Problem Changing Karma Ssid Through Gui

[hak5superfan]

I am having a problem changing the Karma SSID through the GUI. When I start Karma, I try to change the SSI using the provided box under the configuration menu but this is not always successful. Changing the SSID using this method only works like 1 out of 6 times. I have also noticed that if I change the SSID sometimes it changes instantly, and other times it take like 20 minutes to finally change. I don't know whats going on. I just want to know if this is happening to someone else or just me. I also want to know if there is a more efficient way of changing the Karma SSID. I have tried this with 3 laptops and one iPhone. I am using a Mark III and Firmware version 2.0.1. Thank you very much guys!

BTW, changing the Karma SSID used to work fine on Firmware version 1.9

Edited January 8, 2012 by hak5superfan

[hak5superfan]

Update: I re-flashed the pineapple 2 more times using firmware 2.0.1 and now the Karma SSID would not even change. I have been trying to change the Karma SSID using the provided box in the configuration menu and it just doesn't work at all. I have Karma activated all the time while trying to change the SSID. What do you guys suggest?

[Sebkinne]

The issue you are having is this:

Your client machines which you use to check if the SSID changed still remembers the old one and is hesitant to change.

What I recommend you doing is that you take a client which hasn't even seen the original SSID. Change the SSID and then check enable wifi on that client.

You will see, the ssid changed.

Best,

Sebkinne

[kahhak]

The issue you are having is this:

Your client machines which you use to check if the SSID changed still remembers the old one and is hesitant to change.

What I recommend you doing is that you take a client which hasn't even seen the original SSID. Change the SSID and then check enable wifi on that client.

You will see, the ssid changed.

Best,

Sebkinne

FYI, I used 2 simple wifi analyzers (inSSIDer on windows 7 and "wifi analyzer" on android).

In my MK3 Wireless config, I've got:

option ssid nonkarmassid
	option encryption none

With Karma running, I

still see "nonkarmassid" broadcasting on channel 11.

Also, I've added "MyRealSSID" (which is encrypted running on my real router) to the SSID Black list. Still, on occasion, in the analyzers, I see the BSSID for the MK3 switch to MyRealSSID. At times I do see: "ESSID found in black list mode so not accepting the probe" in the web interface, but I without the timestamp (which I know you're working on) and the ssid that's being ignored, I'm not sure if it's my ssid or a neighbors which I also blacklisted.

Last, under config wifi-device radio0 it doesn't seem to matter if I have

option disabled 1

option disabled 0

no matter if karma is running or not.

Do changes to these config files require a restart of the device?

Edited January 8, 2012 by kahhak

[hak5superfan]

The issue you are having is this:

Your client machines which you use to check if the SSID changed still remembers the old one and is hesitant to change.

What I recommend you doing is that you take a client which hasn't even seen the original SSID. Change the SSID and then check enable wifi on that client.

You will see, the ssid changed.

Best,

Sebkinne

Thank you very much for your response Seb! I just want to know why back in version 1.9 I could change the Karma SSID and all the clients would detect the new SSID instantly, while in this new version the client remembers the old SSID and is hesitant to change? Thanks!

BTW, Seb I just tried what you told me, I took one of my laptops and boot it up with an ubuntu live cd and when I search for networks it detects the NON-KARMA SSID instead of the new SSID. Before booting up the live cd, I turned on my pineapple, stated Karma and used the provided box to change the Karma SSID. I really don't know whats happening :S may it be a hardware issue?

Edited January 8, 2012 by hak5superfan

[kahhak]

BTW, Seb I just tried what you told me, I took one of my laptops and boot it up with an ubuntu live cd and when I search for networks it detects the NON-KARMA SSID instead of the new SSID. Before booting up the live cd, I turned on my pineapple, stated Karma and used the provided box to change the Karma SSID. I really don't know whats happening :S may it be a hardware issue?

I'm seeing the same thing.

[Mr-Protocol]

Check your config files after you SSH into the device and see what is in there.

[hak5superfan]

Check your config files after you SSH into the device and see what is in there.

Mr-Protocol whats the path of the config file?

[Mr-Protocol]

Mr-Protocol whats the path of the config file?

cat /etc/hostapd/karma.conf

[csystem]

I don't know if this may help, I am having the same problems changing the ESSID through the web interface. V. 2.01, OM1p. I looked at the /etc/hostapd/karma.conf, it was **missing**, I found a karma.conf.old, renamed it back to karma.conf, manually edited the ESSID, reset, and all is fine now. Possibly the web UI is not writing the new file?

