Re: [RFC] ar9170usb: add ar9170 usbid

[Christian Lamparter <chunkeey@googlemail.com>]

On Tuesday 15 September 2009 01:39:40 Stephen Chen wrote:
> Hi Christian,
> 
> I could not find this VID/PID in INF file in Windows release.
> This ID combination could be obsolete.

you can get their vendor driver from here:
http://www.tp-link.com/support/download.asp?a=1&m=TL-WN821N

-> Driver Files/XP/arusb_xp.inf
--- snip --- Driver Files/${OS}/arusb_${OS}.inf
%ATHR.DeviceDesc.9170%       = ATHRXP9170.ndi,    USB\VID_0CF3&PID_1002
ATHR.DeviceDesc.9170     = "TP-LINK TL-WN821N 11N Wireless Adapter"
--- snip ---

Looks like they are trying to hijack Atheros' usbid space
by assigning custom product IDs.

This can confuse the unsuspected user and maybe break some stuff.
I'm not joking, this is an accident waiting to happen! 
(see "rt2500usb vs. rt73usb" => http://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/45342/
 for how this can go wrong.)

For now, you/[Atheros] should add the PID to your win driver as well
(so it's marked as _used_) and get in touch with TP-Link to come up
with a way for vendors - w/o their own VID - to get custom PIDs.

Regards,
    Chr