Thread: [Ndiswrapper-general] Belkin F5D7010 w/ BCM4306 - any success?
Status: Beta
Brought to you by:
pgiri
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-16 17:55:03
|
Hi all, Some of you may recall that I reported that the Belkin cardbus rev 3 seems impossible to get to work. I'm aware that someone called "Beland" has reported that it has once worked on the wiki, but I've also seen a followup note from him that it fails on later kernels (2.6.9+). Alas I've been unable to get in contact with him. (I've also failed to locate exactly the driver he mentions, but I've tried 15+ others...) Has anyone else been successful with this card? I've noted others reporting that it didn't initially work, but no followups. Quick recap of my experience: * The card shows up nicely in lspci as: 0000:02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03) * Some drivers will not find it at all, but some (bcmwl5a variants mostly) get pretty far: It finds my access point, and if it make my ESSID visible it will be picked up - so the very low level stuff appears to work. However, DHCP will fail, and even if I manually setup IPaddress/routing etc it will not communicate correctly - I suspect it neither sends nor receives any data - if the LEDs in the card are to be trusted it may be that it THINKS that it sends data, but I see no indication that it receives any. Any suggestions would be appreciated - in fact, if you think the card is a long term dead end I'd appreciate a suggestion on some other "G" PCMCIA form factor card that works good under Linux. I'm pretty sure I can return the card as long as I get something else instead. It seems pretty close to working though... Thanks in advance / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |
From: James S. <Sha...@ea...> - 2005-08-16 19:35:00
|
> * The card shows up nicely in lspci as: > 0000:02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g > Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03) Mine's a linksys WMP54G card. And has mostly the same lspci listing. BCM4306. The bcmwl5 drivers work for it. In the earlier versions, you had to set the ESSID and key stuff before anything else for it to work. Might want to try that. In it's current state most everything seems to work, including WEP, except I haven't been able to change the channel on it outside of windows. Not that I've tried to in recent history. Also bear in mind you'll need IP and ROUTE stuffs setup to have a working network. DHCP handles most of that, but if you've got to set it up manually, you might find yourself playing iwconfig, ifconfig, and route roulette. You might want to try the pcmcia-cs.sf.net drivers instead of the kernel pcmcia stuffs. Just some thoughts. AFAIK, that chipset should work, however quirkaly. Out of curiousity, what's the lspci -n listing for 0000:02:00.0 ? - James |
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-16 19:51:36
|
Hi James, James Shatto wrote: >> * The card shows up nicely in lspci as: 0000:02:00.0 Network >> controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN >> Controller (rev 03) > > Mine's a linksys WMP54G card. And has mostly the same lspci listing. > BCM4306. The bcmwl5 drivers work for it. [....] Could you send me the driver (or a pointer to it) that works for you (offlist), please? > In the earlier versions, you had to set the ESSID and key stuff > before anything else for it to work. Might want to try that. Does that apply even when the ESSID has already been picked up correctly by the card? I think I've tried it with most of the drivers, but it could be worth experimenting with further. > Also bear in mind you'll need IP and ROUTE stuffs setup to have a > working network. DHCP handles most of that, but if you've got to set > it up manually, you might find yourself playing iwconfig, ifconfig, > and route roulette. I'm pretty confident in that area - I've got myself a little script that runs during resume to setup my internal wlan that way. It derives my settings depending on the MAC address of the AP I find - though naturally I do not run that on the Belkin card yet. My builtin card is also Broadcom and works perfectly with ndiswrapper and bcmwl5: 0000:00:0c.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4303 802.11b Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02) > You might want to try the pcmcia-cs.sf.net drivers instead of the > kernel pcmcia stuffs. I'm not so worried about the pcmcia level since other cards I have seem to work OK, but you might be right. > Out of curiousity, what's the lspci -n listing for 0000:02:00.0 ? # lspci -n -s 02:00.0 0000:02:00.0 Class 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) Thanks for your advice / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |
From: James S. <Sha...@ea...> - 2005-08-16 20:36:21
|
