Connect to WPA2 encrypted WIFI using wpa_supplicant without GUI in Linux

Question

I tried almost every single tutorial I have found on how to initiate a WiFi connection without being in graphical mode but without any success i get the same error messages all the time - Invalid argument. My file /etc/wpa_supplikant/wpa_supplicant.conf includes (like the howto) following lines

ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
ap_scan=1

network={
        ssid="UPC1589940"
        scan_ssid=1
        proto=WPA
        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
        pairwise=TKIP
        group=TKIP
        psk="secretpass"
}

When I scan for my (or any) AP issuing

wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -D wext -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -d

I get an error several times but I can see APs that I know about. It is a real long output but I will put it on pastebin if needed. The errors are looking like

ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument
Driver did not support SIOCSIWENCODEEXT
wpa_driver_wext_set_key: alg=0 key_idx=5 set_tx=0 seq_len=0 key_len=0
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument
Driver did not support SIOCSIWENCODEEXT
wpa_driver_wext_set_countermeasures

I also have added

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
  wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

to my /etc/network/interfaces and issuing

wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -D wext -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -B

to start the connection but also getting error messages

ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument
ioctl[SIOCSIWENCODEEXT]: Invalid argument

My OS is Kali (Debian) 64 Bit. Can anyone lead me, please?

Answer 1

The wext is depricated it can be used when the nl80211 driver is not supported on your device.

Simply run:

wpa_supplicant -i wlan0  -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -B

Answer 2

My wpa_sucpplicant.conf has most entries as far simpler than your example. Mine looke like this:

network={
    ssid="FBI Surveillance Van"
    psk="ehdvs71/"
    priority=1
}

I'd try trimming out almost all of the configuration, so that it looks like this:

network={
        ssid="UPC1589940"
        psk="secretpass"
        priority=5
}

The only thing in my wpa_supplicant.conf file that you don't show is:

eapol_version=1

You might also want to add what wlan actually is: USB, PCI, built-in, what chipset it uses, the lsbusb or the lspci identifier.

Answer 3

WPA2 AES

ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
country=ES

network={
        ssid="QA_SSID"
        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
        proto=RSN
        pairwise=CCMP
        group=CCMP
        psk="1234567890"
}

Apply wpa supplicant configuration and monitoring...

sudo wpa_supplicant -D nl80211 -i wlan0 -c ~/wpa_supplicant.conf -dd -f wpa_supplicant.log -B

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo tail -f ~/wpa_supplicant.log
EAPOL: Supplicant port status: Authorized
nl80211: Set supplicant port authorized for 0e:a0:f9:53:5c:76
EAPOL: SUPP_BE entering state IDLE
EAPOL authentication completed - result=SUCCESS
nl80211: Set rekey offload
nl80211: Driver does not support rekey offload
RTM_NEWLINK: ifi_index=3 ifname=wlan0 operstate=6 linkmode=1 ifi_family=0 ifi_flags=0x11043 ([UP][RUNNING][LOWER_UP])
EAPOL: startWhen --> 0
EAPOL: disable timer tick
random: Got 6/12 bytes from /dev/random

Note: proto RSN is needed to configure WPA2