Atheros AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, AR5213, AR5414, AR242x wireless devices (ath5k)

This page describes how to enable support for Atheros AR5xxx wireless chipsets using the ath5k driver on Debian systems.

?TableOfContents(3)

ath5k is a module for Atheros AR5xxx wireless LAN chipsets.

Unlike the [:WiFi/ath pci:?MadWifi] driver, ath5k does not require a binary HAL (hardware abstraction layer) for its use. No firmware is required to be loaded from userspace. It is a completely free and open-source driver.

Missing Features

As stated?FootNote(http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k#features) on the Linux Wireless ath5k driver page:

Access Point mode
Turbo mode
XR (eXtended Range)

If required, the above features are available in the [:WiFi/ath pci:?MadWifi] driver.

Known Issues

The ath5k driver is in a constant state of development, with varying levels of support for chipsets depending on their age.

In particular, the newer AR242x chipset (found on the Acer emachines D620 laptop, among others) suffers from a "noise floor calibration timeout" bug, which means the wireless may not function after installing Lenny RC2. The bug is fixed in 2.6.28.1, but you will have to compile an up-to-date kernel yourself until one becomes available in Sid.

Installation

ath5k is included in the mainline Linux kernel since 2.6.25. It is present in Debian kernel images since 2.6.24.

DebianEtch users: This driver is not present in the stock 2.6.18 kernel.
Install an ["EtchAndAHalf"] kernel: apt-cache search linux-image-2.6.24-etchnhalf and install a package appropriate for your system.
Restart your system with this kernel before continuing.

Switching from MadWifi to ath5k

The following section can be [#configuration skipped] if [:WiFi/ath pci:?MadWifi] was not previously used.

Installation of madwifi-tools (version 1:0.9.4~rc2+dfsg-1 and later) installs /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi, which blacklists the ath5k driver. Either purge the madwifi-tools package or amend /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi as follows:

From

blacklist ath5k

## madwifi (non-free)
#blacklist ath_hal
#blacklist ath_pci
#blacklist ath_rate_amrr
#blacklist ath_rate_onoe
#blacklist ath_rate_sample
#blacklist wlan
#blacklist wlan_acl
#blacklist wlan_ccmp
#blacklist wlan_scan_ap
#blacklist wlan_scan_sta
#blacklist wlan_tkip
#blacklist wlan_wep
#blacklist wlan_xauth

#blacklist ath5k

## madwifi (non-free)
blacklist ath_hal
blacklist ath_pci
blacklist ath_rate_amrr
blacklist ath_rate_onoe
blacklist ath_rate_sample
blacklist wlan
blacklist wlan_acl
blacklist wlan_ccmp
blacklist wlan_scan_ap
blacklist wlan_scan_sta
blacklist wlan_tkip
blacklist wlan_wep
blacklist wlan_xauth

Amend /etc/network/interfaces, changing all references of 'ath0' to 'wlan0'.
Restart your system.
Verify that wireless networking is functional. If you can connect but not send/receive anything, you might need to adjust your firewall configuration. For example, if you have configured your firewall using shorewall, find and replace all occurrences of 'ath0' with 'wlan0' in files within /etc/shorewall.

?Anchor(configuration)

Configuration

Install the wireless-tools package:

aptitude update
aptitude install wireless-tools

The necessary kernel module should be [:Modules:automatically loaded]. If necessary, it can be manually loaded via:
```
modprobe ath5k
```
Verify your device has an available interface:
```
iwconfig
```
Raise the interface to activate the radio, for example:
```
ifconfig wlan0 up
```
[:WiFi/HowToUse:Configure] your wireless interface as appropriate.

Supported Devices

Devices containing Atheros AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, AR5213 or AR5414 chipsets are supported by ath5k:

The following list is based on the alias fields of modinfo ath5k on Lenny.

PCI: 10B7:0013 3Com Corporation AR5212 802.11abg NIC (3CRDAG675)
PCI: 168C:0007 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5000 802.11a Wireless Adapter
PCI: 168C:0011 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5210 802.11a NIC
PCI: 168C:0012 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5211 802.11ab NIC
PCI: 168C:0013 Atheros Communications Inc. Atheros AR5001X+ Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0014 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:0015 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:0016 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:0017 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:0018 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:0019 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown)
PCI: 168C:001A Atheros Communications Inc. AR2413 802.11bg NIC
PCI: 168C:001B Atheros Communications Inc. AR5413 802.11abg NIC
PCI: 168C:001C Atheros Communications Inc. AR242x 802.11abg Wireless PCI Express Adapter
PCI: 168C:0023 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5008 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0024 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5008 Wireless Network Adapter
PCI: 168C:0207 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5210
PCI: 168C:1014 Atheros Communications Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC
PCI: A727:0013 3Com Corporation 3CRPAG175 Wireless PC Card

External Links

http://madwifi-project.org/ - project homepage;
- http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/About/ath5k - more information on ath5k
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k - driver page on Linux Wireless

