Dropping ipw3945 from core

brain0 · 2008-03-31 11:18:20

After I discovered that my problems with the new Intel driver where related to dhclient and fixed the bug, I am now successfully using iwl3945 on my machine.

It seems to be working perfectly, so I am considering dropping ipw3945 from core/support with the 2.6.25 release (so there will be no new package versions after ipw3945-1.2.2-8). This is intended as a warning, but also as a question: Is there anyone who cannot use iwl3945 instead of ipw3945?

Allan · 2008-03-31 11:30:12

Hmmm, I need to try it out again with the latest kernel. The wifi LED didn't work last time I tried it (Dell Latitude D520) and that annoyed me enough to change back...

brain0 · 2008-03-31 12:18:41

Allan wrote:

Hmmm, I need to try it out again with the latest kernel. The wifi LED didn't work last time I tried it (Dell Latitude D520) and that annoyed me enough to change back...

The LED is not implemented in the current version. IIRC, it is implemented in 2.6.25, but I am not sure.

uastasi · 2008-03-31 15:30:15

brain0 wrote:

Is there anyone who cannot use iwl3945 instead of ipw3945?

Me, for example. Here it's a demonstration:

[root@theanswer ~]# iwlist wlan0 scan
wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:19:5B:F7:xx:xx
                    ESSID:"xxxxxxxxx"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:6
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Quality=76/100  Signal level=-58 dBm  Noise level=-127 dBm
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 22 Mb/s
                              6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s
                              36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=00000009c71e6e4a
[root@theanswer ~]# rmmod iwl3945 
[root@theanswer ~]# modprobe ipw3945 
[root@theanswer ~]# /etc/rc.d/ipw3945d start
:: Starting IPW3945d                                                     [DONE] 
[root@theanswer ~]# iwlist eth1 scan
eth1      Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:19:5B:F7:xx:xx
                    ESSID:"xxxxxxxxx"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11bg
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.437 GHz (Channel 6)
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                              11 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 22 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s
                              36 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Quality=76/100  Signal level=-58 dBm  Noise level=-58 dBm
                    Extra: Last beacon: 196ms ago
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:11:50:yy:yy:yy
                    ESSID:"yyyyyyyyyyy"
                    Protocol:IEEE 802.11g
                    Mode:Master
                    Frequency:2.432 GHz (Channel 5)
                    Encryption key:on
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                              11 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Quality=48/100  Signal level=-80 dBm  Noise level=-80 dBm
                    Extra: Last beacon: 223ms ago
[root@theanswer ~]#

If you want to know about some other annoying problems with iwl3945 read these ones:
http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/bugzi … le&id=1579
http://klamstwo.org/evad/archives/59
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-49 … 2cd4f27dbe

wuischke · 2008-03-31 16:05:17

I can (and do) use iwl3945, but only for 11g networks. Whilst the old driver worked with my router in 11a mode, the new one doesn't. (Unfortunately I have no other 11a network available to do tests.) For now I just use an 11g network instead, but I'm not happy about it.

But please feel free to drop ipw3945, I haven't been using it since short before the release of 2.6.24.

ibendiben · 2008-03-31 16:42:41

Allan wrote:

Hmmm, I need to try it out again with the latest kernel. The wifi LED didn't work last time I tried it (Dell Latitude D520) and that annoyed me enough to change back...

Apart from that it seems to run fine now (compaq 6710b).

Blind · 2008-03-31 18:53:07

brain0, you're right. Now it works very well - apart from the LED, of course, which I don't need anyways.

Kardell · 2008-04-02 22:30:21

uastasi wrote:

If you want to know about some other annoying problems with iwl3945 read these ones:
http://www.intellinuxwireless.org/bugzi … le&id=1579
http://klamstwo.org/evad/archives/59
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-49 … 2cd4f27dbe

True! Exactly, wifi interface and profile reanimation everytime after reboot or resume/hib.

darehanl · 2008-04-13 22:05:39

I just did a reinstall and iwl3945 failed to instantiate wlan0 (didn't even show up on "ifconfig -a"). Had to go back to ipw3945. I used to have iwl3945 working before the reinstall, although there were constant crashes during shutdown (wpa_supplicant, I think).

