DWL-G520 rev. A2...madwifi

[acid45]

I was at the mad wifi project site after searching dlink for linux info and they have a lot of open source drivers. I went to the madwifi project site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/madwifi/ and I clicked on read more. Hopping to get some souce and an MD5--get used to the habbit of checksuming--and there doesn't seme to be any files released.

I remember going to this site when I had my linksys wireless B card, can't remember the version, doens't matter my bro tried installing it in his compuyter while I was away wihtout installing the driver first.

So after some more searching I can't quite find a specific driver for the DWL-G520 that I have and I don't want to download just a generic driver since it could be viral, that would be bad, and it could break the card. I'd like to get the net on my newly installed slackware 9.1 box and I WILL upgrade to 10 for experience. If anyone knows anything about this, I can't find ANY files from MADWIFI anymore. I'm prety sure I checked the whole project so nay help whatsoever would be great. If someone else got a list of files that would also be great. I don't know.

Thanks for reading and your input :D

[JohnT]

http://www.mattfoster.clara.co.uk/madwifi-faq.htm
http://madwifiwiki.thewebhost.de/wiki/FrontPage

[sclebo05]

It can be done..... slackware 10 with madwifi on a Dell 1100 laptop is what i am posting from. when i started i was just as disillusioned as you are.

obtaining the driver involves doing a CVS checkout from the sourceforge page (http://sourceforge.net/projects/madwifi) . There are exact instructions if you click on 'CVS' near the top. the first cvs command didn't work for me, but the second one did.

see if you can get the software. if you can't cvs it, let me know and maybe i can help you.

once you get it, if you need help compiling/installing/using the drivers, post here. I was able to get my card working, and it connects to both 802.11A and 802.11B networks just fine under slack9.1 and now slack10.

[acid45]

heh, I gota be on the net to get the net. I only have one computer, which isn't mine, with windows 98 and a USB internet conenction. I do have a crossover RJ45 cable but only one network card. I'll figure something out. thanks guys I probably would have take a while to find that stuff. I never used CVS before :P....it took me more than an hour last night to remember useradd....

[sclebo05]

pm me, we should be able to get you this source somehow.

[acid45]

This is what I'm doing. I don't have an ethernet conenction on my box let alone a wireless connection. Sooo... This is what I did/going to do to get it up and hope for the best...

1) Install Slackware Linux 9.1 SKIPPING network configuration--confuses the fudge out of me.

2) Go to google.ca on a windows box since I don't have any internet connection what-so-ever on my linux box, skipping the network configuration might cause this.

3) Search "adding linux to a router" WITHOUT quotations.
Go to http://www.chinalinuxpub.com/doc/www.siliconvalleyccie.com/linux-hn/network-linux.htm and READ it! Learn a lot...

4) With a little more knowledge of what I'm doing I go to etc/sysconfig/network-scripts--so I don't have to get a network connection every single time I reboot my linux box--and enter the eht0 info into there...

5) command lynx, if installed, and test connection...

6) Get off this P.O.S. windows 98 --not even SE-- box!

7) Work on getting WLAN setup so I don't have to keep switching the monitor, keyboard and mouse cords between boxes.

This thread was myself getting too far ahead of myself trying to get familiar with linux...one step at a time...

Thanks for all your help guys. I hope this helps someone else wanting to get away from the security loop hole of running root all the time as MOST windows users do. I actually set up a limited account on windows XP then decided I'm sick of stealing everything...free is better :P If I profit from it I will contribute to the cause and when I feel I am competent enough to do so I will also start doing my own bug fixes to what I find "broken" on my box.

I don't know if this counts but I buy a lot of linux software through Linux Format... In canada, even though it goes to the shipping companies, it's 26$ maybe 15Euro, 20 USD. A COPY..at the newsstand. I'm sending away for a membership end of next week...payday :D


n00b in training

Again, thanks for all your help. Teaching me the values of linux: Teach yourself how don't ask someone to "do" it for you...or whatever you call it...thanks!

-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+
Again I was ahead of myself trying this... I'm just getting the nForce driver source for the nForce2--I have a NF7-S. I'm going to upgrade to slackware 10.0 first and THEN use the source to create some RPMs and then install the drivers.

One I get that going THEN I think I will be ready for the wireless drivers using the CVS command that you guys gave to me...well pointed me to, whatever, same **** different pile.

I love source tarball sizes :D they fit on a floppy...now to get it to work right between windows 98 and linux...

