Issue with Atheros wireless on Acer Aspire One?

[svensko]

I seem to be having issues with my Atheros wireless on my Acer Aspire One...
I downloaded wireless 2.6.26 and wireless-tools and I cannot seem to connect to any wireless networks. I set sudo modprobe ath5k in my bootlocal.sh, iwconfig shows that the card is detected, however whenever i do sudo iwlist wlan0 scan, nothing comes up and when i do sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid <name> key <key>, iwconfig shows that the wlan0 is connected to the network but shows that the access point is "non-associated". I attempted to enable the DHCP client (which enabled wireless on my IBM X40 with the ipw2200 modules) however I still lack wireless after enablng the DHCP client on my acer aspire one. Any insight is appreciated.

[Onyarian]

I have the same interest with tc and Aspire One.
I notice with other OS (like Parted Magic) that the wireless light don't work, even with right connection. You have to prove to move the wireless button to see if there are changes in the connection. In tc I have similar problems like you.

[svensko]

I realize the light doesn't work since it doesn't work in Ubuntu either (unless you make some modifications to a file). The Ubuntu FAQ suggests ditching the ath5k driver for the ath_pci driver which is found in the mad-wifi package but that requires HAL as well. Does TCL have HAL?

Here is a link to the Ubuntu FAQ on wireless on the Acer Aspire One: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne

[roberts]

I am using ndiswrapper with eeePC 901A with great results.
Might want to try it.

[svensko]

I am using ndiswrapper with eeePC 901A with great results.
Might want to try it.

I was looking forward to your post! I remember you saying a few days ago that you got Atheros working on the eeePC so I knew you had some sort of solution. 

I will definitely try the ndiswrapper solution. Does this mean that the ath5K module was not working for your eeePC?

[roberts]

True. I have read/heard that you need to compile newer madwifi.
I haven't had time to look into that.
 
The ndiswrapper extension that I made will serve many more devices for now and works quite stable on my eee.

[svensko]

i installed ndiswrapper, downloaded the xp atheros driver, unzipped it, pointed ndiswrapper to it, added sudo modprobe ndiswrapper to my bootlocal.sh but iwconfig yields no wireless interface. Did I do something wrong?

[roberts]

When you used ndiswrapper -i /path/to/the/inffile.inf did you see hardware present message?
Do you have files in /etc/ndiswrapper/your_driver directory as a result of the above -i operation?

Please post your specific steps.

[Onyarian]

In my case the steps are:

load wireless.tczm
load wireless_tools.tcz
load ndiswrapper.tcem

sudo ndiswrapper -i /home/tc/atheros/net5211.inf
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
lsmod
(here I see ndiswrapper module is loaded)

iwconfig
(there is no wlan0)

ls /etc/ndiswrapper/net5211
168C:0012.5.conf
168C:0012:7005:144F.5.conf
168C:0013.5.conf
168C:0013:7057:144F.5.conf
168C:0013:7058:144F.5.conf
168C:0013:7064:144F.5.conf
168C:0013:7065:144F.5.conf
168C:0013:7084:144F.5.conf
168C:0013:7088:144F.5.conf
168C:001A.5.conf
168C:001A:7094:144F.5.conf
168C:001B.5.conf
168C:001B:7092:144F.5.conf
168C:001C.5.conf
168C:001C:7096:144F.5.conf
168C:001C:7106:144F.5.conf
ar5211.sys
net5211.inf

is there another step to do?

[roberts]

I don't have an Aspire One so you might have different results. You may need to find an alternate net5211.inf

I do have an eeePC 900A and the the Asus supplied Windows Atheros driver which works easily.

My /etc/ndiswrapper/net5211 contains 96 files created upon using ndiswrapper -i /home/tc/net5211.inf
I only have two driver files net5211.inf and ar5211.sys in my home/tc directory. Also, I had to use the full path to the net5211.inf in the ndiswrapper command and the ar5211.sys must be in the same directory.

HTH

[svensko]

After messing with several different *.inf files and having only one that would recognize the card(but not connect to any network), I gave up and tried the madwifi route. I remember installing drivers on ubuntu when I first got the laptop so I thought I'd try that. After compiling everything, I finally have wireless!!! 

Directions:

Code: [Select]

wget http://snapshots.madwifi-project.org/madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-current.tar.gz
install compiletc.tce and linux-headers-2.6.26.tce
tar -xzf madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6-current.tar.gz
cd madwifi-hal-0.10.5.6*/
make
sudo make install
modprobe ath_pci
Hope this helps any fellow Acer Aspire One owners. 

[Onyarian]

Thank you svensko,

Now I am writing this post in my AAO with wireless connection

Only I have to write "sudo" before "modprobe ath_pci" 

next:
load wireless.tczm
load wireless_tools.tcz
sudo ifconfig ath0 up
sudo iwconfig ath0 essid "your essid"


Another question is what to include in .filetool.lst to backup the modules and then next time don't have to compile another time.
I have added in .filetool.lst the directory "lib/modules/2.6.26-tinycore/net" but after reboot there are the files but don't work sudo modprobe ath_pci. Perhaps I must include other files?

[Jason W]

You probably just need to issue "sudo depmod -a" after booting to set up the modules for loading if they are simply backed up and not part of a .tcem or tczm extension.

[svensko]

I booted, compiled, then did sudo depmod -a ath_pci then sudo modprobe ath_pci, rebooted with backing up, and still no luck. 

[Onyarian]

Jason you are right 

this are the steps

in .filetool.lst -->   lib/modules/2.6.26-tinycore/net
in bootlocal.sh: -->  depmod -a
                        -->  modprobe ath_pci
in Control Panel -- Netcardconfig --  Interface --> ath0
                                                 -- Nameservers --> one or two IP's for resolv.conf
                                                 -- Save Configuration? --> yes
                                                 -- Aply and Exit

If you look now to bootlocal.sh you see in the last line:
/opt/ath0.sh &

Now after rebooting:
lsmod
and you see the loaded modules from ath

to finish:
sudo ifconfig ath0 up
sudo iwconfig ath0 essid "your essid"

and finally Minefield and surf the net

¡Great!