AWUS036H wifi-usb adapter can not ping to D-LINK DIR-615 router

[ForsakenNot]

Hi
I am new to BT5R3 OS and i just installed it into a VMware node just to find possible security issues of my private LAN.
I already knwo that when BT5 is running through a VM it can not access implicity the on-board wifi antena of my laptop and that's why i bought a usb-wifi adaptor which is the AWUS036H from ALFA Networks (Also i have to mention that my wifi router is the D-LINK DIR-615 ).
Now, before starting using the BT5 OS i first checked the status of the wifi-usb adapter by firslty using it through a Windows 7 OS. As i expected the usb-wifi adapter connected succesfully to my router and i pinged succesfuly the default gateway of my router(the known 192.168.0.1 url address ). Moreoever when i was inserting to my router's control panel - through my desktop - i could see my wifi's MAC address. So far so good.

Unfortunately the problems started when i tried the usb-wifi adaptor through the BT5 OS.
In simple words after i logged in i connected the wifi adaptor and then accessed the pre-installed drivers. I brought up the wifi' s interface and after scanning to find which APs are on the air, i tried to connect to mine AP - of my router - called "My Lab". Well here start the problems.
Even though i am succesfully connected to my AP (i checked that both on my router's control panel as on the BT5 OS), i wasn't able not only to ping my router in it's default gateway - 192.168.0.1 - but also i couldn't even connect to my router's control panel login page.
I have been seeking for an answer the last 5 days but i wasn't able to find as solution to my problem.
Thus i do please if anyone can help me solve this problem, please give me detailed instructions and guidance because - as i said above - i am new to the BT5 OS and i have a small knowledge generally of the UNIX systems.

Trying to help you understand better - if i can - the status of my BT5 when i connect my wifi-usb adapter i am giving you below the details of specific commands i executed.

root@bt:~# dmesg
.....
.....
[ 1812.392543] cfg80211: Found new beacon on frequency: 2472 MHz (Ch 13) on phy0
[ 1813.475972] wlan0: authenticate with xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx (try 1)
[ 1813.483392] wlan0: authenticated
[ 1813.483504] wlan0: associate with xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx (try 1)
[ 1813.498764] wlan0: RX AssocResp from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx (capab=0xc21 status=0 aid=1)
[ 1813.498799] wlan0: associated


root@bt:~# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy & nbsp;
inet addr:192.168.0.2 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:27 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:155 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:3315 (3.3 KB) TX bytes:16780 (16.7 KB)

root@bt:~# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:"My Lab"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.427 GHz Access Point: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Encryption keyff
Power Managementff
Link Quality=70/70 Signal level=-4 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

root@bt:~# ping 192.168.0.1
PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
^C
--- 192.168.0.1 ping statistics ---
49 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 48000ms


As you can see from the above enen though connected i can not ping my AP.
Please help me

Thank you in advance

[maverik35]

Some AP's or Routers have an option to accept or drop pings, you might want to chack that. Also have the option to block ssh, ftp and telnet ports to avoid access from the outside...

So I strongly suggest to read the user's manual to see the ping configuration feature if available in your router.

I see no problem in the connection, I can see you are very close to the router or almost no signal blocking issues, you have a 100% quality link, you have a valid IP assigned..Everything seems to be just fine.

Another option is to use nmap, it will tell you if pings are droped or denied by router...

nmap -A -T5 192.168.0.1 if no message on the ping, then try:
nmap -sP -T4 192.168.0.1 See what is the output.
or
nmap -sC -sV -sS -T5 -O --osscan-guess 192.168.0.1

Luck.

[ForsakenNot]

Hi Debian.
Thank you for your reply.
Well firstly let me say that i followed your advice and executed the commands you supplied me but - unfortunatelly - with no ending my problem.
So i decided to make a clean install. Meaning that i made my laptop dual boot having both Windows 7 and BT5R3 OSes.
Thus, i started from the beginning. After i logged in, i connected my usb-wifi adapter, brougth up the AWUS036H interface, scanned for possible APs, found and connected to my own (As mentioned in my previous post i gave it the essid "My Lab"). Alas, once again the same problems were still present.
In simple words, even though i was connecting succesfully, i wasn't able to ping my wi-fi rooter. Moreover - smth i missed to mention before - my rooter's control panel was other times showing that i was connected by presenting my adaptor's MAC and IP, but other times it was only showing my adaptor's MAC without any IP or with the word "Unkown" in the IP field

I was just about to give up when i thought that maybe i could use my laptop's on-board wi-fi adaptor. And that exactly i did. I switched on my on-board adaptor, brought up the "new" wi-fi interface wlan1, connected succesfully and "voila" pinged succesfully my rooter. Moreover, i logged in succesfully to my router's control panel.
So i am wandering: What really went wrong with the AWUS036H adaptor ?
I mean that, if it was just a problematic adaptor which i was the lucky one to buy then ,it shouldn't be able to connect to my rooter not only throuth the BT os but also not even through the Windows os (Through which as i mentioned before it connects and pings succesfully). I really can't figure it out. And the funny thing in this case is that i bouth specifically this usb wi-fi adapter because it is mentioned as one of the best adaptors to use with BT.