> >> * The card shows up nicely in lspci as: 0000:02:00.0 Network > >> controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN > >> Controller (rev 03) > > > > Mine's a linksys WMP54G card. And has mostly the same lspci listing. > > BCM4306. The bcmwl5 drivers work for it. [....] > > Could you send me the driver (or a pointer to it) that works for you > (offlist), please? > > # lspci -n -s 02:00.0 > 0000:02:00.0 Class 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?childpagename=US%2FLayout&packedargs=c%3DL_Download_C2%26cid%3D1115417109934%26sku%3D1115416826718&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper Looks like there's a recent upgrade I didn't acquire. Although the last upgrade didn't actually upgrade anything in the .inf or .sys files. Might need freedos.org and zip tools to extract it though. Otherwise, they appear to be downloadable here: http://www.linux-wireless.org/Wireless/Install-HOWTO/Drivers/LinkSys.WMP54G/ Oddly enough my lspci -n results for my wmp54gs card. # lspci -n -s 01:0a.0 0000:01:0a.0 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) I just use my cards in Ad-Hoc mode. Each card is configured manually. Connected to a linux router with like card. Up until recently all were on 2.4.x kernels. Only the router is still on 2.4 for now until I get another monitor on it to upgrade it. - James |
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-16 21:32:17
|
James Shatto wrote: >> Could you send me the driver (or a pointer to it) that works for >> you (offlist), please? >> >> # lspci -n -s 02:00.0 0000:02:00.0 Class 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) > > > http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?childpagename=US%2FLayout&packedargs=c%3DL_Download_C2%26cid%3D1115417109934%26sku%3D1115416826718&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper > > Looks like there's a recent upgrade I didn't acquire. Although the > last upgrade didn't actually upgrade anything in the .inf or .sys > files. Might need freedos.org and zip tools to extract it though. > Otherwise, they appear to be downloadable here: > > http://www.linux-wireless.org/Wireless/Install-HOWTO/Drivers/LinkSys.WMP54G/ I tried the latter one for now and this certainly gives a new effect: * The driver name is identical to my internal so I have to uninstall that one first and interestingly with this new driver *ONLY* the Belkin card is found by ndiswrapper - internal card is ignored (not a problem for now really). * Card lights up as it should, and my AP is found - including ESSID. However, proper communication does not take place even though I explicitly set ESSID using iwconfig first (this is basically what I've seen before). * When I try to ping a known IP (my GW) I get "Destination Host Unreachable" - BUT only for SOME seq numbers. Odd. iwconfig reports this (removed ESSID and AP): eth0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"XXXXXXXXXXXXXX" Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bit Rate:11 Mb/s Tx-Power:14 dBm RTS thr:2347 B Fragment thr:2346 B Encryption key:off Power Management:off Link Quality:100/100 Signal level:-30 dBm Noise level:-256 dBm Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0 Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:748 Missed beacon:0 ifconfig reports: eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:11:50:3A:FE:B7 inet addr:192.168.254.198 Bcast:192.168.254.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::211:50ff:fe3a:feb7/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:8 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:11 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:540 (540.0 b) TX bytes:630 (630.0 b) Memory:20800000-20801fff So basically this is what I've experienced earlier, but with a few interesting twists. The cards appears to work fine from Windows with various drivers, BTW. Any further ideas? Perhaps the exact driver you use? >> # lspci -n -s 02:00.0 > 0000:02:00.0 Class 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) > > Oddly enough my lspci -n results for my wmp54gs card. > # lspci -n -s 01:0a.0 > 0000:01:0a.0 0280: 14e4:4320 (rev 03) The slight layout discrepancy may be because I run gentoo. > I just use my cards in Ad-Hoc mode. Each card is configured > manually. Connected to a linux router with like card. Up until > recently all were on 2.4.x kernels. Only the router is still on 2.4 > for now until I get another monitor on it to upgrade it. Right, I'm on 2.6.11.5 and as you see above I run managed - my current AP is an old Apple Airport (first version) which I intend to replace with a matching Belkin in the future. The Airport has be quite happy about most cards I've tried in the past - only a somewhat odd 3com (I think) was strange in that it would hang the AP if I moved it away far enough for it to negotiate a lower speed. Best / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |
From: James S. <Sha...@ea...> - 2005-08-16 22:38:24
|
> * Card lights up as it should, and my AP is found - including ESSID. > However, proper communication does not take place even though I > explicitly set ESSID using iwconfig first (this is basically what I've > seen before). You might try adjusting your power attributes. # iwconfig wlan0 power all # iwconfig wlan0 txpower auto From my experience my card doesn't have all that great of a signal strength. To the point that if it drops below 34% windows forgets that it has said device. Which is why they're all on linux now. I put an old pizza box wrapped in tin foil (shinny side out) behind it and signal strenth went up to 54%. It's only traversing an 80' trailer, but there's several doors and bookcases blocking a direct path. HTH, - James |
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-16 23:22:27
|
