Re: About at76c50XX based devices.

[Steev Klimaszewski <steev gentoo org>]

On Mon, 19 Jun 2006 22:24:29 +0400, "Maxim Grechkin" <maximsch2 gmail com> wrote:
> I am trying now to get it working in Ubuntu Dapper AMD64. With no
> luck. When I run NetworkManager with --no-daemon it didn't even find
> any "unsupported" wireless device that he will try to configure.
> 
> On 6/19/06, Darren Albers <dalbers gmail com> wrote:
>> I am not sure if anyone knows what the issues are (if any), have you
>> tried the driver with Network-Manager and did it not work?
>>
>> *I am adding the list back since someone with a deeper understanding
>> might be able to provide more help*
>>
>> On 6/19/06, Maxim Grechkin <maximsch2 gmail com> wrote:
>> > How can I find what are problems with at76c503a? What parts of WEXT it
>> > doesn't support?
>> >
>>
> 
> 
> --
> 
> Maxim

My thinking is that it may be an AMD64 thing.  I don't see anything of the sort on my x86 machine on Dapper (and I don't have an amd64 box)

This is what I get in kern.log
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190856.864000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503-fw_skel.c: downloading firmware atmel_at76c503-i3861.bin
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.280000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503-fw_skel.c: got it.
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.324000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: $Id: at76c503.c,v 1.74 2005/03/08 01:33:14 jal2 Exp $ compiled Jun 14 2006 11:38:36
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.324000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: firmware version 0.90.0 #44 (fcs_len 4)
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.328000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: device's MAC 00:30:ab:0e:e4:98, regulatory domain FCC (U.S) (id 16)
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.328000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: registered wlan0
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.884000] wlan0 (WE) : Driver using old /proc/net/wireless support, please fix driver !
Jun 19 19:03:20 sigma kernel: [17190878.100000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c:2950 assertion dev->istate == INIT failed
Jun 19 19:03:23 sigma kernel: [17190880.112000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c:2950 assertion dev->istate == INIT failed
Jun 19 19:03:23 sigma kernel: [17190880.140000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c:2921 assertion dev->istate == SCANNING failed

/var/log/messages shows
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190856.728000] usb 1-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 4
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.324000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: $Id: at76c503.c,v 1.74 2005/03/08 01:33:14 jal2 Exp $ compiled Jun 14 2006 11:38:36
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.324000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: firmware version 0.90.0 #44 (fcs_len 4)
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.328000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: device's MAC 00:30:ab:0e:e4:98, regulatory domain FCC (U.S) (id 16)
Jun 19 19:03:00 sigma kernel: [17190857.328000] drivers/usb/net/atmel/at76c503.c: registered wlan0

and lastly, /var/log/syslog gives me

Jun 19 19:03:42 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I get_scan_results (): card took too much time scanning.  Get a better one.
Jun 19 19:03:42 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I nm_device_802_11_wireless_scan (): device wlan0 returned an error.
Jun 19 19:04:23 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I get_scan_results (): card took too much time scanning.  Get a better one.
Jun 19 19:04:23 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I nm_device_802_11_wireless_scan (): device wlan0 returned an error.
Jun 19 19:05:05 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I get_scan_results (): card took too much time scanning.  Get a better one.
Jun 19 19:05:05 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I nm_device_802_11_wireless_scan (): device wlan0 returned an error.
Jun 19 19:05:46 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I get_scan_results (): card took too much time scanning.  Get a better one.
Jun 19 19:05:46 sigma NetworkManager: <WARNING>^I nm_device_802_11_wireless_scan (): device wlan0 returned an error.

My best guess is, scanning with the card will (and in my experience - has been) be shoddy and unpredictible, on x86.  It *will* work, although I believe it is more a problem with the drivers/firmware of these devices than anything.  Do you get anything in /var/log/kern.log when you insert the device? (Mine is a usb based device and has worked for at least a year)