Also i don't really know how to update the AWUS036H drivers.
And one last thing.. AWUS036H came with a cd with its updated drivers. Well when i mounted the disc into BT the os wasn't able to read them.
So if i am not asking too much, could you please give me the proper command to update BT's drivers for the AWUS036H adaptor ? (I always run the apt-get update command but i don't know if it is - also - updating the drivers of this adaptor).

Once again thank you for your precious advice

[maverik35]

Can you try changing the ip "on the fly"?

ifconfig "iface" xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/24 or ifconfig "iface" xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx netmask 255.255.255.0
then add the gateway route: route add gw default "gateway ip"
Then restart the service: /etc/init.d/wicd restart. If "restart" is deprecated, then /etc/init.d/wicd stop and then /etc/init.d/wicd start.

The Alfa adaptor should work out of the box...

[ForsakenNot]

Hi maverik35.
Once again i want to thank you for your precious advice.
Well .. today i have some different news... I don't know how but when i tried once again to use the AWUS036H wifi-usb adapter this time all worked fine. Or at least almost all.
In few words after i logged in to BT i connected the adapter, brought up the wlan0 interface, made a scan, connected to my "open" AP and everything went fine.
I was able not only to ping my router but also to connect to its control-panel page.
I really didn't do anything different than before so i don't know what made the change this time...(If it works in the coming days then its just a miracle).
However, as i said above, there is a slight issue that concerns me. That is when i tried to change the wlan0 interface's IP address with the ifconfig command, well even though BT responded back with the new IP address for my interface, my router kept on showing the old one (The one that DHCP gave to BT when it connected to it) even though i refressed the control panel's page.
So once again i find myself in front an another "strange" behavior.
I mean that when BT forces the change of its IP address wouldn't router respond by accepting it ? So why does the router keeps on showing me by my old IP address ?
In order to give the best image i can, i am providing below the commands i run and the additional responds.

root@bt:~# ifconfig wlan0 up
root@bt:~# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off

root@bt:~# iwconfig wlan0 essid "My Lab"
root@bt:~# iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:"My Lab"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.422 GHz Access Point: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=70/70 Signal level=-14 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

root@bt:~# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy
inet addr:192.168.0.103 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 ////This is the ip address that my router gave me through the DHCP protocol
inet6 addr: fe80::2c0:caff:fe6a:a10e/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:1348 (1.3 KB) TX bytes:924 (924.0 B)

root@bt:~# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
root@bt:~# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:
inet addr:192.168.0.2 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 ////Alas, router keeps on his own record and not the one BT requests as shown here
inet6 addr: fe80::2c0:caff:fe6a:a10e/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:1593 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:1496 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:1391114 (1.3 MB) TX bytes:130395 (130.3 KB)

One last question: In the commands you supplied me by the word "iface" do you mean my interface wlan0 or is it to be executed exactly as you wrote it ? I am asking because due to this "miracle" connection of today, i didn't know whether to run them or not. So i decided to wait for your instructions.
As an act of gratitude i have to say that your advice and help was and is my only guidance facing these difficulties and i am gratefully oblidged.

[maverik35]

Yes, the "iface" is your interface, eth0, wlan0, wlan1, etc. As to the commands, you are changing the ip address to another one, this way it will be indexed to your mac address...Is just to try to know if dhcp server is doing right. As to the second command: route add ...you are defining the default gateway route...You need to do that every time you change your address on the fly...

Are you using VM, HDD install or USB?...I've read this type of behavior of Alfa 36H in VM. DVD live and HDD installation runs like a charm everytime..tested....

[ForsakenNot]

Hi maverik35

Once again your precious advice guides me throuth the "cloudy" path of BackTarack

Well you are rigth. I have this kind of problems due to the fact that i am running BT through VMware. However, i have similar problems with AWUS036H to the clean installation of BT too.
I was wondering if the latter one has to do with the fact that i run the 64-bit version instead of the 32-bit version (that i run through the VMware). Also, saddly, i have to mention that the problems started again.... i don't know maybe it's due to the router's behavior.

I would like to ask you about the dhcp server you mentioned in your post.
Specifically i just saw a tutorial on how to create an evil twin AP with virtual fishing. In this tutorial the "attacker" firstly downloaded the dhcp3 server in order to implement his attack.
Well, i thougth that dhcp3 server was already installed in BT. If yes then why is there the need to download the dhcp3 server ?
The link in which i saw the tutorial is the: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6I0GeEh22c.

I' ll keep on trying with the AWUS036H wifi adaptor and i will post the news (Just hope this time are going to be good news and also permanent )

Can't find words to thank you for your guidance and help. Thank you

[maverik35]

As to the VMware, I would not use a VMware to install BT5, If I want 100% functional, "no-hassles" BT5, I use the live DVD or HDD install..

Have tried Live DVD running from Virtual Machine?..I have it that way in my Debian with VM, running live DVD iso from VM..But not installed as such in VM..Try it..

As to the Alfa 36H, my friend, it runs like a charm in DVD live and HDD installation...But again, try running DVD live iso as such in VM...

32 or 64 bit distros, I have not read about any issues due to the architecture in BT5r3...I always use 32 bit version when VM but as Live DVD, not installed in VM. In HDD Installs I use 64bit if my proccessor support 64bit architecture.