Orinoco Classic Gold Wifi in Puppy 2.13

[AndrewD]

Hi all,

I know this is basic stuff but I can't find the forum entry that matches my problem. All help appreciated.

Setup: Packard Bell EasyNote+, 160Mb RAM, 6GiB HD, Orinoco Classic Gold 802.11b PC Card, Puppy Linux 2.13 Frugal install.

PC Card details: P/N 026258/A, also identified as Agere Systems PC24E-11-FC/R

I specifically bought the card on eBay because it seemed to have a great reputation with Linux, and being a basic model with only 802.11b ought to have solid support. I didn't think to check the specific part number, it's not listed on http://linux-wless.passys.nl/ but PC24-?-ET is listed and seems to have full support from the orinoco_cs driver.

My symptoms are that the card is recognised on boot, I get the message

Loading kernel modules...cardmgr[1676]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE adapter.

So far so good, but no driver modules are loaded, neither of the LEDs on the card come on. The Puppy Network Wizard auto probe fails, orinoco_cs also fails to load if called specifically.

Interestingly, Puppy booted from the CD (same version) seems to try to load orinoco_cs after cardmgr (frugal install doesn't try) but still fails. I wish I could send you the messages but I can't remember where they are logged. Same symptom from inside Network wizard on the CD boot.

Any ideas please?

Thanks, AndrewD

[AndrewD]

This is a weird one. All I have done overnight is boot Knoppix 5.0 to prove that another distro can bring up the adapter - which it did faultlessly.

I also have a standard hard disk Puppy install (still 2.13 from the same original CD) and when I booted that up the message was

Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[1503]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter

No further messages, but when I went to Network Wizard, orinoco_cs was already loaded, I just configured eth0 and everything works fine. The adapter has continued working across multiple boots.

Then, I tried the Puppy CD again, and that worked too! But I tried it again and it failed.

For the record, the CD message when it works is
Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[2662]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter

But during the CD boot I have also seen
Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[2664]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter
Followed by some fatal errors, cannot find orinoco_cs etc.

To date, I have not been able to get the frugal install to work at all - still the 1676 message from cardmgr. I would like to solve this as frugal is my preferred method of running Puppy.

[cygnus]

I have an old ThinkPad that's running Puppy and I'm having a similar problem with 2.13. I have 2.12 on it now (full HD install, but the live CD is the same) that recognizes the onboard wireless as orinoco_cs and loads the module properly. When I boot into 2.13, it fails loading the orinoco_cs module. When I go through the network wizard, it does the same thing. Something between 2.12 and 2.13 broke the orinoco_cs driver. I really want to upgrade to 2.13, but as of now I can't.

This should probably be posted in the Bugs forum, too.

[SirDuncan]

I had a similiar problem with the orinoco driver on a custom build of 2.13 running from CD with the user file on a flash drive. I tried running the CD without any saved sessions and found it still did not work. I assumed that I broke something when I made the custom pup since it works fine with my full HD install of regular 2.13 on this IBM T40 that I am posting with now. Given that you are having the problem with a base install, I guess it must not just be my custom pup. I have yet to have trouble with this card on a regular install and never had any type of trouble with 2.12 custom or regular. Just for reference, mine is a SMC EZ-Connect something or other. I can't look at it just this second because it is in my laptop.

The only thing I can think of (other than something being broken with 2.13) is that something we installed screwed up something else. The list of changes I mad with my custom pup is extensive, but the major programs added were VLC, Opera, GQview, SDL libraries, QT libraries, and I think that's about it. Let's see if there is anything that we all changed.

[tempestuous]

Here is the "enhanced" version of the orinoco driver, which adds monitor mode support and scanning support. It's from -
http://www.projectiwear.org/~plasmahh/orinoco.html
After installing this module, REBOOT. Because the old version might still be loaded in RAM.

EDIT: REGARDING WEP
The Orinoco chipset supports WEP encryption, but different devices were released with/without this feature, depending on their firmware.
Generally, the standard models do not support WEP, the "silver" models support 64bit WEP, and the "gold" models support 64bit/128bit WEP.