Another change in plans...

I'm going to get the drivers created for slackware 9.1 and then install them. Get the wireless lan going...upgrade to slackware and I expect following the same path for slackware 10.0...THIS IS SOOOO MUCH FUN :D
-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+
P.S. If I get annoying let me know :P

[acid45]

I have a simple yes or no question...

...well actually two.

Can I install my wireless card, that I took out, and not have to go buy a new one because it got friend for not having a driver already installed?

I need the card installed to use the CVS command, right?

P.S.
After doing some forum scouring I found how to install the proper drivers for my motherboard so I can finally get my ethernet port running. I then found how to get it to run on boot. I'm going to look how to get it to be set up to take a DHCP connection next. Probably some other ifconfig option. I'm going to the man pages for this one, hopefulyl I won't need an internet connection to find a tutorial :P I think I saw something about it last time I was in the man pages but after reading some things on the net I rememberd some things I read in the man pages and understood what they meant. I hope this "Eurika" stays with me :d

[acid45]

Well i got my network going using dhclient.conf
After reading the man I realized all I needed for a basic DHCP server request was...

interface eth0
{
}
I'm not sure about the french braces but I added them anyway because in C/C++ and java ; is sometimes replaced by the opening and closing french braces ({}). Can't hurt.

[acid45]

Now I have the cvs command to run...

Not anymore. It downloaded the source, the first command in the madwifi faq worked for me, I think. It said something about warnings and then displayed a big list of .c sources. Now I have to compile it. I'm starting to think this thread should be moved to the "How I did it" forum.

Just one thing. It says most people can use:

trouble% make

However it isn't recognized as a command and I can't see anything about this trouble% anywhere else other than the README that came with the source...I have no idea wtf this is or where to look. Google gives me a buncha trouble shooting guides or ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. The user recepies don't really help. It's obviously do-able but I don't know where to look when readme, man and google don't give any clues.

[acid45]

I need some help identifying the problem to be able to proceede...

So far this is what I did with the source I got form the cvs.

Once I got the source I read the readme. I had to read it and read it to finally understand I was missing a ****load of steps and that I don't even use trouble% unless I need some weird configurations defined. I used the

make

command in the madwifi directory. Then once that finished I did a

make install

Once this was done I made a copy of my /etc/rc.d/rc.local file and then edited the originall with the following lines

ifconfig ath0 up
iwconfig ath0 essid "linksys" channel "6"

Once I did that I edited the file /etc/dhconfig and added the lines

interface ath0

So once I had those two I tried lynx. Nothing...but wait.

iwlist scan

shows that my ath0 interface does have an "available" AP that I can connect to. it gives the following information.

lo no wireless options supported

ath0 Scan Completed:
Cell 01 - address: 00:0F:66:36:9E:F7
Encryption Key: Off
Quality: 16/94 Signal level: -81 dBm Noise level -95 dBm
Mode: Master
ESSID: "linksys"
Frequency: 2.437GHz

eth0 no wireless options supported

I don't seem to have any internet at all and I don't seem to be able to set the router as a default gateway using

route add default gw 192.168.1.1 ath0

I don't know what the problem is except maybe the signal strength is too weak to send any successful packets. Could this be from tx-power being off?

[AdamZ]

Does ath0 have an ip address? From one of your earlier posts it looks like you only have dhclient.conf setup to ask for an ip on eth0, which is not your wifi connection. try ifconfig, and see if you have an ip address. (Note: I've never actually used wireless before, so I'm completely guessing).

[acid45]

Okay, I've searched the following words:
slackware 9.1 || DWL-G520 || wireless || madwifi || among SOO many others I just can't think straight anymore...

On the following sites:
http://www.linuxquestions.org
http://www.justlinux.com
http://www.google.ca

I read the madwifi sites I was given above along with the README and man pages for ALL commands I've used, even if they weren't the "solution/problem"...

