only if you have configured the installation to save all modifications made by you onto the actual memory stick. This process is beyond the scope of this thread so please do not ask for directions on how to do it here.

No, it is a very basic process that will take less than 5 minutes done correctly, so there is hardly any need for an additional ISO with these changes pre-made.

[imported_=Tron=]

Not wanting to sound "lazy" but would it mean
if using a usb stick or CD to boot from,
this driver install process would have to be done everytime?
If that be the case, and the Alfa AWUS036H is that popular,
it would seem to be a good thing to include it into the next
rev. of backtrack.

Ken

This is correct, and the same goes for any update, configuration or change of any kind that you make within BT. This is the reason that most serious users of BT run either a live installation with persistent changes or a real HDD installation.

Using NDISwrapper is always a last resort as it will provide very limited control of the card. Also, as it always will use the Windows version of the drivers I am not sure that it would be the best idea to include them within a Linux distribution. The reason is that in case something does not work like it is supposed to it will be next to impossible to track down and fix the problem as the drivers most definitely are not open-source and not even meant to work in a Linux environment. This approach is only a workaround of the limitations of the current r8187 driver, until it will support WPA/WPA2 in managed mode.

rmmod ndiswrapper
modprobe r8187

This allows me to use airmon, aireplay,dirodump ??

Yes, as it will re-load the default driver for your card. As have been pointed out multiple times in this thread the approach described in the guide is only needed to actually connect to a WPA/WPA2 encrypted network using the Alfa card. For anything else you use the default r8187 driver that is installed by default and working flawlessly in BT3F.

[KenKKK]

When I type rmmod r8187
ERROR: Module r8187 does not exist in /proc/modules
I don't think "modules" is a folder so I can't copy the
rmmod r8187 to it.

When I type modprobe mdiswrapper
no error message

Ken

Not wanting to sound "lazy" but would it mean
if using a usb stick or CD to boot from,
this driver install process would have to be done everytime?
If that be the case, and the Alfa AWUS036H is that popular,
it would seem to be a good thing to include it into the next
rev. of backtrack.

Let assume I made it this far..

Do I type the below statement at the bt ~# rmod r8187 (ENTER)
bt ~# modprobe ndiswrapper (ENTER)



Code:

rmmod r8187
modprobe ndiswrapper

You will now be able to connect to your WPA/WPA2 encrypted AP using the method of your choice, I personally tested both Wireless Assistant and wpa_supplicant. To get back into monitor mode and to be able to inject you will naturally have to revert back to the default driver.
Code:

rmmod ndiswrapper
modprobe r8187

This allows me to use airmon, aireplay,dirodump ??

My goal is to get the AWUS036H to work like my SRC 300mw pcmcia card
with the programs mentioned.

Thank you,
Ken

[imported_=Tron=]

When I type rmmod r8187
ERROR: Module r8187 does not exist in /proc/modules
I don't think "modules" is a folder so I can't copy the
rmmod r8187 to it.

When I type modprobe mdiswrapper
no error message

Ken

This means that the r8187 is already unloaded. Does your Alfa show up using the iwconfig command, it will most likely be listed as wlan0. If it does it means that you have installed the ndiswrapper driver for the card successfully.

[KenKKK]

No,

thanks for hanging in there with me on this.

Ken

This means that the r8187 is already unloaded. Does your Alfa show up using the iwconfig command, it will most likely be listed as wlan0. If it does it means that you have installed the ndiswrapper driver for the card successfully.

[imported_=Tron=]

No,

thanks for hanging in there with me on this.

Ken

That sounds peculiar. You might want to go over the process once more to make sure you are not missing any steps, as I have verified the process to be working myself and heard from quite a few others that it is successful as well.

The command ndiswrapper -l should also give you some idea of whether there are any drivers properly installed with ndiswrapper or not. The one you want to find listed in this case should be named netrtuw. In case you do find it listed but still cannot bring up your wireless card, you should check that you use the correct driver mentioned in the guide with ndiswrapper.

