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Allnet ALL0281 under Linux

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<p>
  This document is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
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  <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html"
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  for more details.
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<div class="content">
  <h1>Allnet ALL0281 under Linux</h1>
  <p>
    This article describes my experience with the installation and the
    configuration of the <span class="name">WLAN PCI card Allnet ALL0281</span>
    under <span class="name">Debian Linux</span> using the
    <span class="name">madwifi-ng</span> driver.
    Among other things I describe how I installed the driver, how I configured
    my card and in which environment my card works.
  </p>
  <p>
    This project is licensed under the terms of the
    <a href="$home/license/gpl.txt" target="_blank">GNU General Public License</a>.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <h2>Content</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="#info">Information about the card</a></li>
    <li><a href="#supported">Features I use (so obviously supported)</a></li>
    <li><a href="#installation">Installation</a></li>
    <li><a href="#configuration">Configuration</a></li>
    <li><a href="#inservice">In service</a></li>
    <li><a href="#conclusion">Conclusion</a></li>
    <li><a href="#sources">Sources</a></li>
    <li><a href="#pictures">Pictures</a></li>
  </ol>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="info"></a>
  <h2>Information about the card</h2>
  <p>
    I bought this card in <span class="name">ebay</span> for 34,90 EUR
    because I knew that there is an <span class="name">Atheros</span> chip set
    on it and that there is a Linux driver for it.
  </p>
  <p>
    Here the output of the program <span class="name">lspci</span>:
  </p>
  <pre>
    0000:00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications,
                 Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)</pre>
  <p>
    Here is some technical information about the card:
  </p>
  <table>
    <tr>
      <td>Manufacturer</td>
      <td><a href="http://www.allnet.de/" target="_blank">Allnet</a></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Name of the card</td>
      <td>ALL0281</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Chip set</td>
      <td>Atheros</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Linux driver</td>
      <td><a href="http://madwifi.org/" target="_blank">madwifi</a></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Interface</td>
      <td>32bit PCI</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Frequency</td>
      <td>2.4 GHz</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Max. bandwidth</td>
      <td>108 Mbps</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Encryption</td>
      <td>
        128bit
        <abbr title="Wired Equivalent Privacy" lang="en">WEP</abbr>,
        <abbr title="Wi-Fi Protected Access" lang="en">WPA</abbr>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  <p>
    Here is a list of all the cards supported by madwifi:
    <br>
    <a href="http://madwifi.org/wiki/Compatibility"
       target="_blank">http://madwifi.org/wiki/Compatibility</a>
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="supported"></a>
  <h2>Features I use (so obviously supported)</h2>
  <p>
    I used this card with all kernels starting with 2.6.11.4 to 2.6.16.27
    and I could patch and compile all of them with the newest madwifi version.
    Since June 2006 I use the new madwifi-ng driver. Since I use Debian Linux
    only I only tested the card with
    <span class="name">Debian 3.2 (etch)</span> and
    <span class="name">Debian 3.1 (sarge)</span>.
  </p>
  <p>
    Since July 2005 there is the new madwifi-ng driver with some new features
    (see
    <a href="http://madwifi.org/wiki/NewCodebase"
       target="_blank">http://madwifi.org/wiki/NewCodebase</a>).
    The old driver was renamed in <span class="name">madwifi-old</span>
    and there is no developement of this driver anymore. So I use the
    newest version of madwifi-ng since June 2006.
  </p>
  <p>
    Right now my card works under Debian 3.2 (etch),
    (last <span class="name">dist-upgrade</span> from 3. August 2006).
    I use the official kernel 2.6.16.27 patched with madwifi-ng 0.91
    only.
  </p>
  <p>
    My Access Point is a <span class="name">FRITZ!Box WLAN 3030</span>.
    The card works with 54Mbit and I encrypt my WLAN using
    <abbr>WEP</abbr>. <abbr>WPA</abbr> worked very fine too but it needs
    a newer version of
    <span class="name">wpasupplicant</span> which comes along with
    Debian 3.2 (etch) but not with Debian 3.1 (sarge). So you need Debian etch
    if you wish to use <abbr>WPA</abbr>.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="installation"></a>
  <h2>Installation</h2>
  <p>
    I install the madwifi-ng driver by compiling a new kernel patched
    with madwifi-ng. It is very easy when you use Debian. You just have
    to download and unpack the kernel sources, execute the madwifi-ng patch
    and configure your kernel (one mark is enough). Then you compile
    the new kernel with one command and install it with a second one.
    Restart and your card is ready. Now all these steps more detailed:
  </p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      First you have to be sure that you have the packages installed which
      you need to compile your kernel &quot;The Debian Way&quot;.