This is what I/others came up with...

iwconfig (this changes about every 3 seconds)
ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"linksys"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437GHz Access Point: 00:0F:66:36:9E:F7
Bit Rate:1Mb/s Tx-Power:off Sensitivity=0/3
Retry:off RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality:14/94 Signal level:-81 dBm Noise level:-95 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
=============================================
=============================================
ath0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"linksys"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437GHz Access Point: FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF
Bit Rate:0Mb/s Tx-Power:off Sensitivity=0/3
Retry:off RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality:0/94 Signal level:-95 dBm Noise level:-95 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

ifconfig
ath0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0D:88:8B:C3:A5
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:17142 errors:4042 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:4042
TX packets:3057 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:199
RX bytes:1474532 (1.4 Mb) TX bytes:152187 (148.6 Kb)
Interrupt:11 Memory:f8af0000-f8b00000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

iwlist scan
ath0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:0F:66:36:9E:F7
Mode:Master
Encryption key:off
Quality:13/94 Signal level:-82 dBm Noise level:-95 dBm
Mode:Master
ESSID:"linksys"
Frequency:2.437GHz
Bit Rate:1Mb/s
Bit Rate:2Mb/s
Bit Rate:5Mb/s
Bit Rate:6Mb/s
Bit Rate:9Mb/s
Bit Rate:11Mb/s
Bit Rate:12Mb/s
Bit Rate:18Mb/s
Bit Rate:24Mb/s
Bit Rate:36Mb/s
Bit Rate:48Mb/s
Bit Rate:54Mb/s

dhcpd ath0
Wrote 0 leases to lease file
ath0: not found

Here are what I have as a configuration, laugh at will...

/etc/rc.d/rc.local
ifconfig eth0 down
ifconfig ath0 up
iwpriv ath0 mode 3
iwconfig ath0 mode managed
iwconfig ath0 rate auto
iwconfig ath0 essid "linksys" channel "6"

/etc/dhcpd.conf
ddns-update-style interim;

dhclient.conf
interface "ath0";

I edited other files but I can't remember what they are right now. I can tell you later, I can't think straight...

NOTES:
D-Link DWL-G520 no +
Linksys WRT54G

I've tried with WEP on. I'm 110% sure that it is now OFF on both the router and madwifi driver.

I don't know where else to look or what to look for. Stupid.

[sclebo05]

Don't know if this will help you, but here is how I connected to my wireless here at work today:

1 - as root 'ifconfig ath0 up'

2 - 'iwlist ath0 scan', which shows my networks (i think you are beyond this)

3 - ' iwconfig ath0 essid "network" ' yes you need the double quotes

4 - 'dhcpcd ath0' and the in-house dhcp server gives me an IP

Are you sure you have something that is going to dish out an IP address? If you are running this step and never get anything, you might not be getting an IP.

also, i ran 'netconfig' and chose dynamic IP as my method of obtaining IP address, not static.

Sometimes, i have to do an 'ifconfig eth0 down' FIRST so that my primary interface is the atheros card.

giving you as much info as i can

[acid45]

My /etc/rc.d/rc.local runs those commands, and others since the basic setup wouldn't work for me. I'm using a router, linksys WRT54G, that provides DHCP ip addresses. I don't think I'm getting an IP. When I run dhcpd ath0, step 4 in your case, I get the error mentioned above...I can't put it into a file, I've tried dchpd ath0 > /root/dhcpd_ath0.txt but it didn't work.

What I did get is a rather small copyright notification for the ISC, Internet Software Consortium or something like that. Then I get:

Wrote 0 leases to lease file
ath0: not found

and then there is some info IE"if you didn't get this software from ftp.isc.org then get the latest version and upgrade. MANY people seem to have been able to get this working, not this specific card, with a fresh install of slackware 9.1, which is what I'm running. I installed EVERYTHING because I want everything to play and tinker with. When I can add my own modules to the kernel and compile then, and only then, will I install with the minimum and play with it :D

Anyway. Thanks sclbot05. Your other posts mentioned those steps, both here and linuxquestions.org. I don't know why I'm not getting an IP, from what I read and find all over the place I should be posting from my slackware box RIGHT NOW, but I'm not and I don't know why, how, what, where, or possibly when...I didn't modify anything other than internet files and I backed them all up with the good ol "cp file.extension file.extension.backup" method... Works for me. I have gone through and reloaded everything to the fresh install backups and done everything over, I've reinstalled slackware 9.1 off the CDs and still I am where I am.

ANY information or suggestionson what I could be missing would be GREATLY appreciated.

I brke my ethernet drivers, deleted them and didn't backup, thinking I could make -> make install and fix it since I didn't edit anything for my eth0. I did this because of the ifconfig eth0 down posts I've seen so I blamed my ethernet driver :P Now it's gone. I get a "Cannot find module" error message. I could post the message if anyone thingks it's meaning ful. I am 100% sure it's for my ethernet/nforce drivers. My ath0 did the same thing when they were there so i doubt it but it's something to look ath.

