[SOLVED] Is Ethernet card required as well as a Wifi card

porphyry5 · 10-13-2011, 02:41 PM

I have a new computer which has no Ethernet card. Would this be why the system does not recognize my wifi card? The wifi card is good, it works instantly with my windows machine

smallpond · 10-13-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porphyry5

I have a new computer which has no Ethernet card. Would this be why the system does not recognize my wifi card? The wifi card is good, it works instantly with my windows machine

Nope, you don't need to have ethernet. Your wifi card might not have a linux driver. What is the mfg and model?

porphyry5 · 10-13-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallpond

Nope, you don't need to have ethernet. Your wifi card might not have a linux driver. What is the mfg and model?

A usb wifi card, TP-LINK model TL-WN722N, on slackware 13.1. According to http://linux-wless.passys.nl/query_p...ndname=TP-Link this card is fully supported in the linux kernel.

wicd-client reports No Networks Available. /etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf is there but has no content. ~/.wicd contains WHEREAREMYFILES? I assume this card would automount like my other usb devices.

Code:

$ mount
/dev/root on / type ext4 (rw,relatime,barrier=1,data=ordered)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
$

TobiSGD · 10-13-2011, 03:24 PM

Wifi cards will not mount into your filesystem (why should they, they are not storage devices). Please post the output of lspci

porphyry5 · 10-13-2011, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

Wifi cards will not mount into your filesystem (why should they, they are not storage devices). Please post the output of lspci

Here it is, and no mention of TP-LINK.

Code:

root@a:~# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express DRAM Controller (rev 10)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31 Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 10)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR (ICH7 Family) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR/GH (ICH7 Family) SATA IDE Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 01)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 03)
root@a:~#

TobiSGD · 10-13-2011, 03:56 PM

Sorry, my fault, if it is an USB device the correct command is lsusb
By the way, the last device in that list is an Ethernet device, so I wonder that you have no port for it.

smallpond · 10-13-2011, 04:06 PM

Also please post the output of: ifconfig -a

porphyry5 · 10-13-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

Sorry, my fault, if it is an USB device the correct command is lsusb
By the way, the last device in that list is an Ethernet device, so I wonder that you have no port for it.

I didn't even know that this machine had an ethernet device, it wasn't listed as one of its features. Here is the output of lsusb. The only one I don't recognize that is not a hub is that for Atheros Communications.

Code:

root@a:~# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0bc2:2300 Seagate RSS LLC
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 012: ID 1a40:0101 TERMINUS TECHNOLOGY INC. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 001 Device 013: ID 0781:5530 SanDisk Corp.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 04b3:301a IBM Corp.
Bus 002 Device 006: ID 04b3:301b IBM Corp. SK-8815 Keyboard
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 005: ID 0458:003a KYE Systems Corp. (Mouse Systems) NetScroll+ Mini Traveler
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallpond

Also please post the output of: ifconfig -a

Code:

root@a:~# ifconfig -a
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr d0:27:88:63:3c:52
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:26 Base address:0x2000

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

root@a:~#

smallpond · 10-13-2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porphyry5

root@a:~# ifconfig -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr d0:27:88:63:3c:52

hmm - that sheds more heat than light. Realtek and TP-Link each have their own MAC assignments. Your ethernet port was manufactured by:

Code:

D0-27-88   (hex)		Hon Hai Precision Ind.Co.Ltd
D02788     (base 16)		Hon Hai Precision Ind.Co.Ltd
				66,Chung Shan Rd.Tu-Cheng
				Taipei Hsien  236
				TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA

It was found but is not configured.

smallpond · 10-14-2011, 07:33 AM

Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc.

I think this is the wi-fi device. Atheros makes chips for other vendors.

jschiwal · 10-14-2011, 10:00 AM

Your wireless device uses the ath9k kernel driver. What is the version of your kernel?
run "uname -r"

Do you have the ath9k kernel loaded?
lsmod | grep ath9k

porphyry5 · 10-14-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallpond

Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc.

I think this is the wi-fi device. Atheros makes chips for other vendors.

Yes, I think you're right, its the only entry I don't recognize.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jschiwal

Your wireless device uses the ath9k kernel driver. What is the version of your kernel?
run "uname -r"

Do you have the ath9k kernel loaded?
lsmod | grep ath9k

That seems to be it, I need to update my OS, and I thank you very much for the intro to these commands.

Code:

06:18:23 $ uname -r
2.6.33.4-smp
09:25:15 $ lsmod|grep ath9k
09:25:49 $

porphyry5 · 10-14-2011, 04:41 PM

Updated to slackware 13.37, which has the ath9k module, but no progress has been made, Wicd Network Manager still reports No Wireless Networks Found, and /etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf is still empty.

Code:

05:02:54 $ uname -r
2.6.37.6-smp
05:03:38 $ lsmod | grep ath9k
ath9k_htc              38370  0 
mac80211              181473  1 ath9k_htc
ath9k_common            1497  1 ath9k_htc
ath9k_hw              251635  2 ath9k_htc,ath9k_common
ath                    11089  2 ath9k_htc,ath9k_hw
cfg80211              122542  3 ath9k_htc,mac80211,ath
05:12:21 $ su -lm
Password: 
root@a:/home/g# umount /media/4GB
root@a:/home/g# cd /etc/wicd
root@a:/etc/wicd# cat wireless-settings.conf 
root@a:/etc/wicd#

porphyry5 · 10-15-2011, 10:48 AM

In /var/log/syslog I found

Code:

Oct 15 19:51:37 a kernel: [    8.531564] usb 1-6: ath9k_htc: Firmware - ar9271.fw not found
Oct 15 19:51:37 a kernel: [    8.531650] ath9k_hif_usb: probe of 1-6:1.0 failed with error -22

googling "ar9271.fw download" led me to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k_htc
which told me ar9271.fw had been replaced by htc_9271.fw. As ar9271.fw was no longer available I got the update and moved it to /lib/firmware. But when I rebooted I got

Code:

Oct 15 21:47:47 a kernel: [    9.172691] usb 1-6: ath9k_htc: Firmware - ar9271.fw not found   
Oct 15 21:47:47 a kernel: [    9.172767] ath9k_hif_usb: probe of 1-6:1.0 failed with error -22

again, so I figured it had to have ar9271.fw. I found a site still offering it for download at http://www.2shared.com/file/D3dVFI9N/ar9271.html
and put it in /lib/firmware, and rebooted, only to see

Code:

Oct 15 22:42:26 a kernel: [   10.276031] usb 1-6: ath9k_htc: Target is unresponsive
Oct 15 22:42:26 a kernel: [   10.276096] Failed to initialize the device
Oct 15 22:42:26 a kernel: [   10.277313] ath9k_hif_usb: probe of 1-6:1.0 failed with error -22

That is, the card only responds to htc_9271.fw, but linux 2.6.37.6-smp only recognizes ar9271.fw

smallpond · 10-15-2011, 03:24 PM

There is a Debian package "firmware-atheros" here:
http://packages.debian.org/search?ke...rmware-atheros

The package contains the file ar9271.fw.