[KenKKK]

I copied Netrtux.inf and rtl8187.sys
to /tmp/auto-ndis/14e4:4324 (rev03)

It states once the drivers are copied over to this folder to press ENTER

Driver file found! Continuing installation.

A driver has not been specified yet for this card, will attempt procedure
with the first found driver in /tmp/auto-ndis/14e4:4324 (rev03)/Netrtuw.inf
module configuration information is stored in /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
Installation finished

NDISwrapper output:
netrtuw : driver installed

Is your wireless connection working now with NDISwrapper thanks to this script?
(Y)es and I would like to .....
(N)o it did not work for me:

Next I open a new shell and type
rmmod r8187
modprobe ndiswrapper

bt ~ # rmmod r8187
ERROR: Module r8187 does not exist in /proc/modules


bt ~ # modprobe ndiswrapper
bt ~ # (nothing must be good??)

bt ~ # iwconfig

lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extentions.

eth1 IEEE 802.11b/g ESSIDff/any Nickname: "Broadcom 4306
words words........



That's where I stand right now.


Ken

That sounds peculiar. You might want to go over the process once more to make sure you are not missing any steps, as I have verified the process to be working myself and heard from quite a few others that it is successful as well.

The command ndiswrapper -l should also give you some idea of whether there are any drivers properly installed with ndiswrapper or not. The one you want to find listed in this case should be named netrtuw. In case you do find it listed but still cannot bring up your wireless card, you should check that you use the correct driver mentioned in the guide with ndiswrapper.

[imported_=Tron=]

I copied Netrtux.inf and rtl8187.sys
to /tmp/auto-ndis/14e4:4324 (rev03)

To quote the Mythbusters, Well THERE'S your problem.

The 14e4:4324 is not not your Alfa, but your Broadcom, card. In the tutorial I expressly state that the target folder should be /tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/.

[KenKKK]

cp rtl8187.sys “/tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/”
cp Netrtuw.inf “/tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/”


When I try this I get an error message
Cannot create regular file "tmp/auto-ndis/Obda:8187/" : Is a directory

If I search for Obda:8187 i do not see it. I do see the directory
that the Auto-NDIS tells me to copy the 2 files to.

Ken

To quote the Mythbusters, Well THERE'S your problem.

The 14e4:4324 is not not your Alfa, but your Broadcom, card. In the tutorial I expressly state that the target folder should be /tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/.

For an experiement I created the directory
mkdir 0bda:8187 in the folder auto-ndis

I can now copy the 2 file over. However now when I go back to the
other shell where it's asking me to press enter once the files
are copied, nothing happens but the same state is repeated asking
me to press enter. I think Auto-NDISwrapper is looking for the files
in the directory it's asking me to copy them too.
Ken

cp rtl8187.sys “/tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/”
cp Netrtuw.inf “/tmp/auto-ndis/0bda:8187/”


When I try this I get an error message
Cannot create regular file "tmp/auto-ndis/Obda:8187/" : Is a directory

If I search for Obda:8187 i do not see it. I do see the directory
that the Auto-NDIS tells me to copy the 2 files to.

Ken

[imported_=Tron=]

If I search for Obda:8187 i do not see it. I do see the directory
that the Auto-NDIS tells me to copy the 2 files to.

No this directory is not created since auto-NDISwrapper is trying to install the drivers for your Broadcom card and naturally creating a directory with the appropriate name yourself will do no good either. What you need to do is make sure that you choose to use auto-NDISwrapper with your Alfa card and not your internal Broadcom card.

Since you have more than one supported card on your computer auto-NDISwrapper will detect both and as the very first step ask you for which one you wish to install the drivers. The output you should get looks lke this

Setup (w)ificard or setup (u)sbcard?:

Make sure that you choose u for your Alfa card connected through USB. Naturally you will have to connect your card prior to starting the script for it to be detected.