11. ath5k module vs. MadWifi

[Kevin Mifsud]

I have had no problems at all with ath5k on an AR5007EG card in an ACER Aspire 5100 laptop. I only use the same network with a 128bit WEP key and I don't use NetworkManager.

Your system isn't trying to load both ath5k and ath_pci by any chance?


> Message: 11
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:41:04 -0400
> From: Scott Robbins <scottro at nyc.rr.com>
> Subject: ath5k module vs. MadWifi 
> To: fedora-test-list at redhat.com
> Message-ID: <20081101034104.GA8554 at mail.scottro.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
> 
> I am wondering, for those who have an AR5007EG card, if
> they are finding
> that lately (perhaps 2 updates or so ago) that they are
> better off
> reverting to the MadWifi drivers.  
> 
> My results are not consistent.  I imagine there are various
> differences
> in the chipsets that I'm missing, but with two Acer
> laptops, one the
> Aspire One, I get different results.  With the 4720z, the
> latest kernels
> and ath5k module works without any issues.  On the AA1, it
> will
> sometimes show nothing if doing iwlist scan, and other
> times, though it
> will show available networks, will not get a DHCP address,
> nor work with
> a statically assigned address.  I don't use
> NetworkManager, I configure
> it manually, so that shouldn't be a factor. 
> 
> I note that the latest Ubuntu is disabling the ath5k module
> by default,
> saying, in their release notes, that it will conflict with
> the MadWifi
> driver--however, they seem a bit ambiguous as to which
> works better.
> (They say that with some of the chipsets, the MadWifi
> won't work with
> WPA, or maybe WPA2.)  In that case, one wonders why they
> are disabling
> the ath5k instead of encouraging people to use it--this is
> why I felt it
> was a bit ambiguous, they just suggest that if your MadWifi
> driver isn't
> working, install a backports modules with updated ath5k
> drivers. 
> 
> The 4720z is working well with the ath5k.  So this might be
> some issue
> with the AA1, however, I have a few installations on this
> machine--those
> that are using the MadWifi driver connect without issue,
> while Rawhide
> isn't. 
> 
> So, I'm wondering what other people are experiencing. 
> Is the ath5k
> working for you?  
> 
> Thanks for any input--please note that at present, this is
> a fairly
> trivial question as it's quite easy to blacklist and
> put in the MadWifi
> driver.  Then, I uninstall it and put back the ath5k with
> each update.