Netgear N150 Wireless USB Adapter - How?!?!?

[Lotica]

I just got a Netgear N150 Wireless USB Adapter (Netgear WNA1100) for my little Linux machine, and I want to use a form of Puppy Linux on the machine, but I can't use the adapter and get on the internet on the machine, unless I use a CAT5 wired connection, but that gets in the way in the house and I could possibly damage the wire, which would waste me some money.

This kind of question has probably been answered before, but I don't know if they've been answered for this adapter. I would put Ubuntu or Xubuntu on the machine, which automatically recognizes the adapter, but they seem to run slower and I want to put Puppy Linux on it, but can't for this problem. I do have the CD since I just bought the thing, so if that is required in any way, please let me know.

Thank you.

[tempestuous]

The WNA1100 contains a very new chipset, the Atheros AR9271, and the only way to support this chipset under Linux is with a more recent kernel than Puppy 5.2.x currently has.
But you can use a Puppy derivative; "Fluppy013" from here -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=56156
and then you must install the ath9k_htc driver for Fluppy, which I provided here -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=66857

UPDATE:
The ath9k_htc wifi driver is tested and known to work in several other recent Puppy versions:
Lucid-5.29 beta - "Three-Headed Dog"
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=70736

Slacko
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=72361

Dpup Exprimo 5.X.8
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=70399

[Lotica]

Okay, so I installed Fluppy and downloaded the ath9k_htc driver, now what do I do?

[tempestuous]

I packaged the ath9k_htc driver, like most driver packages available on this forum, as a dotpet. Obviously, you must install this.

First, it's best to not have your wifi device plugged in.
Now use the ROX file browser to locate the dotpet (wherever you downloaded it) then click it, once. You will see a message confirming installation.

Now plug in the USB device, then run the Network Wizard. You should see that Fluppy has automatically loaded the ath9k_htc driver, so all you need to do is configure the wifi connection.

[aarf]

talking about wireless N you may recall i purchased a dlink140 wireless N to enhance my eeepc wifi reception. now after testing in multiple location i can report that it is bunk'um. my inbuilt wifi g and my dlink N have identical range and as far as i can tell speed. there has been one occasion where i got 600K/b sec on my G, i have never matched anywhere near that on my N. may be a driver issue. have only used what it auto configures in lupu for the N. may also be a fake/copy dlink140.but it was purchased from a multi-store respected chain.

[Lotica]

I packaged the ath9k_htc driver, like most driver packages available on this forum, as a dotpet. Obviously, you must install this.

First, it's best to not have your wifi device plugged in.
Now use the ROX file browser to locate the dotpet (wherever you downloaded it) then click it, once. You will see a message confirming installation.

Now plug in the USB device, then run the Network Wizard. You should see that Fluppy has automatically loaded the ath9k_htc driver, so all you need to do is configure the wifi connection.

I did all that, and still it doesn't work. Do I need to use the CD by any chance?

[tempestuous]

OK, we need to positively identify your USB device. Plug it in, wait a few seconds, then run this command -

Code: Select all

cat /proc/bus/usb/devices

and tell us the "Vendor" and "ProdID" values for your wifi device.

[Lotica]

Vender is 0846 and the ProdID is 9030.

[tempestuous]

Well your USB device ID is definitely supported by the ath9k_htc driver, but I now see that Fluppy013 has a very early version of this driver (due to its 2.6.35 kernel) which supports only a limited range of devices.

So I just tried to hack the existing driver to support the full range of device ID's, using the latest source code from here -
http://cateee.net/lkddb/web-lkddb/ATH9K_HTC.html
but I see that the whole structure of the relevant source file (hif_usb.c) has changed significantly, and the hack would be sure to fail.

A more thorough fix would be to backport the whole driver from updated source, rather than hack individual files. I will look at it later today.

[Lotica]

Well that's just lovely.

Alright, try to do whatever you can.

[tempestuous]

Lotica, upgraded ath9k_htc wifi driver now available for Fluppy 013 -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 411#513411

As before, plug in your USB wifi device after installing the upgraded driver dotpet.

Let us know if it works.

[Lotica]

It works! It works! Finally! Thank you so much for the help man!

