madwifi.dsl


Forum: The Testing Area
Topic: madwifi.dsl
started by: roberts

Posted by roberts on Dec. 22 2005,00:32
Thanks to a community effort we now have a Atheros (Madwifi) extension for DSL v2.x

This is in the usual testing area of the repositiory.
Please read the info file. There are no dependencies.

But you should run as root, i.,e.,
sudo /opt/madwifi_setup.sh
Then use the usual iwconfig GUI for device ath0

Once working, add madwifi.dsl to your usual mydsl extensions area.
Add /opt/madwifi_setup.sh to /opt/bootlocal.sh and you will have transparent Atheros Wifi support.

Optional, as usual, you may also add your personal wireless settings (myiwconfig.sh) to /opt/bootlocal.sh (for execution) and to .filetool.lst (for persistency).



Posted by Max on Dec. 22 2005,03:55
Much thanks roberts...  I'll give this a try and report my success...hopefully
Posted by Max on Dec. 22 2005,04:19
Thank you very much.   This worked like a charm.

For unencrypted networks....

/opt/madwifi_setup.sh
ifconfig ath0 up
pump -i ath0

This was all that was needed to get back to the funtionality I had in DSL 1.5

OK...now I can finally migrate....

Posted by sarah on Jan. 03 2006,15:05
Roberts - just wanted to say cheers for the work - it works a treat!

In case other newbies can't suss it: the WEP asked for in the iwconfig is *not* your password string, it's the full-length mumbo-jumbo key (discovered by trial and error).

Oh, and sid=ESSID and is the name of your network.

Cheers and beers
Sarah

Posted by captainpotato on Jan. 22 2006,07:47
Quote (sarah @ Jan. 03 2006,20:05)
In case other newbies can't suss it: the WEP asked for in the iwconfig is *not* your password string, it's the full-length mumbo-jumbo key (discovered by trial and error).


This means the 26 character hexadecimal number (in my case, at least), I assume? I'm having < a few issues > getting my card up and running using this package (although I'm further than I was without it...) :P

Posted by lagerratrobe on Jan. 28 2006,21:51
Hi Robert,

I'm using madwifi.dsl succesfully with my Airlink AWLH 4030 pci NIC, but I could not get it t function properly using the madwifi_setup.sh script.  I can't access the exact errors I got at the moment to post here, but if I recall correctly there seemed to be a problem with the creation of the ath0 device.

Here is what I do instead, which is based on the info I found at < http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo >

Code Sample

modprobe ath_pci
wlanconfig ath0 create wlandev wifi0 wlanmode sta
iwconfig ath0 essid "tifnrog"
iwconfig ath0 key <yourkey>


I also am unable to get a dhcp lease using pump, so am manually setting the IP and route.

Code Sample

ifconfig ath0 192.168.1.102 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
route add default gw 192.168.1.1


Very glad to not have to go get the madfifi source from CVS and compile it though.

Posted by torp on Jan. 28 2006,21:59
Any plans to get ad-hoc mode going with madwifi? Would love to be able to use my at&t 6700g on my home wireless net...

torp

Posted by doobit on Jan. 28 2006,22:27
You would need to go talk to the madwifi developers for that.
< http://madwifi.org/ >

Posted by doobit on Jan. 28 2006,22:58
The script works perfectly for me, but Robert used my card when he was writing it.
The line commands on the madwifi site are extremely useful. It's amazing what this little card can do in DSL that the software for Windows doesn't have the capability to access.

Posted by doobit on Jan. 28 2006,23:42
Quote (torp @ Jan. 28 2006,16:59)
Any plans to get ad-hoc mode going with madwifi? Would love to be able to use my at&t 6700g on my home wireless net...

torp

try this:

< http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/AdHocInterface >

Posted by captainpotato on Jan. 29 2006,03:09
Quote (lagerratrobe @ Jan. 29 2006,02:51)
I also am unable to get a dhcp lease using pump, so am manually setting the IP and route.

