Solved: thanks to u/[email protected]; remember to add these USE flags to wpa_supplicant

net-wireless/wpa_supplicant wps wep ap fasteap eap-sim tkip uncommon-eap-types

I am facing this peculiar issue that i can connect to every WiFi connection except my router, it’s a recent gentoo install with no display server, i am using a D-link WiFi USB card

What I have tried:

  • using iw dev (device) scan to list the ssid and try connecting with wpa_supplicant
    • dhcpcd waits for connection then times out (does connect succesfully to my phones hotspot)
  • gave up and spent 3 hours compiling NetworkManager
    • every ssid shows up in nmcli dev wifi list except my router
    • forcing a connection passing bssid shows id not found
    • manually setting the connection using nmcli add also does not work
    • iw dev (device) scan lists my routers ssid along with others
    • nothing is blocked in NetworkManager and I spent hours going back and forth with chatgpt trying to force a connection to no avail
  • tried changing router setting(including changing broadcasting channels verifying, black lists etc)

What i have ruled out

  • its not the dlink wifi card or the laptop, I can connect to my router just fine using nmcli in a live fedora instance on the same laptop

I have tried every conceivable thing and I cant find what the issue is, it’s like my router and Gentoo have some bad blood between them

  • @NegativeLookBehindEnglish
    1•13 hours ago

    Have you tried these troubleshooting techniques with NetworkManager not running? NM will fuck you up sometimes because it will change things with no indication of what it changes.

    • @[email protected]OP
      1•13 hours ago

      before I gave up and installed NM i tried it the manual way, (including trouble shooting steps), then i spent some time compiling wireless-tools package and tried with them, same issue, then spent hours compiling NM for some hope(I disabled the relevant background services before trying NM) only for the ssid to not even show up

          • @NegativeLookBehindEnglish
            1•12 hours ago

            Have you used dmesg to see what the interface is doing?

            Have you tried reloading the kernel module used by the interface?

            Tried using a different kernel module?

            Is SELinux enabled?

            Run a packet capture to see what connection attempts are being made, if any?

            Just spitballing.