[Lotica]

I thought I almost had another problem coming up, but I simply just restarted the machine and the wireless connections came up just fine. Thanks again!

[aarf]

this looks like a good place to step in and enquire, now that Lotica has the answer from tempestuous.
<in the process of buiding this post wiill add more info later and attempts with the other drivers mentioned below>
this is my output from the cat command above.

Code: Select all

 T:  Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=01 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=00(>ifc ) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=07d1 ProdID=3c0a Rev= 1.01
S:  Manufacturer=Ralink
S:  Product=11n Adapter
S:  SerialNumber=1.0
C:* #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=80 MxPwr=450mA
I:* If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 5 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=ff Prot=ff Driver=rt2870
E:  Ad=81(I) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=01(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=02(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=03(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms
E:  Ad=04(O) Atr=02(Bulk) MxPS= 512 Ivl=0ms

attached are images from the connect process. is there anything that would explain why my D-Link DWA 140 wireless N is not enhancng my distance and speed compared to my internal wireless G? distance and more connectable wifi signals is the main thing i am looking for.
speed seems to be limited elsewhere.. is it really wireless N and not a fake? i use mainly open wifi so WPA is ot a concern at present.

and from http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 574#529574

Yes, the Ralink wifi drivers have a "quirk" in that they report their driver name as "usb". If you run the "lsmod" command you should see that the actual driver in use will be either rt2800usb or rt2870sta. In fact, these two drivers will both try to claim the wifi device, so you could experiment to see if one works better than the other by going to -
Menu > System > BootManager configure bootup > Give preference to one module over another:

And there's even a third driver you can use is these two fail - the proprietary rt3572sta/rt3370sta drivers from
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 085#481085
Exactly which one depends on your USB device ID.

Code: Select all

#lsmod 
 <snip>
usbcore                91279  9 rt2870sta,rt2800usb,rt2x00usb,uvcvideo,usbhid,usb_storage,uhci_hcd,ehci_hcd

[Lotica]

Now what variants of Linux has a more recent kernel than Puppy 5.2.x? I do like Fluppy here, but I just want to see which Linux kernels are supported by the chipset.

Btw, to ensure that the driver works, I am actually posting this message on the Linux machine.

[tempestuous]

Now what variants of Linux has a more recent kernel than Puppy 5.2.x?

You need a minimum kernel version of 2.6.36, and there are very few Puppy derivatives which meet this requirement.
You should probably browse the "Puppy Derivatives" section of the forum. There are two I know of -

Puppy Lupen
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=67910

Midnight Sun Pup 003
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=69353

Whether these derivatives were actually compiled with the ath9k_htc driver (and the necessary firmware) is another question.

[tempestuous]

is there anything that would explain why my D-Link DWA 140 wireless N is not enhancing my distance and speed compared to my internal wireless G?

Several possible reasons, but first we need to fix your basic setup -

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#lsmod
usbcore                91279  9 rt2870sta,rt2800usb,...

That's bad - it looks like both the rt2870sta module and rt2800usb module are loaded at the same time. These two drivers will compete for your device, and although I can't definitely say what the result of this will be, it's not good, and should be fixed.
I think we have discussed this before, but what you should do is go to
Menu > System > BootManager configure bootup > Give preference to one module over another:
and add this line -

Code: Select all

rt2800usb:rt2870sta

then reboot.
If the line is there already, it probably means that Puppy's modules-preference udev configuration is failing, and you should report this to Barry (and rerwin) on the Developer Blog.
In the meantime, you can probably just blacklist it -
Menu > System > BootManager configure bootup > Click here to 'blacklist' a module:

Once you have a situation where the rt2800usb module is not loaded, we can move on to the question of N-mode.
I preface my comments by saying that I have only tested wifi drivers in Linux, myself, in B-mode and G-mode. But I have read that N-mode wifi routers fall back to G-mode whenever a G-mode client tries to connect. In such cases, all N-mode clients are forced to communicate at the slower G-mode speed.
Is it feasible that you have some other wifi client in your house that is G-mode ... like a wireless music or TV streaming renderer, for example?

