Arch Linux

Hy Ginsberg

Member

From: Massachusetts

Registered: 2008-08-22

Posts: 74

Website

TP-LINK TL-821N wireless adapter support

Hi All,

Responses to a recent post (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144133) suggest that the TP-LINK TL-821N wireless usb adapter is popular.  But there are also recent posts suggesting that there have been problems with it since kernel 3.4:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143848
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143937
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143912
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143710

Also, it appears that setting the adapter to promiscuous mode "fixes" the problem: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p1120866

My questions:

1) Is anyone successfully using this adapter with kernel 3.4 without this workaround?

2) Is there a performance penalty to setting promiscuous mode (in particular in a situation where other computers connect to the same wireless router)?

(And if the answers are (1) No and (2) Yes, does anyone know of any plans to find and fix the underlying problem?)

Many thanks.

- Hy

stevepa

Member

From: Texas USA

Registered: 2012-02-12

Posts: 113

Re: TP-LINK TL-821N wireless adapter support

Hi All,

Responses to a recent post (https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144133) suggest that the TP-LINK TL-821N wireless usb adapter is popular.  But there are also recent posts suggesting that there have been problems with it since kernel 3.4:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143848
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143937
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143912
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=143710

Also, it appears that setting the adapter to promiscuous mode "fixes" the problem: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p1120866

My questions:

1) Is anyone successfully using this adapter with kernel 3.4 without this workaround?

2) Is there a performance penalty to setting promiscuous mode (in particular in a situation where other computers connect to the same wireless router)?

(And if the answers are (1) No and (2) Yes, does anyone know of any plans to find and fix the underlying problem?)

Many thanks.

- Hy

Answer to Nbr 1: Yes. No workaround needed as I don't have your problem.
Answer to Nbr 2: n/a

Briefly here were my issues: 1) On a longstanding, fully updated Arch install, device quit working, 2) For a new install, device otherwise ok, but will not connect to Starbucks or McDonalds (both ESSID "attwifi"), home wpa2 wifi ok. For both, No resolution or workarounds found. My advice: look elsewhere for a device, but you may have better luck than I did. Hope so. Good luck.

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Arch - LVM - ext4 - gnome (T60p 14.1 1400p  x86_64), (T60 15 flexview 1400p i686)

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,607

Re: TP-LINK TL-821N wireless adapter support

As I mentioned in one of those threads, the ath9k_htc driver in kernel 3.4 has a bug. Either compile your own kernel and apply the patch that fixes it, or use the lts kernel, and you shouldn't have problems.

vance

Member

From: west coast

Registered: 2012-03-15

Posts: 2

Re: TP-LINK TL-821N wireless adapter support

I checked the capatability lists and found TL-WN722N ( a high gain w/ external antenna) works and I can vouch for this. It's plug and play on my box. $15.

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gpg 2048R/A5174790 | 2012-02-26