Wireless Atheros AR5212 PCMCIA card problem,ath5k,madwifi.

stawek · January 28, 2009, 1:55am

Hi
My wireless card worked without problems but now I can’t connect with any network,it worked like a charm half of year using madwifi driver.
I suppose beacause of update but not sure about this - BTW how can I check updates log?

In Yast device figure as unconfigured beacause of not exist in system kernel.

From system info:

PCI 300.0: 0200 Ethernet controller
  [Created at pci.310]
  UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_168c_13
  Unique ID: svHJ.HaNp2uwRGy9
  Parent ID: GA8e.bVpcFG6U3pD
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:02:01.0/0000:03:00.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:03:00.0
  Hardware Class: network
  Model: "Atheros AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor"
  Vendor: pci 0x168c "Atheros Communications, Inc."
  Device: pci 0x0013 "AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1458 "Giga-byte Technology"
  SubDevice: pci 0xe811 
  Revision: 0x01
  Memory Range: 0x38000000-0x3800ffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 10 (1622 events)
  Module Alias: "pci:v0000168Cd00000013sv00001458sd0000E811bc02sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: ath5k is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe ath5k"
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #13 (CardBus bridge)

From /var/log/messages:


Jan 22 20:57:11 linux-aggh ifdown: Interface not available and no configuration found.
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: CardBus card inserted into slot 0
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:03:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: registered as 'phy1'
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy1: unable to init EEPROM
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:03:00.0 disabled
Jan 22 20:57:15 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k_pci: probe of 0000:03:00.0 failed with error -5
Jan 22 20:57:23 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: card ejected from slot 0
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: CardBus card inserted into slot 0
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:03:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: registered as 'phy2'
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy2: unable to init EEPROM
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:03:00.0 disabled
Jan 22 20:57:28 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k_pci: probe of 0000:03:00.0 failed with error -5
Jan 22 20:57:46 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: card ejected from slot 0

After some searching I found wiki article about madwifi and ath5k , I followed instructions but it doesn’t help - I can’t connect. Few times after setup card with ath_pci in Yast and rebot Suse freeze up with blinking CapsLock led at X11 start.

uname -r:

2.6.25.5-1.1-default

lsmod | grep ath_pci:

ath_pci               100128  0 
wlan                  204620  1 ath_pci
ath_hal               195920  1 ath_pci

From lspci:

03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor (rev 01)

From system info:

PCI 300.0: 0282 WLAN controller
  [Created at pci.310]
  UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_168c_13
  Unique ID: svHJ.HaNp2uwRGy9
  Parent ID: GA8e.bVpcFG6U3pD
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1e.0/0000:02:01.0/0000:03:00.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:03:00.0
  Hardware Class: network
  Model: "Atheros AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor"
  Vendor: pci 0x168c "Atheros Communications, Inc."
  Device: pci 0x0013 "AR5212/AR5213 Multiprotocol MAC/baseband processor"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1458 "Giga-byte Technology"
  SubDevice: pci 0xe811 
  Revision: 0x01
  Features: WLAN
  Memory Range: 0x58000000-0x5800ffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 10 (3 events)
  Module Alias: "pci:v0000168Cd00000013sv00001458sd0000E811bc02sc00i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: ath5k is not active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe ath5k"
  Driver Info #1:
    Driver Status: ath_pci is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe ath_pci"
  Config Status: cfg=no, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #13 (CardBus bridge)

From /var/log/messages:


Jan 28 01:04:42 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: card ejected from slot 0
Jan 28 01:04:49 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: CardBus card inserted into slot 0
Jan 28 01:04:49 linux-aggh kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:03:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
Jan 28 01:04:49 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
Jan 28 01:04:49 linux-aggh kernel: wifi%d: unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware self-test failed' (HAL status 14)
Jan 28 01:04:49 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:03:00.0 disabled

I really don’t know what’s wrong :|.Can somebody help me?

mattm3a · February 2, 2009, 5:31am

What did you update?

You are running suse 11.0 with ath5k?

From personal experience, ath5k never functioned well with suse 11.0. I think the general steps to get around this were to blacklist ath5k and use madwifi.

wovnoeins · February 2, 2009, 4:16pm

I’ve had similar problems with those Atheros cards and the madwifi driver.
If madwifi doesn’t work you can try it with the windows driver using ndiswrapper.
I suggest you to install it together with kndiswrapper, because it’s easy to use
You just need to download a zip-archive including the inf-file and sys-file :dont-know:

Note: Use Windows XP or lower :good:, not the Vista drivers. Vista drivers most often don’t work :bad:

pbwest · February 14, 2009, 1:30am

Have you black-listed the ath5k driver? You are trying to run the madwifi driver, but the ath5k driver is at least recognised, if not activated.

stawek · February 17, 2009, 11:12pm

Ok , I will try ndiswrapper but why I must use it if on 10.3 and 11.0 for few months this card worked.
Yes, ath5k is blacklisted.

Another try, I removed ath5k from blacklist, unloaded ath_pci :


Feb 12 08:45:39 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: card ejected from slot 0
Feb 12 08:45:47 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: CardBus card inserted into slot 0
Feb 12 08:45:47 linux-aggh kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:03:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
Feb 12 08:45:47 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
Feb 12 08:45:47 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k_pci 0000:03:00.0: registered as 'phy1'
Feb 12 08:45:47 linux-aggh kernel: phy1: Selected rate control algorithm 'pid'
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy1: Atheros AR5213 chip found (MAC: 0x56, PHY: 0x41)
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy1: RF2112A 2GHz radio found (0x46)
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh ifup: interface 'wmaster0' is a wlan helper interface. Exiting.
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh ifup: Network interface is managed from NetworkManager
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh ifup: NetworkManager will be advised to set up wlan0 
Feb 12 08:45:48 linux-aggh ifup: but it cannot be assured from here.
Feb 12 08:45:52 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy1: noise floor calibration failed (2412MHz)
Feb 12 08:45:52 linux-aggh kernel: ath5k phy1: unable to reset hardware: -5

And the second one with ath_pci, ath5k is blacklisted and unloaded:

Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: pccard: CardBus card inserted into slot 0
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: ath_pci: 0.9.4
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: PCI: Enabling device 0000:03:00.0 (0000 -> 0002)
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:03:00.0[A] -> Link [LNKE] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: ath_rate_sample: 1.2 (0.9.4)
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: 11b rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: 11g rates: 1Mbps 2Mbps 5.5Mbps 11Mbps 6Mbps 9Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: turboG rates: 6Mbps 12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: H/W encryption support: WEP AES AES_CCM TKIP
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: mac 5.6 phy 4.1 radio 4.6
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 1 for WME_AC_BE traffic
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 0 for WME_AC_BK traffic
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 2 for WME_AC_VI traffic
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 3 for WME_AC_VO traffic
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 8 for CAB traffic
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Use hw queue 9 for beacons
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh ifup: interface 'wifi0' is a wlan helper interface. Exiting.
Feb 12 08:51:17 linux-aggh kernel: wifi0: Atheros 5212: mem=0x58000000, irq=10
Feb 12 08:51:18 linux-aggh ifup: Network interface is managed from NetworkManager
Feb 12 08:51:18 linux-aggh ifup: NetworkManager will be advised to set up ath0 
Feb 12 08:51:18 linux-aggh ifup: but it cannot be assured from here.

After reboot I saw that knetworkmanager is trying to connect but leds on the card blinked in strange way and system freeze for a moment every few seconds.
No idea, I suppose that card may be dameged…

Regards and thanks for answers everyone.