Re: cannot connect to WPA2 SSIDs after installation

[<jratliff@bluemarble.net>]

On Sat, 19 Aug 2017 17:43:34 -0400, <jratliff@bluemarble.net> wrote:
> I'm trying to put Debian 9 (stretch) on the original Microsoft Surface
> Pro. I installed it, but I cannot connect to my wireless SSID after the
> installation is finished.
> 
> When the installer tries to connect, it works fine. But after I boot
into
> the finished install, it just keeps asking for my SSID pass phrase over
and
> over. I'm sure it's correct. I've checked it multiple times. Also, the
key
> is saved from the installer, where it successfully connected.
> 
> I have no problems connecting to the WiFi from System Rescue CD 5.0.3,
> either.
> 
> I'm not sure what's missing in my debian install, and I'm not sure what
> logs are available to investigate this.
> 
> The firmware is loaded. It's some kind of Marvell USB Wireless adapter.
I
> installed the firmware-libertas package and dmesg shows that it loaded
the
> firmware.
> 
> Any suggestions on what else I might need to be looking at?
> 
> Thanks.

I noticed also that every time I would boot, the device had a different
seemingly random MAC address. Since the udev name it generated was really
long, I wanted to rename it so I could test using the command line without
network manager, but I couldn't use the jessie and older trick of
70-persistent-net.rules because the MAC would always change. So I disabled
persistent names with net.ifnames=0 in GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT in
/etc/default/grub. After that, the MAC address is not random on boot
anymore. Also, I can connect to my SSID.

I don't think this is the cause, more of a symptom. I'm just not sure what
it means.