Re: 11. ath5k module vs. MadWifi

[Kevin Mifsud]

I have had no problems at all with ath5k on an AR5007EG card in an ACER Aspire 5100
laptop. I only use the same network with a 128bit WEP key and I don't use
NetworkManager.

Your system isn't trying to load both ath5k and ath_pci by any chance?


>  Message: 11
>  Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:41:04 -0400
>  From: Scott Robbins <scottro(a)nyc.rr.com&gt;
>  Subject: ath5k module vs. MadWifi 
>  To: fedora-test-list(a)redhat.com
>  Message-ID: <20081101034104.GA8554(a)mail.scottro.net&gt;
>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>  
>  I am wondering, for those who have an AR5007EG card, if
>  they are finding
>  that lately (perhaps 2 updates or so ago) that they are
>  better off
>  reverting to the MadWifi drivers.  
>  
>  My results are not consistent.  I imagine there are various
>  differences
>  in the chipsets that I'm missing, but with two Acer
>  laptops, one the
>  Aspire One, I get different results.  With the 4720z, the
>  latest kernels
>  and ath5k module works without any issues.  On the AA1, it
>  will
>  sometimes show nothing if doing iwlist scan, and other
>  times, though it
>  will show available networks, will not get a DHCP address,
>  nor work with
>  a statically assigned address.  I don't use
>  NetworkManager, I configure
>  it manually, so that shouldn't be a factor. 
>  
>  I note that the latest Ubuntu is disabling the ath5k module
>  by default,
>  saying, in their release notes, that it will conflict with
>  the MadWifi
>  driver--however, they seem a bit ambiguous as to which
>  works better.
>  (They say that with some of the chipsets, the MadWifi
>  won't work with
>  WPA, or maybe WPA2.)  In that case, one wonders why they
>  are disabling
>  the ath5k instead of encouraging people to use it--this is
>  why I felt it
>  was a bit ambiguous, they just suggest that if your MadWifi
>  driver isn't
>  working, install a backports modules with updated ath5k
>  drivers. 
>  
>  The 4720z is working well with the ath5k.  So this might be
>  some issue
>  with the AA1, however, I have a few installations on this
>  machine--those
>  that are using the MadWifi driver connect without issue,
>  while Rawhide
>  isn't. 
>  
>  So, I'm wondering what other people are experiencing. 
>  Is the ath5k
>  working for you?  
>  
>  Thanks for any input--please note that at present, this is
>  a fairly
>  trivial question as it's quite easy to blacklist and
>  put in the MadWifi
>  driver.  Then, I uninstall it and put back the ath5k with
>  each update.

11. ath5k module vs. MadWifi

[Scott Robbins]

On Sat, Nov 01, 2008 at 06:50:56AM -0700, Kevin Mifsud wrote:
>  I have had no problems at all with ath5k on an AR5007EG card in an
> ACER Aspire 5100 laptop. I only use the same network with a 128bit WEP key and I don't
> use NetworkManager.
>  
>  Your system isn't trying to load both ath5k and ath_pci by any chance?
>   
No, I always blacklist one or the other.  The issue only seems present
in Fedora and Mepis8.  Also, I repeat, it's really not consistent at
all.  

I've now had some trouble with the ath_pci MadWifi module too, I guess
it just took a little time. I'd be prone to blame the hardware, but it
works quite well with CentOS (using MadWifi) and Ubuntu (using ath5k).


I want to thank everyone for their input.  Judging from the responses
and now, from my own experience, I've come to the conclusion that
whatever the issue may be, it is probably not the ath5k module.


Everyone's input was very helpful, and again I thank you. 


-- 
Scott Robbins
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