OK, here goes Linksys WMP11 snafu number THREE...

There was a v2.5 card (Prism chipset),
Then came a v2.7 card (Broadcom chipset),
and now, for your pleasure,

I have bought a v4 with an InProComm INP2120 chipset!

It would appear that Linksys is at it again!

I am assuming this has to go back to the store, but would
love any tips or hints that Linux support would be available.

This is a new one to me. What's the output of:

/sbin/lspci

Cheers,

Finegan

The listing for the Linksys WMP11 PCI is now out of date on linux-wlan.org. The most recent cards are not Broadcom. They are InProComm.

I'm beginning to think that Linux just doesn't DO Wi-Fi. Everything you can buy new has an unsupported chipset, since manufacturers change chipsets these days like most people change socks, AND they all think Linux is irrelevant. There is lots of support- for things that don't exist anymore!

The only thing I know for sure that will work is the Cisco 350/352. For over two hundred bucks a pop! vs. 40 to 70 bucks. Not too tasty. I'll run wire for THAT kind of money.

It has a lot to do with a bunch of Tiawanese manufacturers gutting into the wireless sector and either ignoring Linux driver requests or producing horrible drivers. It has diddly to do with kernel developers. You just can't write a driver without a specification... some guys did anyway, for the ACX100, which was a nightmare for them.

Regardless, more info helps... do you have the /sbin/lspci line for that card?

Also, Netgear. They haven't changed the chipset without changing the model name, so an MA401 is still a good old prism card.

Cheers,

Finegan

I agree with you, I realize the Tiawanese manufacturers are a problem.

In this case, I eyeballed the lspci -v output with the card installed, but
trust me, it didn't do much good.

I know there is now a Linksys WMP11 PCI v4 with an InProComm
INP2120 chip on it, because I removed the RF shield and took a peek.
I bought the things at Circuit City.

http://www.iapplianceweb.com/printab...G20030711S0029

I can't find it now, but there was a product announcment for the INP2120
that proudly proclaimed that Linux support was forthcoming!

The Netgear MA401 is a PCMCIA thingy. Not so good for an older
Pentium II desktop machine.

I wanted to ask this but forgot a bit earlier-

I can get a Belkin F5D7000 new locally. It IS listed at:

http://www.linux-wlan.org/docs/wlan_adapters.html

The box has a sticker on it- "version 1032". Is this going to have
a supported Broadcom chipset? Or is this a Taiwan non-starter?

It's perfectly OK with me if this "g" card only works in "b" mode.

The InProComm card looks like another non-starter... honsetly, I would drop a mail to the linux-wlan guys about it and maybe Jean Tournhilles as its not on his list yet either, they'll probably mail you with a pile of questions. I think I keep pretty on top of these things and I haven't heard of that chipset before, so it may be nice to be the guy that gets the word out. As for a card to replace it, check the linux-wlan.net list really... there are a bunch there that work on the Prism Duet chipset which seems to be the best linux 802.11g solution right now. Then there's the atheros chipset cards... they've also got a rather reliable driver that is a monster port of the FreeBSD driver. Honestly, yes, most 802.11b PCI solutions these days are Broadcom, so they won't work without either the ndiswrapper or the linuxant driver, both of which are messy solutions as they wrap for the windows driver. (You may want to try one or either on your InProComm card just to see if it'll work!)

Ironically I've never been a big fan of the www.linux-wlan.net drivers, but I have a ton of faith in their HCL, and the regularity of its updating (seems weekly), so yes, I wouldn't pick up a Broadcom if there were other choices... and that Belkin does indeed seem to be a Broadcom.

Cheers,

Finegan

After contacting Marc Boucher at Linuxant, he responded with an offer to get his
driver solution "driverloader" to work on this newer InProComm IPN2120 chipset
found in Linksys WMP11 version 4 Wireless-B PCI Adapters.
He did in fact produce for me a working solution. I am now connected using
his driver and am pleased to announce to the wider Linux community who
own the same card that they can now obtain working Linux drivers from
www.linuxant.com. Three cheers for Linuxant and Marc Boucher.
A very helpful gentleman. For folks with other cards and no working drivers,
I would suggest you appeal to him and see if he has time to work a solution
for you.
Now I can finally take up this wire draped across my floor!

I whent to the Linuxant website but couldn't find any
Linux drivers for the Linksys WMP11 V4.

billsp
very new to Linus, just loaded Fadora Core 4 tonight.