-  ⇤ ← Revision 6 as of 2009-02-08 09:47:41 → 
  Size: 6227
  Editor: FranklinPiat
  Comment: list of supported devices... on Lenny
+   ← Revision 7 as of 2009-02-10 11:26:26 → ⇥
  Size: 6483
  Editor: ?LinuxMagnate
  Comment: Added AR242x info
-Deletions are marked like this.
+Additions are marked like this.
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-||<tablestyle="width: 100%;" style="border: 0px hidden">~-[:DebianWiki/EditorGuide#translation:Translation(s)]: none-~||<style="text-align: right;border: 0px hidden"> (!) [:/Discussion:Discussion]||
+||<tablewidth="100%">~-[:DebianWiki/EditorGuide#translation:Translation(s)]: none-~ ||<style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"> (!) ["/Discussion"] ||
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-= Atheros AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, AR5213, AR5414 wireless devices (ath5k) =
+= Atheros AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, AR5213, AR5414, AR242x wireless devices (ath5k) =
-Line 12:
+Line 11:
-Unlike the [:WiFi/ath_pci:MadWifi] driver, ath5k does not require a binary HAL (hardware abstraction layer) for its use.  No firmware is required to be loaded from userspace.  It is a completely free and open-source driver.
+Unlike the [:WiFi/ath pci:MadWifi] driver, ath5k does not require a binary HAL (hardware abstraction layer) for its use. No firmware is required to be loaded from userspace. It is a completely free and open-source driver.
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+Line 19:
-If required, the above features are available in the [:WiFi/ath_pci:MadWifi] driver.
+If required, the above features are available in the [:WiFi/ath pci:MadWifi] driver.
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+Line 22:
-Line 28:
+Line 24:
+In particular, the newer AR242x chipset (found on the Acer emachines D620 laptop, among others) suffers from a "noise floor calibration timeout" bug, which means the wireless may not function after installing Lenny RC2. The bug is fixed in 2.6.28.1, but you will have to compile an up-to-date kernel yourself until one becomes available in Sid.
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+Line 27:
+ath5k is included in the mainline Linux kernel since 2.6.25. It is present in Debian kernel images since 2.6.24.
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+Line 29:
-ath5k is included in the mainline Linux kernel since 2.6.25.  It is present in Debian kernel images since 2.6.24.
+ . <!> DebianEtch users: This driver is not present in the stock 2.6.18 kernel.
 . Install an ["EtchAndAHalf"] kernel: {{{apt-cache search linux-image-2.6.24-etchnhalf}}} and install a package appropriate for your system.
 . Restart your system with this kernel before continuing.
=== Switching from MadWifi to ath5k ===
The following section can be [#configuration skipped] if [:WiFi/ath pci:MadWifi] was not previously used.
-Line 32:
+Line 35:
- . <!> [:DebianEtch:Etch] users: This driver is not present in the stock 2.6.18 kernel.
 . Install an [:EtchAndAHalf:] kernel: {{{apt-cache search linux-image-2.6.24-etchnhalf}}} and install a package appropriate for your system.
 . Restart your system with this kernel before continuing.

=== Switching from MadWifi to ath5k ===

The following section can be [#configuration skipped] if [:WiFi/ath_pci:MadWifi] was not previously used.

 * Installation of DebPkg:madwifi-tools (version 1:0.9.4~rc2+dfsg-1 and later) installs {{{/etc/modprobe.d/madwifi}}}, which blacklists the ath5k driver.  Either purge the madwifi-tools package or amend {{{/etc/modprobe.d/madwifi}}} as follows:
+ * Installation of DebPkg:madwifi-tools (version 1:0.9.4~rc2+dfsg-1 and later) installs {{{/etc/modprobe.d/madwifi}}}, which blacklists the ath5k driver. Either purge the madwifi-tools package or amend {{{/etc/modprobe.d/madwifi}}} as follows:
-Line 42:
+Line 37:
- ''From'' {{{
+ . ''From''
 {{{
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+Line 55:
- ''To'' {{{
+ ''To''
 {{{
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+Line 85:
- * Verify that wireless networking is functional.  If you can connect but not send/receive anything, you might need to adjust your firewall configuration.  For example, if you have configured your firewall using DebPkg:shorewall, find and replace all occurrences of 'ath0' with 'wlan0' in files within {{{/etc/shorewall}}}.
+ * Verify that wireless networking is functional. If you can connect but not send/receive anything, you might need to adjust your firewall configuration. For example, if you have configured your firewall using DebPkg:shorewall, find and replace all occurrences of 'ath0' with 'wlan0' in files within {{{/etc/shorewall}}}.
[[Anchor(configuration)]]
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-[[Anchor(configuration)]]
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-. Install the DebPkg:wireless-tools package: {{{
+. Install the DebPkg:wireless-tools package:
 {{{
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-. The necessary kernel module should be [:Modules:automatically loaded].  If necessary, it can be manually loaded via: {{{
+. The necessary kernel module should be [:Modules:automatically loaded]. If necessary, it can be manually loaded via:
 {{{
-Line 99:
+Line 98:
-. Verify your device has an available interface: {{{
+. Verify your device has an available interface:
 {{{
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-. Raise the interface to activate the radio, for example: {{{
+. Raise the interface to activate the radio, for example:
 {{{
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- ~- {{{
+ . ~--~
 {{{
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-}}} -~
+}}}
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+Line 140:
- * ["WiFi/ath_pci"] - !MadWifi driver
 * [:WiFi/HowToUse:HowToUse] !WiFi adapter
+ * ["WiFi/ath pci"] - !MadWifi driver
 * WiFi/HowToUse !WiFi adapter

Diff for "ath5k"