I was using Firefox on BT5R1 when I tried changing the ESSID, btw.

Anyone else have a missing karma.conf after making the change?

[Mr-Protocol]

I don't know if this may help, I am having the same problems changing the ESSID through the web interface. V. 2.01, OM1p. I looked at the /etc/hostapd/karma.conf, it was **missing**, I found a karma.conf.old, renamed it back to karma.conf, manually edited the ESSID, reset, and all is fine now. Possibly the web UI is not writing the new file?

I was using Firefox on BT5R1 when I tried changing the ESSID, btw.

Anyone else have a missing karma.conf after making the change?

It might be a bug, thanks for the detailed description of what you found. It really helps us along instead of getting generic "This doesn't work" type stuff. Hopefully Sebkinne can look into it when he gets time. My OM1P and AP51 are currently tore apart for a fan mod right now.

[bl4ckc4t]

I've been following this thread and been doing some testing myself. What seems to be working for me right now without changing much, aside to the sequence is changing the SSID before starting Karma.

On initial start-up the device broadcasts "pineapple" with Karma off.

I change the SSID and get the successful message, I notice the broadcast SSID changes to what I've specified and no longer see "pineapple".

I then start Karma and noticed that the new broadcast SSID changes back to "pineapple", but through the hostapd_cli with the get_config, it does reflect the SSID that I specified.

Approximately 1 minute the new SSID begins to broadcast.

I've repeated this process multiple times and appears to be consistent.

Not sure if it's a sequence issue here or if it was initial designed to be executed in that manner before Karma starts.

Curious if the sequence helps anyone else, but prior to trying the sequence I was messing with the permissions of the "hostapd" directory, but reverted back to it's original state.

It might be a bug, thanks for the detailed description of what you found. It really helps us along instead of getting generic "This doesn't work" type stuff. Hopefully Sebkinne can look into it when he gets time. My OM1P and AP51 are currently tore apart for a fan mod right now.

[hfam]

Hi Fellas,

I'm pretty sure this was covered in the 2.0 hardware release thread...because I had some of the same questions and issues.

The 2.0 version of Karma is a new implementation. As seb explained, both the non-Karma AND the Karma SSID are both the same in this new version.

You can see this on the configuration page of the MK3 in the Karma section. The SSID set in that location is what it will be when you start Karma.

Previous versions (1.9 and earlier) used a karma.conf, and also had different SSIDs for Karma and non-Karma modes. 2.0 is distinctly different in that it uses the same SSID for both modes.

The best way I've found to deal with this is to make a "hard change" in the Karma section on the configuration page of the MK3. For instance, maybe changing it to something like "airport_free_wifi", or "starbucksguestwifi1"...you get the idea. something that doesn't give it away.

Edit the change in the editing "window", not the dialog box, then save it.

Now when you power up, Karma or not, your SSID will come up as that one you edited in. YOu can then change it on the fly if you need to (via the editing window, or the dialog box).

The important thing to remember, however, is that the SSID will remain the same whether Karma is on or not.

Hopefully that helped resolve what sounds like it's the concern here. I went through the same thing. Nothing's broken, it's just different than it used to be. Thanks to Seb for patiently explaining it to me in another thread! ;)

[csystem]

Previous versions (1.9 and earlier) used a karma.conf, and also had different SSIDs for Karma and non-Karma modes. 2.0 is distinctly different in that it uses the same SSID for both modes.

The best way I've found to deal with this is to make a "hard change" in the Karma section on the configuration page of the MK3. For instance, maybe changing it to something like "airport_free_wifi", or "starbucksguestwifi1"...you get the idea. something that doesn't give it away.

Edit the change in the editing "window", not the dialog box, then save it.

The important thing to remember, however, is that the SSID will remain the same whether Karma is on or not.

OK, if the karma SSID and the non-karma SSID are the same here (yes I should have read the notes :-() here's my question:

I edited the ssid in the wireless config non-karma mode editing window (named it FreeWifi,) clicked the "update wireless" and the SSID indeed changes in normal mode, after a reset. I then enabled Karma on the pineapple, and disabled my normal access point, (unsecured, SSID is homewifi) and set my phone to connect to "homewifi" which was in my wireless access point list. Yes, the phone connected to "homewifi" . As the pineapple was then the only access point in range, I know for sure Karma was working.