Nocturnal_Deviant · 2008-04-14 07:42:37

I had to go back to using iwp3945 as I found that the iwl3945 kept dropping the connection to my router. When I used it with other distro's before I moved to Arch iwp3945 was always more reliable than iwl3945. Hope thats of some use.

anespo · 2008-04-14 07:43:57

drop ipw3945 after release kernel 2.6.25, i agree or move for some time to [community] ?

Last edited by anespo (2008-04-14 08:08:52)

anespo · 2008-04-14 07:50:36

Note: 2.6.24 kernel driver iwl3945 is not good driver for WPA/WPA2. Kernel 2.6.24 use driver 1.1.17d, WPA was implemented from version 1.2.0+. Actual version of kernel 2.6.25 is 1.2.26k, and WPA/WPA2 works fine.

iphitus · 2008-04-14 08:03:27

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=46887

brain0 · 2008-04-14 08:34:53

anespo wrote:

Note: 2.6.24 kernel driver iwl3945 is not good driver for WPA/WPA2. Kernel 2.6.24 use driver 1.1.17d, WPA was implemented from version 1.2.0+. Actual version of kernel 2.6.25 is 1.2.26k, and WPA/WPA2 works fine.

That is simply not true. I used iwl3945 to connect to WPA network with version 0.something, one of the very early versions anyway. I had problems for other reasons and it wasn't very stable, but WPA definitely always worked with it. How can you say it wasn't implemented, when it worked from the very first version?

Anyway, we are talking about 2.6.25 here, and it includes version 1.2.23, which is very stable (the random connection drops which I experienced in 2.6.24 are completely gone). The only thing I still miss is the LED.

anespo · 2008-04-14 08:54:10

brain0 wrote:

anespo wrote:
Note: 2.6.24 kernel driver iwl3945 is not good driver for WPA/WPA2. Kernel 2.6.24 use driver 1.1.17d, WPA was implemented from version 1.2.0+. Actual version of kernel 2.6.25 is 1.2.26k, and WPA/WPA2 works fine.
That is simply not true. I used iwl3945 to connect to WPA network with version 0.something, one of the very early versions anyway. I had problems for other reasons and it wasn't very stable, but WPA definitely always worked with it. How can you say it wasn't implemented, when it worked from the very first version?
Anyway, we are talking about 2.6.25 here, and it includes version 1.2.23, which is very stable (the random connection drops which I experienced in 2.6.24 are completely gone). The only thing I still miss is the LED.

I use driver for WPA2 Enterprise (university net) and driver was not stable/usable, yes, driver can work with WEP/WPA, but massive enhancement for authenication was in 1.2.0 . I say not, that not working, but is not good for WPA/WPA2. :-)

I use driver before version 1.+ .

Changes in 1.2.0

* Update ISSUES file
* avoid firmware command sending if rfkill is enabled
* fix ucode assertion for RX queue overrun
* enhance WPA authenication stability # now driver works fine for WPA2/WPA2 Enterprise

This driver is very good. Sorry if i say any wrong. Yes, can't implemented. (My english is not good :-) )

.:B:. · 2008-04-14 09:47:27

anespo wrote:

Note: 2.6.24 kernel driver iwl3945 is not good driver for WPA/WPA2. Kernel 2.6.24 use driver 1.1.17d, WPA was implemented from version 1.2.0+. Actual version of kernel 2.6.25 is 1.2.26k, and WPA/WPA2 works fine.

Funny... I have been using iwlwifi (iwl3945 and now iwl4965 with my new laptop) ever since 2.6.24 came out and have no problems on my WPA2-only network.