Code Sample

ifconfig ath0 192.168.1.102 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
route add default gw 192.168.1.1


It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who had problems with dhcp - I went down the static IP as well.

Posted by jllyrgr on Feb. 05 2006,15:07
I have had great success with the madwifi extension.

I am using a Compaq Armada M700, 850 MHz, 256 MB ram.  I am running a live CD of DSL 2.0, toram.  I bought the machine off of Ebay specifically to run DSL in ram to surf the web wirelessly, until I can get hold of a Nokia 770.  I would have liked to run DSL off of a USB pendrive, but this laptop cannot boot off USB.  I generally spin the hard drive down to extend battery life.

I have tried three wireless cards with this laptop:

Netgear WG511, using ndiswrapper.  Everyting was fine and I was able to connect to my Linksys WRT54G router.  Then, after a short time, the machine would completely lock up, requring a total power down.

Next up was a Linksys WPC54G.  Using ndiswrapper, the same thing happened.  I was hoping for something better, considering I have a Linksys router.

Next, and finally, I tried a D-Link DWL-G630.  Locked up again, and again using ndiswrapper.

Three cards, three different chipssets.  I tried not using "toram" and Dillo instead of Firefox, thinking I may have a memory loading issue.  Still no go, lockup after lockup.

Finally, I read about the madwifi.dsl extension in the testing area. Turns out the DWL-G630 has an Atheros chip.  I followed the instructions, downloading, running the script and running iwconfig from the control panel.  Got a connection the first time.  The most important part is: no lockups. I threw heavy load at the card but it wouldn't/hasn't locked up.  I am also using WEP.

I have since set the extension up to load on boot via the /opt/bootlocal.sh and .filetool.lst.  I have booted about a half dozen times and it has worked every time.

I suspect then, that my laptop doesn't play nice with ndiswrapper.  Perhaps it uses a lot of system resources (?), I don't know.

To Robert,John, and all of the DSL community, thank you.  This thing works and works well.

jllyrgr

Posted by lagerratrobe on Feb. 05 2006,21:19
Hi jllyrgr,

Are you able to use DHCP with your card?

Posted by jllyrgr on Feb. 06 2006,03:43
Yes.  I had absolutely no problem getting an address with the script as it is written.  (This is with the D-Link DWL-G630 card.)
Posted by Neb on Mar. 31 2006,00:57
Quote (roberts @ Dec. 21 2005,19:32)
But you should run as root, i.,e.,
sudo /opt/madwifi_setup.sh
Then use the usual iwconfig GUI for device ath0

Once working, add madwifi.dsl to your usual mydsl extensions area.
Add /opt/madwifi_setup.sh to /opt/bootlocal.sh and you will have transparent Atheros Wifi support.

Optional, as usual, you may also add your personal wireless settings (myiwconfig.sh) to /opt/bootlocal.sh (for execution) and to .filetool.lst (for persistency).

I installed 2.2b frugal method. When I run the command sudo /opt/madwifi_setup.sh I get the following in return:

insmod: a module named wlan already exists
/lib/modules/2.4.31/net/wlan_acl.o: kernel-module version mismatch
       /lib/modules/2.4.31/net/wlan_acl.o was compiled for kernel version 2.4.31 while this version was compiled for version 2.4.26.

I haven't added anything to my DSL, just a frugal install run MyDSL, select System, download madwifi.info.

Any help is appreciated.

Posted by doobit on Mar. 31 2006,02:18
Yes, that's because the modules are already in the kernel 2.4.26 which is in every DSL version except 2.0 and 2.1. Delete the modules you downloaded. Now open the mydsl panel and click the iwconfig button. Change the first field to ath0 from whatever it is (I think wlan0?) Put your channel in the second field and your network name in the third field. (Turn off any security on your wireless router for now and make it an open system. You can mess with that later after you get a connection.) Click OK. Wait a little and you should see a connected! or connection failed! Hopefully it will connect.
Posted by Neb on Mar. 31 2006,13:12
Deleted the modules, did the iwconfig, connected. Enabled WEP, adjusted settings in iwconfig and I'm connected.