But the only difference is the firmware. If you are brave enought (!) to flash your firmware, it's possible to upgrade any Orinoco model with the latest WEP-compatible firmware. Instructions and firmware are here -
http://airsnort.shmoo.com/orinocoinfo.html
Apparently firmware version 7.52 is considered the most stable and useable.
But if you want to try the very latest version 8.72, it's available as a Windows installer here -
http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/2 ... 0_v872.zip

A similar situation applies with the Prism2x chipsets. Upgraded Prism2 firmware is here -
http://linux.junsun.net/intersil-prism/
... but you should not use the orinoco driver with Prism2 devices. The hostap driver will work better with these devices.

[tempestuous]

And here is the latest enhanced Orinoco driver package, compatible with Puppy 2.17 ONLY.

[SirDuncan]

It seems you're always looking out for me, Tempestuous. It's always good to have the latest drivers.

I should note, for those just coming to this thread, that by 2.17 the problem we were having above appears to be remedied.

[vito]

Dear All:

tried the newly posted driver "orinoco", and it appears to be a step in the right direction. The puppy 217 wifi setup now is able to see the access point wep encrypted network , whereas before with the older module orinoco_cs, it did not.

However, Even the new driver orinoco13 still cannot connect with the access point router server.

I am thinking of getting an airplus of d-link wifi card as a replacement to my orinoco.

Thx All ,
Vito

[tempestuous]

Update September 4 2007
WEP encryption commonly fails with orinoco-based wifi devices. This is almost certainly due to firmware, as now explained in earlier post -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 2709#92709

[jonyo]

So far so good, but no driver modules are loaded, neither of the LEDs on the card come on. The Puppy Network Wizard auto probe fails, orinoco_cs also fails to load if called specifically.

Interestingly, Puppy booted from the CD (same version) seems to try to load orinoco_cs after cardmgr (frugal install doesn't try) but still fails. I wish I could send you the messages but I can't remember where they are logged. Same symptom from inside Network wizard on the CD boot.

Just sorted out a wifi (loong story..link below) connection (netgear ma401ra though..) using the orinoco_cs driver in 2.17 live cd (& pup98) & was having similar probs, with the driver auto loading sometimes on boot, other times not at all even manually. Tried a few variants all in ram running live cd & suspected that was causing a prob.

At any rate, from a prior search, someone said what worked to sort it out was popping the pcmcia card in after booting up (not sure what type install..i'd hafta check) so tried it out & at least in 2.17 live cd save file to HD, orinoco_cs auto loads that way & got it working, but not with wep. Bottom line also was having wep 64 on was causing all sorta probs..Soon as I turned it off BOOM..wifi good to go.

loong.. http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 359#137359

[jonyo]

Very strange..sometimes loads, sometimes doesn't..sometimes works..
Anyone know what's up?

Did it (or anyone get it to) work with (or did you try) wep ?

At any rate, wonder why it works a-1 on one boot & then craps out the next boot..

This is a weird one. All I have done overnight is boot Knoppix 5.0 to prove that another distro can bring up the adapter - which it did faultlessly.

I also have a standard hard disk Puppy install (still 2.13 from the same original CD) and when I booted that up the message was

Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[1503]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter

No further messages, but when I went to Network Wizard, orinoco_cs was already loaded, I just configured eth0 and everything works fine. The adapter has continued working across multiple boots.

Then, I tried the Puppy CD again, and that worked too! But I tried it again and it failed.

For the record, the CD message when it works is
Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[2662]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter

But during the CD boot I have also seen
Loading Kernel modules....cardmgr[2664]: socket1: Lucent Technologies WaveLAN/IEEE Adapter
Followed by some fatal errors, cannot find orinoco_cs etc.

To date, I have not been able to get the frugal install to work at all - still the 1676 message from cardmgr. I would like to solve this as frugal is my preferred method of running Puppy.

[jonyo]

Might try a few other vers of pup & prob may go away.

Interestingly, Puppy booted from the CD (same version) seems to try to load orinoco_cs after cardmgr (frugal install doesn't try) but still fails. I wish I could send you the messages but I can't remember where they are logged. Same symptom from inside Network wizard on the CD boot.

Any ideas please?

Thanks, AndrewD