However whatever SSID I enter into the box on the "change Karma SSID" field does not seem to do anything. I have tried connecting with an old iphone which has never seen the pineapple, it finds the SSID name entered in the "wireless config" editing window regardless.

But Karma is working as any SSID I enter into a wireless config on any device will connect to the pineapple, regardless of the actual SSID.

So what's the purpose of the "change karma SSID" button? If karma and the normal wireless SSID can be changed using the editing window and the SSID's are always the same, then the button seems unnecessary. Where or what config file is it supposed to change?

Thanks!

Edited January 12, 2012 by csystem

[hak5superfan]

OK, if the karma SSID and the non-karma SSID are the same here (yes I should have read the notes :-() here's my question:

I edited the ssid in the wireless config non-karma mode editing window (named it FreeWifi,) clicked the "update wireless" and the SSID indeed changes in normal mode, after a reset. I then enabled Karma on the pineapple, and disabled my normal access point, (unsecured, SSID is homewifi) and set my phone to connect to "homewifi" which was in my wireless access point list. Yes, the phone connected to "homewifi" . As the pineapple was then the only access point in range, I know for sure Karma was working.

However whatever SSID I enter into the box on the "change Karma SSID" field does not seem to do anything. I have tried connecting with an old iphone which has never seen the pineapple, it finds the SSID name entered in the "wireless config" editing window regardless.

But Karma is working as any SSID I enter into a wireless config on any device will connect to the pineapple, regardless of the actual SSID.

So what's the purpose of the "change karma SSID" button? If karma and the normal wireless SSID can be changed using the editing window and the SSID's are always the same, then the button seems unnecessary. Where or what config file is it supposed to change?

Thanks!

Thank you very much this was what I was trying to say!

[hfam]

Alright, I'm with you guys at this point, something isn't working correctly with karma.

EDIT: I re-read the above, and the one thing I didn't try was simply to yank the power on the "open" wifi, and sure enough, the Karma'd AP did it's thing in a fraction of a second!!! So, Karma IS working for me too, as OP stated, but I'm having exactly the same problem as OP and others are indicating with regard to changing Karma SSID, and it appears that trying to deauth from the MK3 does work, but I'm not able to get the Karma'd MK3 (the same one I'm issuing DEAUTH from) to grab the clients it's bumping off. I'll leave the original context of my details intact below as maybe it will help explain to someone know knows far more than me why:

Karma SSID doesn't change using GUI

Deauthing via GUI on MK3 doesn't appear let the bumped clients back on

It very well could be me, but I have scoured Seb's explanation of the new version of Karma, and while I understand what he's saying, I simply can NOT get karma to do it's job. It's like it's not working at all, including the changing the Karma SSID issue.

I've FINALLY had some time to break all this out and start testing function in 2.0.1. Here's what I'm seeing:

(2) Alfa AP51's, flashed with 2.0.1

(1) Android (Thunderbolt) - using as the "target" or "client" I want to force onto my MK3

(1) Laptop (connected to one of the MK3s), Windows 7, working perfectly interfacing with said MK3.

- I've set one AP51 to be a Karma'd MK3. Set it to come up as "FREEWIFI" via the GUI Configuration editor. I've confirmed it comes up as this, I can see it in W7 and Android. I then connect via GUI, confirm "interface" and "airmon-g" are both enabled, then I turn on "MK3 Karma". entropy bunny does it's thing, and it comes back to the main page and "MK3 Karma" shows "enabled" and green.

- I'm using the other AP51 MK3 in default mode; Power it up, left it as "pineapple", just an open AP to connect my Android to. This is "pretend coffee shop open WiFi AP" that I connect the Android to.

So, everything is as above.

- MK3/Laptop are working perfectly, and "FREEWIFI" is shown on W7 and Android. Karma has been enabled. Still shows "FREEWIFI" as available to all devices.

- MK3 #2 is setup as the "pretend coffee shop", and "pineapple" is showing up as an Open Network on Android and W7 clients.

- Android is connected to "pineapple". It also sees "FREEWIFI" (the Karma enabled MK3).

- From my GUI which is connected to FREEWIFI (Karma enabled), I take the BSSID of "pineapple" (open wifi), and I enter that into the DEAUTH section where it asks for it. I hit "DEAUTH" and look at my Android.