Also, the default mode setting of Ralink N-mode wifi adapters is a/b/g/n-mixed (I will tell you how to change this later).
So it's feasible (??) that your wifi router may be mistaking your Ralink wifi device as being a G-mode client, and then dropping back to G-mode to accommodate what it thinks is correct.

So suggestion 1)
Get into your wifi router's configuration settings (you usually need a wired ethernet connection to do this) and see if you can fix the wifi mode to N-only.

Suggestion 2)
Set your (rt2870sta) Ralink wifi driver into N-mode-only. Here's how to do it - open /lib/firmware/RT2870STA.dat in Geany, and find the line "WirelessMode=.." You will see that the default value is "5" which represents a/b/g/n-mixed. Change this value to "6" which represents N-only, save, then reboot.

[aarf]

thanks for the clarification tempestous
seems i had a basic misunderstanding of what my N would achieve.
i was under the false impression i would receive G transmissions that were in N range or improve the distance of G signals. but i now understand, hopefully correctly, that if the wifi signal is being sent only as G, my N receiver is not going to be of any additional help in connecting to the G signal? mostly i dont know where the wifi signals i connect to are coming from or they are in house at the endless array of cheap hotels i inhabit. so in all likely hood they are not N signal.

anyhow following the instruction for future eventualities.

luci268.
the code line wasn't there so added new line
rt2800usb:rt2870sta
rebooted and no change, same lsmod as before,
BK needs to betold will do.
so blacklisted rt2800usb
and then lsmod gives
usbcore 91279 7 uvcvideo,rt2870sta,usbhid,usb_storage,uhci_hcd,ehci_hcd

Simple Network Setup then told me (attached) didnt retry.
Network Wizard connected.
is there any way to tell if the signal is N and not G without setting the "Ralink wifi driver into N-mode-only"? perhaps network wizard can be modified to do that.
will the network scans show both G and N at the same time?
ok did the N modification =6 to the file and rebooted. all original previous networks showed in the network scan and i connected. whether it is N is still to be determined.
havent got any fragile networks to test better connection at present only have good signal strength signals..
edit BK advise at BK blog.
edit reerwin PMed

[tempestuous]

i now understand, hopefully correctly, that if the wifi signal is being sent only as G, my N receiver is not going to be of any additional help in connecting to the G signal?

Correct. N-mode communication is only possible between router and client when both are in N-mode. And as I understand it, a router cannot operate simultaneously in N-mode and G-mode, so if a G-mode client connects, the whole connection falls back to G-mode.

is there any way to tell if the signal is N and not G without setting the "Ralink wifi driver into N-mode-only"?

Probably, but I don't actually know. I suspect that once your wifi device has connected to an Access Point, you could probably run one of the wifi utilities to determine the mode. I suspect this command might do it -

Code: Select all

iwlist wlan0 rate

... or it might be iwconfig, iwpriv, or iw.
Unfortunately the developer of Puppy's Network Wizard is no longer active on the forum, so it's difficult to add new features.

But jemimah is still actively developing her "frisbee" network manager, so you may be able to attract her attention on the Fluppy 013 thread -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=56156

[aarf]

preliminary investigation show that the N modifications above have worked and am now able to use faster wifi N.

Code: Select all

sh-4.1# iwlist wlan0 rate
wlan0     unknown bit-rate information.
          Current Bit Rate=18 Mb/s

sh-4.1#  iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan0     Ralink STA  ESSID:"Grotty HOTEL"  Nickname:"RT2870STA"
          Mode:Managed  Frequency=2.412 GHz  Access Point: 00:67:0E:42:90:5E   
          Bit Rate=24 Mb/s   
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Link Quality=80/100  Signal level:-81 dBm  Noise level:-91 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

sh-4.1# iw
sh: iw: command not found
sh-4.1# iwpriv
lo        no private ioctls.

wlan0     no private ioctls.

sh-4.1# 

* names and numbers have been changed to protect the innocent.

the same Grotty Hotel signal in puppee without wifi N usb dongle connected, gave a different output after wlan0 which identied it as wifi b/g. and speed was 11 Mb/sec.
later am going to go 150 meters away and see if i can still connect.