Arch Linux

edumstpu

Member

Registered: 2013-03-05

Posts: 10

rt2x00 module patch

Hi there. I bought a Ralink Wireless adaptor, more specifically, the chipset 5390. I was trying to create two virtual interfaces, one to use as a station and connect to an existing Wireless network and a second one as an AP to create my own network using hostapd.

After checking iw list results I realized I could not make that combination, as follows:

 valid interface combinations:
         * #{ AP, mesh point } <= 8,
           total <= 8, #channels <= 1

By further investigating I found out that some people reported that by patching the rt2x00 kernel module it was possible to make this work. So I decided to try this patch and was suprised to see that it worked. Now the result of iw list states

  valid interface combinations:
                 * #{ managed, AP, mesh point } <= 8,
                   total <= 8, #channels <= 1

More important than that, I could successfully use the adapter to connect to another network and to create my own.

I believe this is a very useful patch and that should be applied in the mainstream kernel, but I am concerned that this is an unified module for all the Ralink devices, thus, some other chipsets may not offer the same possibility. In fact, some people reported that even after using the patch, although it lists the combination of interfaces as valid, it doesn't work in practice.

So my question is, is it possible to apply this patch only to a specific set of Ralink chipsets? I do not have any experience at all in kernel modding, so I would not know where to begin.

Last edited by edumstpu (2015-05-23 23:48:08)