General TC > Tiny Core Netbooks
How install an external USB wireless adaptor?
coreplayer2:
:) I knew this would be asked, no I haven't made a comparison, but let's look at it, is the radio functional without firmware and driver?
Without radio scanning there is negligible drain.. One can always disable the original onboard hardware In addition to blacklisting drivers, the method I use is intended to provide flawless function with little regard to power consumption, but that doesn't mean there is any additional drain considering the radio may not be functional without correct firmware and driver. Perhaps it's a moot point?
:)
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curaga:
The radio is probably not functional, but as long as the stick is physically attached, it can draw power from usb/pci/etc.
Mike7:
Rich-
Please keep in mind: I want to be able to choose easily which wireless adaptor is enabled. This is important to me because I am using my netbook both portable, when the external adaptor is cumbersome and may be unnecessary, and as a desktop machine, when space is not a problem and the external adaptor is more powerful. So, whatever method I employ for making the external adaptor functional, it needs to allow easy switching between adaptors.
--- Quote ---I'm guessing that phy2 is your USB device. Try:
--- Code: ---sudo rfkill unblock 3
--- End code ---
--- End quote ---
Sorry, but why "unblock 3" if the 0cf3:1006 is phy2? I'm afraid I don't understand what's happening here.
Also, I need for you to specify the situation when I enter the command (Fn>F2 on or off, external device plugged or unplugged, etc.).
Mike
Mike7:
coreplayer2-
Sorry if I'm being repetitious or stating the obvious, but, like I said in my last reply to Rich, I want to be able to choose which wireless adaptor I'm using at any given time. We're in agreement about that, right?
--- Quote ---IMO the rfkill method appears a little too complicated for my comfort, don't misunderstand though.. am sure rfkill works great. actually find that it's hard to remember whether to switch the device on or off when booting a desired operating system
--- End quote ---
That shouldn't be a problem for me, though, because I'll only be using one Core OS. Right?
--- Quote ---sometimes the built-in device is automatically re-enabled when it's least wanted
--- End quote ---
Not good, but weird things happen all the time <grin>.
--- Quote ---I work around this problem by disabling or (as the case may be) blacklisting the built-in device's driver. then install the driver and/or firmware needed to support the external device and use a script to determine if wifi needs to be run at boot up.
--- End quote ---
How can you use a script to determine if wifi needs to be run at boot, or to determine which adaptor is enabled? The script is only read at or after the boot, and then it's too late to make decisions. Sounds like a catch-22 to me.
--- Quote ---I boot up and always have the best connection available with the minimum of effort.
--- End quote ---
The best of all worlds. But how does the boot process know which adaptor and connection you want at the time?
--- Quote ---I'd add the bootcode blacklist=ath5k to disable your onboard PCI WiFi device's driver
--- End quote ---
Is there an "unblacklist" command to re-enable the onboard device's driver when I want to use that device? If I'm switching between adaptors, why make either one the default with a boot code?
--- Quote ---then install only these two extensions
wifi.tcz (plus deps obviously) and
firmware.tcz
--- End quote ---
They are in the CorePlus-5.1 optional/ folder and also in onboot.lst.
--- Quote ---should be all you require, then simply run wifi to connect
--- End quote ---
So all I'm missing is blacklist=ath5k? If that were the case, why isn't the external device already getting enabled, since the software for it is installed at the boot?
--- Quote ---remove all unnecessary firmware extensions that you might have and you should be good to go
--- End quote ---
I'm not happy about removing firmware extensions willy-nilly, from either the optional/ folder or onboot.lst. What about firmware-atheros.tcz or firmware-zd12ll.tcz? If these are no longer necessary, or are contained in firmware.tcz or wireless-3.8.13-tinycore.tcz, why are they installed separately in CorePlus's optional/ folder?
--- Quote --- believe you'll find that ath9k_htc (kernel mode driver supporting 0cf3:1006) is provided in wireless-3.8.13-tinycore.tcz (which is a dep of wifi.tcz extension) htc_9271.fw (firmware supporting 0cf3:1006) is provided in firmware.tcz extension)
--- End quote ---
Cool.
M.
Rich:
Hi Mike7
--- Quote ---Sorry, but why "unblock 3" if the 0cf3:1006 is phy2? I'm afraid I don't understand what's happening here.
--- End quote ---
I got 3 from this:
--- Code: ---tc@box:~$ sudo rfkill list all
0: eeepc-wlan: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no
3: phy2: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no
--- End code ---
The number on the left is the index number of the device. That is what you pass to rfkill.
Don't be afraid to take advice from coreplayer2. He has far more experience with wireless than I do.
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