Thanks again. Back to go-fin-ogle...

[AdamZ]

To get error messages from a command into a file, use:
command 2> file
2> redirects the "standard error" stream, whereas > redirects the "standard output" stream.

(note: You can also do command > filea 2> fileb)

[acid45]

Thanks, I was trying command > file and command >> file

I was messing with some settings, changing the order the commands are listed in my rc.local and I got this error:

ath0: authorization failed (reason 13)

I noticed it when I rebooted since I don't know how to make a virtual reboot of my "services." Then when it booted I got about 1000 of that same error. I checked google and found that madwifi had that in their FAQ, it mentions the order of commands if you're using WEP. I haven't had WEP enabled since my last reformat and it's not on on the router.

Also I used to get the error

dhcp: timed out waiting for DHCP_ACK response.

Now I don't.

I checked over my router settings and I changed it from "Mixed" to "G-Only." I have checked over my settings time and time again...I changed the rc.local and most of them to the madwifi faq suggestions, still nothing.

Maybe I can "steal" Linus and get him to tell me WTF!!! Bahahahah

I'm entirely out of ideas I've gone back to rereading everything that I've read, that I can remember anyway. The link colours in google help :P Now, what was his address?

[acid45]

I found a few things today. An OLD linux wireless howto, dated 2001. I was looking through the bugs of madwifi and the DWL-G520 rev A3, mine is rev A2, is unsupported. When I was searching before I found that my card is supported by madwifi so I don't think that's it.

I found someone having the EXACT same problem with his eth0 and he seems to know a bit more than I. I will take a look into this tonight, gota run shortly.

I tried iptables -F in case something WAS there. No luck. I tried /etc/services iptables status and I got a lot of errors.

I turned off the router firewall and nothing was changed there either.

I think I'm going to start all over, AGAIN and hope for different results, like the last time and the last time and the last time, etc...

Gotta run, later.

[sclebo05]

I have a question: Is the light on the card blinking? My SMC card will do an 'alternating' blink between two lights when i bring the interface up, and it will do a nice steady blink when it is connected to an AP.

Never thought to check this, might give us some clues.

[acid45]

Yes, it blinks. About 1 second intervals, on and off.

Everynow and then my iwconfig changes.

When I change IEEE standard modes with iwpriv:

iwpriv ath0 mode 3
iwpriv ath0 mode 2

My iwconfig makes everything, connction monitoring wise, set to 0 and the AP H/W addr. FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF. Then it makes it the same H/W addr. as the router is configured for: 00:0F:66:36:9E:F7. However I'm still not getting an IP from the router, so now I think my card is installed and configured correctly. I'm going to go through the router settings AGAIN. I don't know what I might have missed. I went though the settings with a fine tooth comb, any security is shut off...

I'm gona google for the router settings for a DHCP linux wireless card. I read that linksys supports linux so I don't think it could be that but I'll look anyway. Thanks for all of your help. If the blinking light means anything let me know.

The router is now set to B-only and the card is set to mode b with:
iwpriv ath0 mode 2

Thanks again.

[acid45]

I've tried EVERYTHING I CAN FIND!

I found someone not getting an IP without a router on slackware 10. I found this list of commands to come, plus my outcomes.

(I replaced ALLeth0 with ath0)

killall dhcpcd

dhcpd: no proceses killed

ifconfig eth0 down

worked fine, I think

dhcpcd eth0


Internet Software Consortium DHCP Server V3.0pl2
Copyright 1995-2003 Internet Software Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/products/DHCP

** You must add a ddns-update-style statement to /etc/dhcpd.conf.
To get the same behaviour as in 3.0b2pl11 and previous
versions, add a line that says "ddns-update-style ad-hoc;"
Please read the dhcpd.conf manual page for more information. **

If you did not get this software from ftp.isc.org, please
get the latest from ftp.isc.org and install that before
requesting help.

If you did get this software from ftp.isc.org and have not
yet read the README, please read it before requesting help.
If you intend to request help from the dhcp-server@isc.org
mailing list, please read the section on the README about
submitting bug reports and requests for help.

Please do not under any circumstances send requests for
help directly to the authors of this software - please
send them to the appropriate mailing list as described in
the README file.

exiting.

