# atheros wireless device



## baronobeefdip (Apr 21, 2011)

I have another box Dell XPS Studio 8100, It has an atheros chipset wlan adapter.
I have done the following

/etc/rc.conf

```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
```
/boot/loader.conf

```
if_ath_load="YES"
wlan_wep_load="YES"
wlan_ccmp_load="YES"
wlan_tkip_load="YES"
```
Then rebooted (I guess so far so good)
I issued the following commands

```
# ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev ath0
# ifconfig wlan0 up scan
```

After I run the scan, I'm left with a blinking block and nothing happens, Am I being impatient or does it take a little longer than a few seconds?


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## wblock@ (Apr 21, 2011)

For a generic kernel, the wlan_ modules are already loaded.  And please, stop using WEP.

It may help to see the output of ifconfig.  See this thread.

Some of the newer Atheros chipsets aren't fully supported.  If it's internal, show the output of
`% pciconf -lv | grep -B3 network`

If it's USB, show the output like in the other thread.


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## baronobeefdip (Apr 21, 2011)

Alright, I took all of the wlan modules out of the /boot/loader.conf file so i am left with just 
	
	



```
if_ath_load="YES"
```
 and I took out some things from the /etc/rc.conf to avoid contamination I removed the following but you tell me if it was necessary to keep it in there:

```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
```

When I ran *ifconfig* this is what came up:

```
fwe0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
	options=8<VLAN_MTU>
	ether a6:ba:db:e7:1b:92
	ch 1 dma -1
fwip0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
	lladdr a4.ba.db.80.0.e7.1b.92.a.2.ff.fe.0.0.0.0
ath0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 2290
	ether c4:17:fe:80:f4:53
	media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
	status: no carrier
bge0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
	options=c019b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,VLAN_HWTAGGING,VLAN_HWCSUM,TSO4,VLAN_HWTSO,LINKSTATE>
	ether a4:ba:db:e7:1b:92
	media: Ethernet autoselect (none)
	status: no carrier
lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 16384
	options=3<RXCSUM,TXCSUM>
	inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x5 
	inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128 
	inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000 
	nd6 options=3<PERFORMNUD,ACCEPT_RTADV>
```

In the *pciconf* command I came back with this:

```
ath0@pci0:4:0:0:	class=0x028000 card=0x0203168c chip=0x002a168c rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Atheros Communications Inc.'
    device     = 'Atheros AR5B91 Wireless Network Adapter (0001)'
    class      = network
```


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## wblock@ (Apr 21, 2011)

baronobeefdip said:
			
		

> and i took out some things from the etc/rc.conf to avoid contamination i removed the following but you tell me if it was necessary to keep it in there
> 
> ```
> wlans_ath0="wlan0"
> ```



Yes, you need that to create the wlan0 device.



> ```
> ath0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 2290
> ether c4:17:fe:80:f4:53
> media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
> ...



Looks okay at first glance.  Put back the code to create the wlan0 device and show the output from ath0 and wlan0.  Also look in /var/log/messages for errors.


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## baronobeefdip (Apr 21, 2011)

Alright so the 
	
	



```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
```
 is back in the configuration. All that's left is to issue these commands 
	
	



```
#ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev ath0
#ifconfig wlan0 up scan
```
But what do you mean check the output of ath0 and wlan0? Which commands were you talking about? And I don't think I will stop using wep. My entire AP runs on wep, but if changing it is a wise decision then so be it.


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## wblock@ (Apr 21, 2011)

baronobeefdip said:
			
		

> Alright so the
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No, that is what the 
	
	



```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
```
 does already.



> But what do you mean check the output of ath0 and wlan0, Which command were you talking about



Sorry, I skipped the word "ifconfig".


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## baronobeefdip (Apr 24, 2011)

Alright this is what I did so far.

My network information:
ssid - linksys
wep - d7b338d13d

/etc/rc.conf

```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="ssid linksys DHCP"
```

/boot/loader.conf

```
if_ath_load="YES"
```

I put this in the wpa_supplicant.conf file.

```
network={
	ssid="linksys"
	scan_ssid=1
	priority=5
	keymgmt=NONE
	wep_key0=d7b338d13d
	wep_tx_keyidx=0
}
```

I rebooted the system and issued this command to bring up the interface.

```
#/etc/rc.d/netif start
```
No errors so I thought everything went fine, So I ran this next command.


```
#wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
```
And I got this. 

```
# wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
Line 5: unknown network field 'keymgmt'.
Line 8: WPA-PSK accepted for key management, but no PSK configured.
Line 8: failed to parse network block.
Failed to read or parse configuration '/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf'.
```

What did I have to put in there? What did I do wrong? Am I even doing it right?


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## wblock@ (Apr 24, 2011)

The system already runs netif on startup.  Likewise with wpa_supplicant(8) if it's set in rc.conf:

```
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA SYNCDHCP"
```

If you insist on using WEP, you'll have to figure out what to put in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf.  But the above lines would be the same.


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## baronobeefdip (Apr 24, 2011)

I'm afraid not, I don't own the router thats transmitting the AP, Therefore I have no control over what type of encryption the administrator uses.


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## gpw928 (Apr 29, 2011)

Hi,

In a Generic kernel, you need:

1.  in /etc/rc.conf (change the IP address and netmask to suit)


```
vaps_ath0="wlan0"
wlans_ath0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA inet 192.168.1.123  netmask 255.255.255.0"
```

2.  in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf (change the ssid and wep_key0 to yours)


```
network={
    ssid="linksys"
    key_mgmt=NONE
    wep_key0=0123456789A
    wep_tx_keyidx=0
}
```

HTH,

-- 
Phil


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## gpw928 (Apr 29, 2011)

Hi again,

I should add that the above is *all* you need in a Generic kernel.

The interface will be automatically plumbed and ifconfig'd on boot.

Cheers,

-- 
Phil


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