w200 multiport module does not work in RH7.3 kernel 2.4.20

[José Otero]

Hi:

The device seems to be detected and the led is on after fn-f2. It also appears in the network device utility as wireless device and in the rh network monitor. But i can't connect to the lan at work using the decice. No activity appears in the network monitor, no response to ping (to or from the computer).

I am aware about the posts in this forum related to this module, very usefull but i can't make the thing work, obviously my fault.

This post is also replicated in the usb-orinoco devel list and in the wireless IT forum.

Follows dmesg logs and configuration files, the most relevant thing is that wlan0 has no wireless extensions.


Thanks in advance.

dmesg log related to usb:
...
usb.c: registered new driver hub
usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xcf810000, IRQ 11
usb-ohci.c: usb-00:02.0, Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi]
USB 1.1 Controller
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 2 ports detected
usb-ohci.c: USB OHCI at membase 0xcf812000, IRQ 11
usb-ohci.c: usb-00:0f.0, Acer Laboratories Inc. [ALi]
USB 1.1 Controller (#2)
usb.c: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
hub.c: USB hub found
hub.c: 4 ports detected
...
After activating the w200 multiport module:
...
hub.c: new USB device 00:0f.0-3, assigned address 2
usb.c: USB device 2 (vend/prod 0x49f/0x76) is not
claimed by any active driver.
orinoco.c 0.14beta1 (David Gibson
and others)
usb.c: registered new driver Orinoco USB
firmware_class.c:call_helper: firmware: /sbin/hotplug
firmware add
remove_proc_entry: usb-00:0f.0-3/loading busy, count=1
remove_proc_entry: firmware/usb-00:0f.0-3 busy,
count=1
de_put: deferred delete of loading
de_put: deferred delete of usb-00:0f.0-3
wlan0: -> orinoco_init()
wlan0: Station identity xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx
wlan0: Looks like a Lucent/Agere firmware version 8.58
wlan0: Ad-hoc demo mode supported
wlan0: IEEE standard IBSS ad-hoc mode supported
wlan0: WEP supported, 104-bit key
wlan0: MAC address xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
wlan0: Station name "HERMES I"
wlan0: ready
wlan0: <- orinoco_init()
orinoco_usb.c: Orinoco USB device now attached wlan0
orinoco_usb.c v0.2.2 (Manuel Estrada Sainz
)
wlan0: -> bridge_xmit()
wlan0: <- bridge_xmit()
wlan0: -> bridge_xmit()
wlan0: <- bridge_xmit()
wlan0: -> bridge_xmit()
wlan0: <- bridge_xmit()
wlan0: -> bridge_xmit()
wlan0: <- bridge_xmit()
...
After ifdown eth0 and ifup wlan0, ifconfig -a gives:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr
xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:5368 errors:0 dropped:0
overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:364360 (355.8 Kb) TX bytes:240
(240.0 b)
Interrupt:11 Base address:0xe000

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:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
frame:0
TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:286 (286.0 b) TX bytes:286 (286.0
b)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr
xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
inet addr:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Bcast:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Mask:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:8 dropped:0 overruns:0
carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

dmesg log before deactivating de device:
...
orinoco_usb.c: bridge_bulk_in_callback: urb timed out,
not resubmiting
usb.c: USB disconnect on device 00:0f.0-3 address 2
wlan0: Error -19 disabling MAC port
orinoco_usb.c: Orinoco USB device now disconnected
...

My ifcfg-wlan0 is:

# Please read
/usr/share/doc/initscripts-*/sysconfig.txt
# for the documentation of these parameters.
USERCTL=yes
PEERDNS=no
GATEWAY=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
TYPE=Wireless
DEVICE=wlan0
BOOTPROTO=none
NETMASK=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ONBOOT=no
IPADDR=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
NAME=xxxxxxx
DOMAIN=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ESSID=xxxxxxx
RATE=Auto
KEY=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
NETWORK=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
BROADCAST=xxx.xx.xxx.xxx
HWADDR=
DHCP_HOSTNAME=
MODE=Auto
CHANNEL=1

[Steven E. Protter]

Just because the device is detected does not mean the kernel has any idea how to deal with it.

If the device is not supported in the kernel(USB support in RH 7.3 was weak), it won't work right.

I'd suggest a newer distribution of RH, or Fedora Core. Better hardware support. Or, get a driver from the manufacturer.

Or both.

SEP