- My Android does indeed get knocked off of "pineapple" (open wifi), but it just continues to try "pineapple" until it reconnects to "pineapple", the same physical AP it was connected to before the deauth.

I've tried this so many times I lost count, but I've tried everything...forgetting the SSIDs on the Android device, rebooting everything, rebooting the Android only, etc.

It's always the same, Karma never seems to do anything. FREEWIFI just sits there, awaiting a connection...saying karma is enabled, but it never does it's thing.

- I then, through the GUI, use the dialog box to attempt to change the Karma SSID. I try to change it from FREEWIFI to "pineapplek" (k for Karma). It says it's completed, but I go back to the Android, and there is "FREEWIFI".

- I then reboot the Android. Comes back up and sees "FREEWIFI", and not "pineapplek".

- I then delete the SSID on the Android, and reboot the Android. Comes back up and sees "FREEWIFI", and not "pineapplek".

- I then select "FREEWIFI" (remember, it should DEFINITELY be showing up as "pineapplek" by now) on the Android, and it connects to the Karma'd MK3, as expected.

This shows (I believe) that the "Change Karma SSID" dialog box on Configuration page is not working either.

I then pulled out a Kindle Fire and went through the exactly the same steps with exactly the same results.

I then switched the roles of the (2) MK3's and went through exactly the same steps with exactlyh teh same results.

The APs are both flashed with 2.0.1.

Spent hours on this with no love at all. :(

Edited January 15, 2012 by hfam

[Sebkinne]

First off, sorry for my short post, I won't be able to write much as I am in a hurry but I thought I owe you one.

About Karma: As far as I know, it works. It worked on my devices and it worked on many others. So in that sense, if your interface says "karma enabled" then it really is. The command checking if it is enabled or not shouldn't ever be wrong.

Now, about deauth, well, that is working correctly. It kicks off your client, so that feature is working.

Changing the SSID. Okay, this seems to be a hard one. Basically the command issued changes the SSID which is being broadcast by hostapd. It is possible that devices which have seen the pineapple AP have difficulties seeing this change. I verified if it worked like this: Start pineapple, change SSID to "testSSIDchange". Then turned on an android phone which had never seen the pineapple. That phone showed the SSID "testSSIDchange". This is frustrating if you are trying to test out if it works or not, but when you are actually in the field it will work. It was more of an addon feature.

This is a hard thing to debug though, as I have many people telling me it works flawlessly (karma). Then there are a few which are having issues with it. The same goes for the SSID change.

I am sorry that it isn't working as you expect at the moment, when I get back I will take a look and go over it again, maybe there is a bug somewhere. I just haven't been able to identify or replicate it.

Best,

Sebkinne

[diggler]

I found that it makes a difference if:

-trying to change the SSID when karma or autostart is enabled caused problems

-I first disable all functionality relating to karma, then change SSID and bring it back online.

I realize this may sound extremely obvious but I've observed others toggling back and forth on the WEBGUI just hitting change karma SSID and then going by to status page without first taking Karma offline. Maybe it's supposed to work no matter what but I've experienced issues performing changes without karma being disabled.

First off, sorry for my short post, I won't be able to write much as I am in a hurry but I thought I owe you one.

About Karma: As far as I know, it works. It worked on my devices and it worked on many others. So in that sense, if your interface says "karma enabled" then it really is. The command checking if it is enabled or not shouldn't ever be wrong.

Now, about deauth, well, that is working correctly. It kicks off your client, so that feature is working.

Changing the SSID. Okay, this seems to be a hard one. Basically the command issued changes the SSID which is being broadcast by hostapd. It is possible that devices which have seen the pineapple AP have difficulties seeing this change. I verified if it worked like this: Start pineapple, change SSID to "testSSIDchange". Then turned on an android phone which had never seen the pineapple. That phone showed the SSID "testSSIDchange". This is frustrating if you are trying to test out if it works or not, but when you are actually in the field it will work. It was more of an addon feature.

This is a hard thing to debug though, as I have many people telling me it works flawlessly (karma). Then there are a few which are having issues with it. The same goes for the SSID change.

I am sorry that it isn't working as you expect at the moment, when I get back I will take a look and go over it again, maybe there is a bug somewhere. I just haven't been able to identify or replicate it.

Best,

Sebkinne

Edited January 15, 2012 by diggler

[Mr-Protocol]

That makes perfect sense. You cannot expect to make a change to a config and have it change on the fly. You need to stop and re-start the service.