(OLD) (ARCHIVED) Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[Clif McIrvin]

Edit: The USB WPN111 does not support WPA2. I struggled along trying to get it to work until I determined that it was detecting a TKIP vulnerability attack and dropping the connection as a security countermeasure.

My solution was to abandon the USB effort and go to a proven PCMCIA (CardBus) WPN511.

Original post:

I've been trying to get this up long enough now that I've read several different threads here and have made (I think) a lot of progress; but have run into a standstill.

I'm not sure what information you will need to be able to assist, so I'm going to try and describe my environment and my symptoms.

This is an older (rescued from the trash bin) Dell Optiplex that I am dual booting into a frugal Super Lucid 2 (sulu-002).

I've used SNS "forever" to connect to my wired DSL connection that will be going away, and I'm trying to get a Netgear Rangemax USB WPN111 up and running. The access point is a Samsung (Verizon) mifi hotspot.

[rcrsn51]

Tahrpup has an in-kernel driver named ar5523 that supports this device.

This would be a better choice than ndiswrapper.

Also, this appears to be an old g-mode adapter. It may only work with WPA encryption, not WPA2

[bigpup]

[Clif McIrvin]

Okay - It sounds like the fact that I successfully connected a couple of times must simply be a fluke.

You have given me enough information to either do more digging, or change directions.

Along the way I picked up a Netgear WPN511 - before I realized that is a PCMCIA device. I may try to get a PCI to PCMCIA adapter.

Thanks for the replies! You two - bigpup and rcrsn51 - sure have posted a lot of assistance here over the years!

Clif

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Cliff.

As I'm sure you're well aware, wifi adapters can be enough to drive you to distraction, sometimes!

I always look at it this way; you have two options. Either you find a method to get the adapter you do have recognised, and up-and running.....or you bite the bullet, and obtain a different one, with a chipset that is known to work with the Linux kernel, and which, moreover, has been supported for many releases of the latter.

Bill has mentioned one way you could get the one you do have working; try a different Puppy (which is probably the cheaper option, TBH.) The kernel used in the original Tahrpup release (6.0 CE), back in November '14, began supporting many newish chipsets more or less all at the same time; I think the maintainers must have had a bit of a blitz on these, because the number I had that suddenly 'worked' where they hadn't before was quite a surprise....

The other option is to buy another one. The one I'm going to recommend is another NetGear, but this one uses the trusty RealTek RTL8192cu chipset, which has been supported for a number of years now.

https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-adapters/WNA3100M.aspx

It's pointless my digging it up on Amazon or eBay for you since I don't know your location. It's a little more expensive than your average 'el-cheapo' from the Far East, but I've yet to find a Puppy this won't work with.....and it's a cool runner, too, with a good range & excellent reception even on a mediocre signal.

Bill did have a thread for this chipset, with a number of driver .ko modules he'd compiled for many different kernels in common Puppy use, but he appears to have withdrawn them. I expect he has his reasons.....but many of them have been archived by Ally at archive.org, should you be interested in taking this route.

Hope that perhaps helps.

EDIT:- Strange you should have obtained a WPN511; I use one of those, too (my 16-year old Dell lappie uses it, since it has a PCMCIA 'CardBus' slot). TBH, it's the most reliable adapter I think I've ever had...!


Mike.

[Clif McIrvin]

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, Clif.

If you can obtain a (What is it again? Ah, yes...) PCI to PCMCIA adapter for it, I guarantee that card will serve you well. I've had mine nearly 2 ½ years, and it's not let me down once. Given the Dell's age (16 this year!), I wanted a 'period' adapter for her; the WPN511 would have been on the market at the same time as the Dell.....and 'CardBus' slots were pretty common at that time.

It uses the 'ath5k' driver, which just seems to have been in the kernel like forever.....certainly, it's a long-established one. It may not be an N150 or N300, like many of today's adapters (it's a relatively 'low' 54/MBps).....but that's more than ample for streaming audio (I listen to the RadioTunes website on a regular basis, having had an a/c with them for a couple of years now.) And in a newer Pup, that'll run a new enough browser to permit watching NetFlix, it'll even handle that (so long as you put NetFlix on the low settings. There's only so much you can do with a Pentium 4!!)