However, I first had to do 'ifconfig ath0 up' in order to turn the card on.

? How can I save these settings, and have the card on and configured at boot?

Posted by doobit on Mar. 31 2006,14:30
The script /opt/bootlocal.sh is a bash shell script. Anything you put in there will be run as root on bootup.
When you power down after first running one of the wireless configuration modules in DSL-2.3 you will be asked if you want to save your configuration. Select yes. That will write the line /opt/myiwconfig.sh in the /opt/bootlocal.sh script so that it loads your settings at the next bootup. If it doesn't do it automatically, then you know know what it should do and you can add those lines yourself.
BTW, one frustration when you first begin using this is that there is no gui to scan for access points. No problem though, because the scan command from the terminal works great. Open a terminal and type iwlist ath0 scan
You will get more information, and more quickly than you could ever get in Windows.

Posted by Neb on April 12 2006,19:18
Quote (roberts @ Dec. 21 2005,19:32)
Thanks to a community effort we now have a Atheros (Madwifi) extension for DSL v2.x

This is in the usual testing area of the repositiory.
Please read the info file. There are no dependencies.

But you should run as root, i.,e.,
sudo /opt/madwifi_setup.sh
Then use the usual iwconfig GUI for device ath0

Once working, add madwifi.dsl to your usual mydsl extensions area.
Add /opt/madwifi_setup.sh to /opt/bootlocal.sh and you will have transparent Atheros Wifi support.

Optional, as usual, you may also add your personal wireless settings (myiwconfig.sh) to /opt/bootlocal.sh (for execution) and to .filetool.lst (for persistency).

Still a little new to this DSL thing.

when i run the .xxx.sh script you mention, it says command not found. Obviously it's not loaded. How do I dl it from the testing area?

Then, how do you add it to the extensions area?

Posted by doobit on April 12 2006,19:29
Which script, specifically?
If you are talking about myiwconfig.sh that is the script that is automatically written when you set up your ath0 based wireless card using the iwconfig button in the mydsl panel. All you do is add the path to it to the /opt/bootlocal.sh script. The easiest way to do this is to open EmelFM as root by right clicking it and choosing open as super user. Navigate to /opt and double click on bootlocal.sh and then choose view file from the list. This will most likely open it in Beaver. Add the line /opt/myiwconfig.sh and save.

Posted by Neb on April 12 2006,19:35
the madwifi_setup.sh script. I dl the madwifi.dsl, added via myDSL and got the same error i saw working with this a few weeks ago. Specifically, it's compiled with older modules or something.

I got this ATH0 proxim card to work from my Cisco AP at work, encryption and all, but at home with a Dell TrueMobile 2300, I can't get it to work no matter what. My Mac Mini is wireless and it's working just fine.

I've tried no WEP and with 40bit WEP.

I do ifconfig ath0 up
then iwlist ath0 scan and i can see my wireless network, just can't get an address! bummer!!

Posted by roberts on April 13 2006,15:11
The madwifi.dsl works ONLY for dsl v2.0 and v2.1
I have updated the .info to indicate that

All other versions of DSL have builiin support for madwifi.

However newer cards do not work with the built in madwifi.

The good news is that we now have a madwifi-ng-2.4.26.dsl which was contributed by user JB4X4. This is an update for all versions of DSL based on the 2.4.26 kernel, i.e., the latest version of DSL v2.3 at the time of this posting.

Posted by Neb on April 14 2006,02:39
I took the lappy back to work today. Connected right back up with my Cisco 1231 AP. I just don't get it. This @$@##@ Dell TruMobile 2300 just won't work with it.

Time to get another wireless AP for the home I suppose.

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