Consider this also a statement about the functionality of the iwlwifi drivers ;-).

anespo · 2008-04-14 09:57:41

B wrote:

anespo wrote:
Note: 2.6.24 kernel driver iwl3945 is not good driver for WPA/WPA2. Kernel 2.6.24 use driver 1.1.17d, WPA was implemented from version 1.2.0+. Actual version of kernel 2.6.25 is 1.2.26k, and WPA/WPA2 works fine.
Funny... I have been using iwlwifi (iwl3945 and now iwl4965 with my new laptop) ever since 2.6.24 came out and have no problems on my WPA2-only network.
Consider this also a statement about the functionality of the iwlwifi drivers ;-).

:-) lot of people have trouble...

.:B:. · 2008-04-14 10:16:18

I can only talk for myself of course .

nDray · 2008-04-14 14:22:50

I have been using iwlwifi almost since it hit the core, but with the kernel update to 2.6.24 i seriously lost stability... It's still usable, and it won't be any problem to loose ipw3945 once improved versions of iwlwifi are available...

I never really noticed the LED... Never look at it....

sH · 2008-04-14 15:31:20

For some time ipw3945 is not reconnecting from resume/hibernate. I tried out iwl3945 and it works flawlessly. I've read that LED functionality is now included in the kernel tree and should be functioning. But from my experience (i installed wireless-compat.tar.gz from linux wireless site) that driver at the moment doesnt work for me at all.

cnshzj007 · 2008-04-14 15:51:44

To drop ipw3945 may be the better choice. It can not be stable with amule working more than 3 hours.

tanis · 2008-04-16 02:13:48

I can't get ipw3945 to work properly with networkmanager.
But when I use just net-profile scripts it works very very stable.
I can't say this about iwl3945 - it works with networkmanager, which is very nice,
but sometimes it just crashes. Just now I got disconnected and couldn't reconnect to anything
unless I removed the module and reinserted it.

I have a dmesg log of that situation, but this is probably not the right place to post it (which one is?)
Anyway, my point is that iwl3945 is not stable enought yet (and from reading this topic I am not the only one),
so maybe it would be good to leave ipw3945 in the repository for a while?

uastasi · 2008-04-16 14:52:49

tanis wrote:

I have a dmesg log of that situation, but this is probably not the right place to post it (which one is?)
Anyway, my point is that iwl3945 is not stable enought yet (and from reading this topic I am not the only one),
so maybe it would be good to leave ipw3945 in the repository for a while?

Report a bug here
- look for existing ones

brain0 · 2008-04-17 12:23:35

tanis wrote:

Just now I got disconnected and couldn't reconnect to anything
unless I removed the module and reinserted it.
I have a dmesg log of that situation, but this is probably not the right place to post it (which one is?)
Anyway, my point is that iwl3945 is not stable enought yet (and from reading this topic I am not the only one),
so maybe it would be good to leave ipw3945 in the repository for a while?

It would be pointless, as the driver in 2.6.24 is hopelessly out of date. 2.6.25 has a much more advanced and stable version of iwlwifi.

floke · 2008-04-17 12:46:30

All sorts of nonsense with iwl3945 - first it wouldn't work, then it did but I had shutdown crashes, then it stopped working so I went back to ipw.

Not good at my end.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-03-31 11:18:20

Dropping ipw3945 from core

#2 2008-03-31 11:30:12

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#3 2008-03-31 12:18:41

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#4 2008-03-31 15:30:15

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#5 2008-03-31 16:05:17

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#6 2008-03-31 16:42:41

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#7 2008-03-31 18:53:07

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#8 2008-04-02 22:30:21

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#9 2008-04-13 22:05:39

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#10 2008-04-14 07:42:37

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#11 2008-04-14 07:43:57

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#12 2008-04-14 07:50:36

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#13 2008-04-14 08:03:27

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#14 2008-04-14 08:34:53

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#15 2008-04-14 08:54:10

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#16 2008-04-14 09:47:27

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#17 2008-04-14 09:57:41

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#18 2008-04-14 10:16:18

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#19 2008-04-14 14:22:50

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#20 2008-04-14 15:31:20

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#21 2008-04-14 15:51:44

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#22 2008-04-16 02:13:48

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#23 2008-04-16 14:52:49

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#24 2008-04-17 12:23:35

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

#25 2008-04-17 12:46:30

Re: Dropping ipw3945 from core

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