Cannot get DHCP to work when connecting to an Android AP

Question

I am having a problem with my Ubuntu 12.4. Basically, while I can connect fine with a "normal" wireless access point, I am having great difficulty connecting to anything else -- neither with my Android Phone withing as an AP (stock Android 4.0.4 kernel 3.0. and with a tiny Telstra access point.

I am actually in hospital looking after my wife who just had an emergency C section, so spending time tinkering with things is a little complicated -- help!

Here is the log of what happens. From what I understand, authentication goes through but then the DHCP client fails to obtain an IP address. Both the Telstra AP and the Android phone used to work. I tried using another computer, again with Ubuntu 12.4 (the one my wife is meant to use in hospital!), but nothing.

Can somebody please help? Here is the log:

http://codepad.org/ppwfekcZ

This is what happens if I try to run dhclient manually while teh connection is being established (so wlan1 is there)...

$ sudo dhclient -v wlan1
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client 4.1-ESV-R4
Copyright 2004-2011 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit https://www.isc.org/software/dhcp/

Listening on LPF/wlan1/e0:94:67:0a:a4:40
Sending on LPF/wlan1/e0:94:67:0a:a4:40
Sending on Socket/fallback
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 3
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 6
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 9

Answer 1

Some wireless providers block internet access through your phone if you aren't subscribed to a package which has tethering. There are apps in the Google Play store that may be able to help you alleviate this problem, such as FoxFi