Let us know how you get on with it, please. For the sake of an adapter, there's no reason to have to get another one, 'cos that one will do everything you ask of it.....guaranteed.

EDIT:- Have a look at these guys:-

https://www.amtron.com/reader.htm

They have the biggest range of PCI/PCI-e/PCMCIA stuff I've ever come across. You may have problems getting a PCMCIA to PCI adapter (most seem discontinued). They do, however, do PCMCIA to PCI-E adapters; quite a few of those. And your Optiplex should have at least one PCI-e slot.....if not more.

This one looks like it should do what you want:-

https://www.amtron.com/reader/pcie101.htm

.....and quite reasonably-priced, too.


Mike.

[bigpup]

We have figured out it only supports WEP or WPA.

To really have total control, I always use the Network Wizard.

menu->Setup->Internet Connection Wizard->Wired or wireless LAN->Network Wizard

Network Wizard wireless connection steps.

1. Select Network Wizard
2. Select wlan0 (your network card may have a different description)
3. Select Wireless in the Configure wireless network box.
4. Select Scan and your ESSID should come up.
5. Select your ESSID and OK
6. Give a name to your profile. It should already be what you selected in step 5.
7. Encryption. use WPA/TKIP - select it
8. A box will open for you to write the WPA password. It is called a Shared Key. Enter the password.
9. Leave the other boxes as they are. Rarely do these need adjustment.
9. Select Save
10. Select Use This Profile
11. A box will appear showing Puppy trying to connect
12. A box will come up “REPORT ON TEST 0f wlan0CONNECTION”
13. Select Auto DHCP in the Configure interface box and it will go through a handshake routine. and declare itself successful
14. Select done

If something does not work.
What step?
You do what?
You see what?

Also make sure your system's time zone setting is correct - if not, many website's certificates then act as if they are expired, and the webpage won't display.

If you do not see the wlan0 listed in the beginning of this. It needs a driver.
Using the ndiswrapper option, to provide a driver, can work. However, you do need to be selecting and providing a correct Windows driver.

[bigpup]

Sorry I have to ask.
You are sure your WIFI signal is strong enough to make a good connection?
Just because you can see it does not indicate it can be 100%.
Too weak a signal can connect, disconnect, connect, disconnect, etc.......

[Clif McIrvin]

THANK YOU ALL! I'm posting using my WPN111 (USB) with WPA security.

bigpup: thanks to your first reply, I did test as WPA not WPA2. It took me some trial and error, but I do have it connecting now.

For whatever reason, I was never able to get Dougal's network wizard to connect. I made two changes to the wpa_supplicant profile, and so far it is connecting every time for me - often about 20-25 seconds in after launching wpa_supplicant.

Here is the profile created by the Network Wizard:

[Clif McIrvin]

This morning I was reviewing this thread, and decided I'd share a bit of what I've seen, even though I have decided to try the WPN511 (PCMCIA) instead of the WPN111 (USB). Who knows - this little bit of my experience could be useful to someone else sometime down the road.

[Clif McIrvin]

Okay - here's my status update:
My purchased PCI-PCMCIA adapter works OOTB - at least Puppy sees it and the WPN511 (PCMCIA) plugged into it.

SNS successfully brings up a wireless connection with my WPA2-AES configured AP - BUT while I can talk to my AP at 192.168.1.1 I cannot see the outside world.

[bigpup]

[Mike Walsh]

@ bigpup:-

Just to confirm, the WPN-511 definitely supports WPA2. I have one myself, and that's what works with it. It's also pretty much the most reliable wireless card I've ever used; extremely stable once connected.

I'm more than willing to accept the lower 'throughput' (only 54MBps) of an older design, in return for that stolid reliability. It's a 'period' adapter of the same vintage as the old Dell lappie, and would have been on the market at the same time.

On top of which, it frees up a much needed USB port by making use of it...


Mike.

[bigpup]

Well, I guess there is more than one NETGEAR WPN511 Wireless PC Card.

So which exact card are you talking about?

A general search for NETGEAR WPN511 wireless cards brings up specs like I posted above.
Even from Netgear.