      You need the package <span class="name">kernel-package</span>, so install it:
      <pre>apt-get install kernel-package</pre>
    </li>
    <li>
      After that you should download the kernel sources
      (e.g. <span class="name">linux-2.6.16.20.tar.bz2</span>)
      to /usr/src and unpack them with the following command:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src
      tar xjf linux-2.6.16.20.tar.bz2
      </pre>
      Now create a symbolic link to the new directory (linux-2.6.16.20),
      but make sure that there is no existing link called
      <span class="name">linux</span> first:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src
      rm linux
      ln -s linux-2.6.16.20 linux
      </pre>
    </li>
    <li>
      Now we have to download the madwifi-ng driver, see
      <a href="http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/GettingMadwifi"
         target="_blank">getting madwifi</a>. You better download
      stable releases, e.g. madwifi-0.9.1.tar.bz2 and copy this
      file to /usr/src, here we have to unpack it again:
      <pre>
      tar xjf madwifi-0.9.1.tar.bz2
      </pre>
      Now there should be a new directory /usr/src/madwifi-0.9.1
      were you have to execute the patch
      <span class="name">patch/install.sh</span>:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src/madwifi-0.9.1/patch/
      sh install.sh /usr/src/linux
      </pre>
    </li>
    <li>
      Now check your configuration using
      <span class="name">menuconfig</span>, here are the important options:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src/linux
      make menuconfig
      </pre>
      go to the important options through the following menu points:
      <pre>Device drivers->Network device support->Wireless LAN</pre>
      Here you search the following lines and choose atheros support
      to be compiled as a module:
      <pre>
      --- Atheros 802.11(a/b/g) PCI/Cardbus support
      &lt;M&gt; Atheros PCI/Cardbus cards
      </pre>
      Now just make sure that you configuration is saved when you leave
      menuconfig.
    </li>
    <li>
      Almost done, we have to compile the kernel, which lasts twenty
      minutes for me:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src/linux
      make-kpkg --append-to-version=-my-pc-1 --revision=custom.1.0
                --initrd kernel_image
      </pre>
      Now there should be a new file in /usr/src:
      <span class="name">linux-image-2.6.16.20-my-pc-1_custom.1.0.deb</span>
      install this file by typing:
      <pre>
      cd /usr/src
      dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.16.20-my-pc-1_custom.1.0.deb
      </pre>
      Now restart you system. The installation is done, you can configure
      your card now!
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="configuration"></a>
  <h2>Configuration</h2>
  <p>
    After the restart all modules needed should be loaded automatically.
    You can check it using <span class="name">lsmod</span>::
  </p>
  <pre>
    wlan_wep                5568  1
    wlan_scan_sta          10560  1
    ath_pci                74148  0
    ath_rate_sample         9536  1 ath_pci
    wlan                  155740  5 wlan_wep,wlan_scan_sta,
                                    ath_pci,ath_rate_sample
    ath_hal               189264  3 ath_pci,ath_rate_sample
  </pre>
  <p>
    If they are not loaded, then you have to execute the following command:
    <span class="name">modprobe ath_pci</span>.
    Now you can configure your card by editing
    <span class="name">/etc/network/interfaces</span>:
  </p>
  <pre>
    auto ath0
    iface ath0 inet static
          address 192.168.2.42
          netmask 255.255.255.0
          network 192.168.2.0
          broadcast 192.168.2.255
          gateway 192.168.2.1
          wireless-essid MyHomeESSID
          wireless-mode Managed
          wireless-rate 54M auto
          wireless-channel 11
          wireless-key open MYVE-RYSE-CRET-KEY0-ABCD-1234-AB
  </pre>
  <p>
    Now call the following commands:
  </p>
  <pre>
    $ ifdown ath0
    $ ifup ath0
  </pre>
  <p>
    The ping to other computers should function now.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="inservice"></a>
  <h2>In service</h2>
  <p>
    The transfer rate is about 1 MB/sec in average, although the
    card works with 54MBit. Of course the rate seriously depends on the
    channel you use, for me channel 11 works fine.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="conclusion"></a>
  <h2>Conclusion</h2>
  <p>
    The WLAN-PCI-Card Allnet ALL0281 functions very well for me
    after the compilation of a new kernel patched with the madwifi-ng
    driver. With supported <abbr>WEP</abbr> and
    <abbr>WPA</abbr> encryption and a transfer rate near by 1 MB/sec
    it covers my needs.
  </p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="sources"></a>
  <h2>Sources</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <a href="http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo"
         target="_blank">http://madwifi.org/wiki/UserDocs/FirstTimeHowTo</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <a name="pictures"></a>
  <h2>Pictures</h2>
  <table class="gallery">
    <tr>
      <td>
        <a href="$home/projects/ALL0281_Linux/images/all0281_front2.jpg" target="_blank"
           ><img src="$home/projects/ALL0281_Linux/images/thumbs/all0281_front2.jpg"
                 width="160" height="120" alt="ALL0281 front side"></a>
        <br>
        front side
      </td>
      <td>
        <a href="$home/projects/ALL0281_Linux/images/all0281_back2.jpg" target="_blank"
           ><img src="$home/projects/ALL0281_Linux/images/thumbs/all0281_back2.jpg"
                 width="160" height="120" alt="ALL0281 back side"></a>
        <br>
        back side
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
  <p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>

<div class="content">
  <p>14. August 2006, http://www.pussep.de/anton/en/projects/ALL0281_Linux/index.html</p>
</div>