Re: big problem with TP-LINK WiFi card
Bernard, 10.03.2012:
> Camaleón wrote:
> >On Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:08:31 +0100, Bernard wrote:
> >
> >>Bernard wrote:
> >>>Hi to Everyone,
> >>>
> >>>On the Desktop of my association, there was no wireless card. So, I
> >>>purchased one that is said to be Debian compatible. It is a PCI card
> >>>TP-LINK
> >>>TL-WN751ND
> >>>
> >>>It is supposedly based on an Atheros chipset AR 9227
> >>>
> >>>I plugged it inside the Central Unit on a PCI slot, and then booted the
> >>>Debian Squeeze system.
> >
> >(...)
> >
> >>P.S. : I carried new tests. As said above, now that my WiFi is
> >>configured, every attempt to boot, leads to "freezing" of the system in
> >>the middle of gnome start... EXCEPT IF I shutdown my DSL/WiFi box ! As
> >>long as no connexion is possible, the system starts all right ; I can
> >>see the other WiFi available in the area (I don't have the
> >>passwords...). This being said, if I reboot my WiFi connexion on the DSL
> >>modem, then, as said before, connexion does happen all right, it seems
> >>fully operational, but only for about 45 to 60 seconds, system freezing
> >>happens next. My TL-WN751ND card is supposed to work with Debian kernel
> >>module ath9k, which is supposed to be loaded with the wireless-tools
> >>package, which is alreeady installed.
> >
> >There are many issues reported for system freezes regarding that
> >kernel module (ath9k), there is even a documented bug at the
> >Linuxwireless site:
> >
> >http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ath9k/bugs#Hangs_with_PCI_devices_and_SMP_systems
> >
> >And even on Debian BTS:
> >
> >http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=611946
> >
> >I would try with an updated kernel.
> >
> >Greetings,
> >
> Thanks for this information. I might end up updating the kernel, but
> at this stage I am still trying to understand what happens and if
> there is another way to go around. I also have an ASUS laptop on
> which I installed Debian Squeeze on a dual boot together with MSWIN
> XP. This laptop allows a wireless connexion, even though nothing was
> installed other than what already existed on "MSWIN-XP". Wireless
> connexions are fully operational, even though they are often active
> for hours. I searched about the chipset used. It appeared to be the
> same as on the Desktop !
>
> lspci on the laptop (the one that works fine) says :
>
> Atheros Communications Inc. AR928X Wireless Network Adapter
> (PCI-express rev 01
>
> (while on the Desktop where no wireless connexion can operate for
> any longer than one or two minutes without system freeze, this is a
> AR9287 Wireless Network Adapter, TP-LINK TL-WN751ND)
>
> As stated, both machines are on Squeeze. On the laptop where
> everything works fine, kernel is 2.6.32-5-686 (Debian 2.6.32.30),
> while it is Debian 2.6.32-41 on the problematic Desktop.
>
> I carried a few more tests on the problematic Desktop. I tested
> 'Wicd' instead of 'NetworkManager'. Even though I had uninstalled
> (#apt-get remove --purge) the old Wicd package and re-installed a
> new one , it did reckognise my WiFi, but I couldn't get any
> connexion: the password did not seem to be accepted ; it said "wrong
> password". True enough, this is a "pasphrase", not a key, that was
> required, and I had nothing else than a WPA-PSK key, the very same
> one that was being reckognized by NM. I tested several times to no
> avail.
>
> I am willing to test 'ifup', but I don't know what I should write in
> my /etc/network/interfaces file. I carried a few tests, to no avail.
>
> I also tested another chip that I have purchased in the same time.
> It is a "mini-PCI" wireless card (TP-LINK model TL-WN861N). I had to
> purchase a special "mini-pci to pci adaptator" in order to be able
> to insert it in a PCI slot in said Desktop. This one is not being
> reckognized "out of the box" as the TL-WN751ND was. You must install
> 'firmware-atheros' before it gets acknowledged. This one is
> supposedly driven by AR922X wireless-network-adapter. But I got
> nowhere with this. #iwconfig said that it was on wlan1, but I could
> never even see any wireless network with it. I also tested it on
> MSWIN, where it seemed reckognized all write after proper
> installation with appropriate drivers... but in the end I never got
> any connexion ; it seems to be that my DSL box wifi signal was too
> weak for this chipset... The other chipset, the one that connects OK
> to Debian for a short time before system freeze, works perfectly
> under MSWIN.
Did you hook up any antenna cable to the mini-pci card? The mini-pci
wireless card in my laptop has two antennas running from the base
up along the side and top borders of the monitor (within the case).
That may be the reason for your card not seeing any signal. (My
laptop's from 2004, though, so maybe some newer cards don't need them
anymore.)
> So, I wonder why an atheros wifi card works so well on a laptop with
> Squeeze, and another very closely related Atheros chipset refuses to
> work on another machine on Squeeze.
>
> If I were to upgrade kernels, which kernel would you recommend ?
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