ath5k wireless issues

[KinderX]

i just upgraded to intrepid from hardy with the promise that my endless wireless issues with my Atheros ar5007eg card would end. bs.

i have been pointed to this guide[ (http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Download#Buildingandinstalling) and its not working, after i install i try to unload the original drivers using the "sudo make unload" command in the correct directory, and it gives me this:


Unloading mac80211...
FATAL: Module mac80211 is in use.
Unloading cfg80211...
FATAL: Module cfg80211 is in use.
make: *** [unload] Error 1


i am unable to do anything with this. i have tried searching everywhere for the answer. any answers.

[JohnSGruber]

I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble.

I also have a wireless card that isn't supported out-of-the-box by Hardy or Intrepid.

If you can remove the software you installed manually you might try to install linux-backports-modules-intrepid-generic (assuming this is a desktop or laptop rather than a server). This package includes ath5k and may be the reason someone suggested you install Intrepid.

In order to get this to work you need to go to System-> Administration->Hardware Drivers and disable the Atheros driver there (ath-pci) and reboot.

I found it desirable with the current package to enter the command suggested by the ath5k developers:

sudo iwconfig wlan0 rate 11M

This is suggested at http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/ath5k on the same site you were quoting. If I don't do this I get about 11% packet loss.

Alternatively you can try the madwifi - 0.3862-1 package from last August available at http://ppa.launchpad.net/timg-tpi/ubuntu. This installs a newer version of the legacy drivers enabled in System->Administration->Hardware Drivers.
Installing this package will install a package called dkms and may install a couple other prerequisites.

Once I have both installed I find I can go back and forth betwee the two
drivers by, for example,

sudo modprobe -r ath_pci
sudo modprobe ath5k and they both work.

I find I don't have to deal with the 802.11 or other modules, they come and go automatically--modprobe must take care of it has part of its dependency handling.

==

If you simply wish to go from where you are now I'd suggest disabling the current proprietary driver and rebooting, as above. That should remove the old ath_pci and their cohorts so you can try what you downloaded. I don't know if you will have to do something special to get the 802.11 drivers when dealing with the software you downloaded directly.

I find the following command useful to see where I am:

lsmod | grep ath
which will tell you what Atheros related drivers you have loaded and what modules each module dependes upon.

The web site http://madwifi-project.org may be useful to you.

I hope you get something to work. I think the intrepid backports would be the simplest.

Good luck.