^Where would this readme be located, I'm prety sure I checked the WHOLE LINUX FILING TREE!!!

ifconfig eth0

still down because dhcpd didn't work

mii-tool

...guess

ping www.google.com

...guess again, don't change your answer...
...didn't figure it out yet? Neither did it...same problem presists...

If you figured it out and you just don't want to tell me, tell me that you know the answer, i won't bug you for it, I will just look harder. I'm jsut getting depressed looking at the ****ing screen, root@alienbox:~# I run /directory all day, all day and getting NOWHERE!!!

As of right now once I post this I'm going to the site in the dhcpd error, downloading the newest dhcpd I can get, hopefully it fits on floppy, and installing it. If it don't work I give up, I quit coputers. I can't even get a pcmcia d-link DWL-120 driver to stick on a windows 98SE box and I can't get a network for four computers to share folders on. Two XP one 98SE and one 98ME. I did lotsa troubleshooting to get it to work and I'm where I started...

I don't think reinstalling dhcpd is going to fix it...reply whatever flame you wnat lokc this thread I don't care anymore. I'm just pissed at myself that I can't do this...

downloaded dhcp-latest.tar.gz

tar -zxvf dhcpd-latest.tar.gz
cd dhcp-3.0.1
vi README
./configure
*twiddle thumbs*
make
make install
ifconfig ath0 up
dhcpd ath0

same 'ol error...

ANY IDEAS WILL HELP!!!

I'm starting to hate computers ALLTOGETHER!

The DHCP works because this P2 windows 98 box uses it. I don't know maybe it's wireless settings. I'll check them A-FING-GAIN!!!

I'm dont with google I think I checked over 100 sites on this BS and found nothing different on any of them....

[acid45]

I think I found the problem.

Usually when I boot I get the message "You passed an invalid video mode. Press <RETURN> to see video modes, or <SPACE> to continue or wait 30 seconds." It then booted and had the REGULAR boot screen I'm used to -- with the tux penguin in the top left corner of the screen. The words were much smaller and more of them on the screen -- higher resolution -- and I saw:

dhcpcd[203]: Broadcasting DHCP_DISCOVER for ip 192.168.1.100


When I checked the router, on a suspicion that the other ocmputer was also getting this IP, I found that in fact IT WAS getting the IP 192.168.1.100. Now I have to figure out how to get slackware to request another IP. So close yet so far :P

[acid45]

I tried dhclient ath0 and it didn't work. I read dhclient.conf a bit and added request; to the dhclient.conf file and then ran dhclient.conf. I have an IP but now all i can do is access the router, one more step and I'm on the net...FINA-FUDGEN-LY!

I found some posts on this but I don't remember where :P

[acid45]

Woo, almost there. I just have some DNS issues to resolve. I don't know how to do it but I'll learn. Nothing like learning. Now to get those win ME and win 98 SE boxes onto that win XP network...argh...too many OS' :P I found a post here about someone with SuSE and gave up saying linux sucked because he didn't understand. Ahh, the power of knowledge, or the lack-there-of. :P Mwahahaha

I'm going to see if I can get my routers tracertoute to work and get me some IP's to access sites rather than messing with DNS settings for tonight :D

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!

#include JL.forums

:D


traceroute didn't quite work as I hopped :P You probably know that already... **** is not an IP :(

Anywya I guess I gota read up on DNS stuff and find the slackware equivelant of those files ... :o

Who knows maybe it will be fun :D

[acid45]

I added the -R option to my rc.local command
dhclient ath0 -R
I got an error when I rebooted -- I don't know how to just restart the network, /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 restart doesn't seem to work -- so I took it out and went to /etc/resolv.conf

Well, I edited the file /etc/resolv.conf with the following line

nameserver 199.166.28.10

Then I rebooted. I checked out my /etc/resolv.conf and it had the two DNS ip's that my router had in it's configuration that I was going to use but didn't know about so I didn't, I don't like broken linux distros :P

Here I am on my slackware 9.1 box posting. Woot, now let's hope it stays. It has two nameserver lines and two static DNS on the router. Now to get things running smoothly. First up, getting everything as possible out of rc.local :D Then slackware 10.0 here I come :D

THANK YOU GUYS!!!! THANK YOU JL.com!!!

I found the solution to the dhclient ath0: not found
It's because the ath0 interface card wasn't broadcasting. I THOUGH I added a gateway for it but I conveniently forgot something
route add default gw 192.168.1.1 ath0 is the proper syntax.