James Shatto wrote: >> * Card lights up as it should, and my AP is found - including >> ESSID. However, proper communication does not take place even >> though I explicitly set ESSID using iwconfig first (this is >> basically what I've seen before). > > You might try adjusting your power attributes. > > # iwconfig wlan0 power all > # iwconfig wlan0 txpower auto Doesn't seems to make any difference at all. BTW, as I mentioned ping seems to only report failure on SOME packets and a summary like this: 18 packets transmitted, 0 received, +12 errors, 100% packet loss, time 17000ms ... indicates that 12 of the packets reported the "Destination Host Unreachable" while the other 6 just go lost in space some how. I also noticed that a while after I stopped ping (^C) I see some futher packet bursts on the activity led (seemingly similar to when the ping tries are going on) after a while. Possibly the lost ones? > From my experience my card doesn't have all that great of a signal > strength. To the point that if it drops below 34% windows forgets > that it has said device. Which is why they're all on linux now. I > put an old pizza box wrapped in tin foil (shinny side out) behind it > and signal strenth went up to 54%. It's only traversing an 80' > trailer, but there's several doors and bookcases blocking a direct > path. Certainly sounds iffy. However, in my case I'm sitting just ~1 meter from the AP so signal shouldn't be an issue. Still at a loss / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |
From: Dominique R. <do...@le...> - 2005-08-17 08:03:58
|
Le Wed, Aug 17, 2005 at 01:22:18AM +0200, Jonas Petersson [za...@xm...] a = =E9crit: > Doesn't seems to make any difference at all. BTW, as I mentioned ping > seems to only report failure on SOME packets and a summary like this: >=20 > 18 packets transmitted, 0 received, +12 errors, 100% packet loss, time > 17000ms >=20 > ... indicates that 12 of the packets reported the "Destination Host > Unreachable" while the other 6 just go lost in space some how. Could you copy/paste the exact messages of the complete ping command ? A dump made with tcpdump or tethereal of what goes on your wlan0 interface would be intersting, too. (to see ARPs and such) Dom |
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-17 08:11:56
|
Dominique Rousseau wrote: > Le Wed, Aug 17, 2005 at 01:22:18AM +0200, Jonas Petersson [za...@xm...] a écrit: >>Doesn't seems to make any difference at all. BTW, as I mentioned ping >>seems to only report failure on SOME packets and a summary like this: >> >>18 packets transmitted, 0 received, +12 errors, 100% packet loss, time >>17000ms >> >>... indicates that 12 of the packets reported the "Destination Host >>Unreachable" while the other 6 just go lost in space some how. > > > Could you copy/paste the exact messages of the complete ping command ? Here we go (had it in my history): # ping -n 192.168.254.253 PING 192.168.254.253 (192.168.254.253) 56(84) bytes of data. From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=3 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=4 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=6 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=7 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=8 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=10 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=11 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=12 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=14 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=15 Destination Host Unreachable From 192.168.254.198 icmp_seq=16 Destination Host Unreachable --- 192.168.254.253 ping statistics --- 18 packets transmitted, 0 received, +12 errors, 100% packet loss, time 17000ms , pipe 3 > A dump made with tcpdump or tethereal of what goes on your wlan0 > interface would be intersting, too. > (to see ARPs and such) The card is currently back with at the shop for a double check that it works correctly, but I'll hopefully have it back later today or tomorrow so that I can give you that. / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |
From: Jonas P. <za...@xm...> - 2005-08-31 18:58:22
|
Hi all, Jonas Petersson wrote: > [...] > The card is currently back with at the shop for a double check that it > works correctly, but I'll hopefully have it back later today or tomorrow > so that I can give you that. Well, it took some time, but it seems that the people who tried to sell that card to me were in fact unable to get it properly working with ANY available driver even under Windows, so they sent for a replacement (which took a while, and hence I've not responded earlier). However, the replacement card has not got the same chipset, instead it reports as "RaLink Ralink RT2500 802.11 Cardbus Reference Card (rev 01)" or in numeric "1814:0201". This card works just fine with the rt2500 driver from the original Belkin CD. So, the good news is: I have a working Belkin G-card running under ndiswrapper. The bad news is: I have no idea how to help anyone still stuck with the BCM4306 version of the "same" Belkin G-card, other than trying to swap it for a RaLink variation. As a hint: The bad one has a yellow stickers which the good one has light gray stickers, but they both labeled F5D7010. That coloring is also reflected on the box, so basically the motto appears to be "yellow sucks". Also, I've seen that there is now a native Linux drivers for the rt2500 chipset, so I may be able to stop using ndiswrapper (it is a bit of a last resort, but certainly a LOT better than no drivers at all). See: http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/ Best / Jonas -- Jonas Petersson | XMS Penvision | mailto:Jon...@xm... Box 3294, Västgötegatan 13, S-600 03 Norrköping | http://www.xms.se/ Tel: +46 11 400 13 00 | Dir: +46 11 400 13 05 | Fax: +46 11 10 30 50 |