Atheros AR5xxx devices (MadWifi)
This page describes how to enable support for WiFi devices based on Atheros AR5xxx chipsets, using the MadWifi driver on Debian systems.
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ath_pci is one of the MadWifi (Multiband Atheros Driver for Wireless Fidelity) modules, developed by the [http://madwifi-project.org/ ?MadWifi project]. Due to its use of a proprietary [wiki:Hardware_abstraction_layer hardware abstraction layer], MadWifi is not included in the mainline Linux kernel.
Driver source is packaged for Debian as madwifi-source. [#supported Supported devices] are listed at the end of this page.
Atheros-based USB devices are [#unsupported not supported] by this driver (for Atheros AR5007UG, see ["zd1211rw"]).
Installation
The driver is required to be compiled and installed, which can be automated via [:ModuleAssistant:module-assistant].
If you have a Cardbus device, physically connect it to your system before continuing.
Add "contrib" and "non-free" components to /etc/apt/sources.list for your Debian version. For example:
# Debian Lenny/5.0 deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian lenny main contrib non-free
or
# Debian Etch/4.0 deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian etch main contrib non-free
Update the list of available packages and install the module-assistant and wireless-tools packages:
aptitude update aptitude install module-assistant wireless-tools
Build and install a madwifi-modules-* package within your system:
m-a prepare m-a a-i madwifi
[:DebianEtch:Etch] (with ["EtchAndAHalf"] kernel) and [:DebianLenny:Lenny] users: Unload the ["ath5k"] module:
modprobe -r ath5k
This module is automatically [:KernelModuleBlacklisting:blacklisted] during installation of madwifi-modules-* (via madwifi-tools).
Load the ath_pci module:
modprobe ath_pci
This module will be automatically loaded when your system is restarted and the device is connected.Verify your device has an available interface:
iwconfig
Raise the interface to activate the radio, for example:
ifconfig ath0 up
[:WiFi/HowToUse:Configure] your wireless interface as appropriate.
Troubleshooting
- When using iwconfig, I receieve the following error message: "Warning: Driver for device ath0 has been compiled with version 22 of Wireless Extension, while this program supports up to version 20. Some things may be broken..."
For Debian Etch/4.0, this was an inaccurate incompatibility warning (see the [http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/w/wireless-tools/wireless-tools_28-1+etchnhalf.1/changelog#versionversion28-1_etchnhalf.1 package changelog]), corrected in etch/wireless-tools 28-1+etchnhalf.1 (available since the Etch 4.0r4 [:DebianReleases/PointReleases:point release]).
- I am unable to configure my device to operate in Ad-Hoc mode. I receive the following error: "Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) : SET failed on device ath0 ; Invalid argument."
The MadWifi driver creates a VAP (Virtual Access Point) in station mode by default?FootNote(http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/autocreate), which cannot be changed using ["iwconfig"]. Either:
Destroy the existing VAP and recreate it in adhoc mode:
wlanconfig ath0 destroy wlanconfig ath0 create wlandev wifi0 wlanmode adhoc
Include madwifi-base and madwifi-mode options in /etc/network/interfaces (which will execute wlanconfig as described above). For example:
iface ath0 inet static address 192.168.1.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 wireless-essid MYNETWORK madwifi-base wifi0 madwifi-mode ad-hoc
Provide autocreate=adhoc as a module option to ath_pci, which will always create a VAP in adhoc mode:
ifconfig ath0 down modprobe -r ath_pci ath_rate_sample ath_hal wlan_ccmp wlan_scan_sta echo options ath_pci autocreate=adhoc >> /etc/modprobe.d/local modprobe ath_pci
Note: Additional connected devices supported by MadWifi will also have adhoc VAPs created.
See also [http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Support].
?Anchor(supported)
Supported Devices
The page ["HowToIdentifyADevice/PCI"] explains how to identify a PCI device.
The following list is based on the alias fields of modinfo ath_pci on Lenny.
PCI: 10B7:0013 3Com Corporation (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:0007 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:0012 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:0013 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. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:001B Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:001C Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:001D Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:0023 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:0024 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:1014 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:101A Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: 168C:9013 Atheros Communications Inc. (Device name unknown) PCI: A727:0013 3Com Corporation (Device name unknown)
[http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Compatibility] - Hardware supported by MadWifi
?Anchor(unsupported)
Unsupported
- All Atheros-based USB devices (for Atheros AR5007UG, see ["zd1211rw"]).
Devices with an Atheros AR5005VL?FootNote(http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Compatibility/Atheros#AtherosAR5005VL)?FootNote(http://madwifi-project.org/ticket/181) (AR5513) chipset [168c:0020]:
- D-Link DWL-G520M (PCI)
- D-Link DWL-G650M (Cardbus)
- ZyXEL Zyair M-102 (Cardbus)
- ZyXEL Zyair M-302 (PCI)
Use of [:NdisWrapper:NDISwrapper] may be possible for support of your device.
Voir Aussi
- ["ath5k"] - An alternate driver for Atheros AR5xxx chipsets
[:WiFi/HowToUse:How To use WiFi network adapter]
External Links
[http://madwifi-project.org/] - Project homepage;
[http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/UserDocs/Distro/Debian] - Debian-specific notes
[http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Support] - "Getting Help or Support"
[http://www.atheros.com/] - Atheros Communications homepage
ToDo: Complete translation.