This page describe how to use iwl-wifi ([http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/ Intel Wireless WiFi Link driver]) with an iwl3945 or iwl4965.

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Installation

1) Install linux image 2.6.23 or above 2.6.24 The iwl* modules requires the new kernel's IEEE 802.11 subsystem (mac80211). both modules are available in linux-image-2.6.24 (currently in DebianUnstable).

2) Install firmware-iwlwifi

It's assumed you know how to install both!?

Loading the iwl3945 / iwl4965 modules

• The module should be loaded automatically by udev when the system starts.

Using IwlWifi

• use network-manager to use the interface !

Interfaces

Once the module is loaded, ip a should show two interfaces (wlan0 is the "main" one).

• 3: wmaster0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,10000> mtu 1500 qdisc ieee80211 qlen 1000
      link/ieee802.11 00:13:e8:70:69:fb brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
  4: wlan0: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast qlen 1000
      link/ether 00:13:e8:70:69:fb brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

Switching from ipw3945 to iwl3945

• Install as explained above.
• Check for the line generated by udev for ipw3945 in /etc/udev/rules.d/z25_persistent-net.rules. If it is there, remove it (more explanation in "Common problems and errors" below).
• Optionally, change the configuration in /etc/network/interfaces by replacing eth2 (or whatever the old name for wireless interface is) with wlan0.
• Reboot into the new kernel.
• Verify that wireless networking is functional.
• Remove the ipw3945-modules-* and ipw3945d packages.

Common problems and errors

Interfaces is named "wlan0_rename" (sysfs_create_symlink failed)

Another symptom is that Network-manager don't handle the wireless card.

/var/log/syslog may show :

kernel: iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 0.1.15ks
kernel: iwl3945: Copyright(c) 2003-2007 Intel Corporation
kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
kernel: PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:03:00.0 to 64
kernel: iwl3945: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
kernel: iwl3945: Tunable channels: 13 802.11bg, 23 802.11a channels
kernel: wmaster0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-3945-rs'
kernel: net eth2: device_rename: sysfs_create_symlink failed (-17)
kernel: udev: renamed network interface wmaster0 to eth2
kernel: net wlan0_rename: device_rename: sysfs_create_symlink failed (-17)

• This may occur if you had used ipw3945 module before.

Resolution

in /etc/udev/rules.d/z25_persistent-net.rules remove the line like

# PCI device 0x8086:0x4227 (ipw3945)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTRS{address}=="00:13:02:4c:12:12", NAME="eth2"

then remove the module and re-insert it.

rmmod iwl3945
modprobe iwl3945

in /etc/udev/rules.d/z25_persistent-net.rules you should now have a line like :

# PCI device 0x8086:0x4227 (iwl3945)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTR{address}=="00:13:02:4c:12:12", ATTR{type}=="1", NAME="wlan0"

Identify wireless card

Running  lspci -nn  should list one of :

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection [8086:4222] (rev 02)

or

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection [8086:4227]

or

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN Network Connection [8086:4229]

or

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN Network Connection [8086:4230]

CategoryHardware