[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Arun Govindan]

Hello,

I'm trying to bring up ath9k in AP mode with DWA-556 PCI-x card. I see three options to compile and test ath9k:

1. Download the kernel source code and build. But this means that I need to rebuild kernel every time make changes.

2. compat-wireless

3. wireless-testing

My questions is that whether compat-wireless and wireless-testing are two different versions or the same? Which one is better?

Also please point me to documents on how to setup Ath9k in AP mode.

Thanks,
Arun
 		 	   		   		 	   		  
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[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Pat Erley]

On 04/10/10 02:54, Arun Govindan wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I'm trying to bring up ath9k in AP mode with DWA-556 PCI-x card. I see
> three options to compile and test ath9k:
> 
> 1. Download the kernel source code and build. But this means that I need
> to rebuild kernel every time make changes.
> 
> 2. compat-wireless
> 
> 3. wireless-testing
> 
> My questions is that whether compat-wireless and wireless-testing are
> two different versions or the same? Which one is better?
> 
> Also please point me to documents on how to setup Ath9k in AP mode.
> 
> Thanks,
> Arun
> 

Arun,

compat-wireless is just a way to use the wireless drivers from wireless-next (I believe) with older kernels, and is generally the 'best' way to get the drivers, especially if you choose a snapshot from a stable kernel release.  The drivers that ship with each kernel should 'just work' always, and then you can choose to stick with those drivers, if they work for you, or update to more recent ones to gain bug fixes, and new features.  Many (most?) distros provide these drivers as backports, so you might look into that option, depending on your particular needs and what distro you run.

As far as running ath9k in master mode:

http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Documentation/hostapd

That should be all you need.  I've run ath9k as an AP for a long time now (since before that page was authored), and when I was first setting it up, that page would have been insanely valuable to me.  

Pat Erley

[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Arun Govindan]

Thanks Pat. I even looked at  the document you(assumption!) have at acx100.erley.org/stable.html. Thanks again.

    
I do have some follow up questions as I gather more info:

1. Why I can't bring up a card in AP mode without hostapd? Why hostapd is a must even while I'm not planning on using any authentication?

2. Is there any document that depicts the relationship between ath9k, nl80211, mac80211 and hostapd? 

Regards,
Arun
  
> Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:07:07 -0400
> From: pat-lkml at erley.org
> To: arunz at hotmail.com
> CC: ath9k-devel at lists.ath9k.org
> Subject: Re: [ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question
> 
> On 04/10/10 02:54, Arun Govindan wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I'm trying to bring up ath9k in AP mode with DWA-556 PCI-x card. I see
> > three options to compile and test ath9k:
> > 
> > 1. Download the kernel source code and build. But this means that I need
> > to rebuild kernel every time make changes.
> > 
> > 2. compat-wireless
> > 
> > 3. wireless-testing
> > 
> > My questions is that whether compat-wireless and wireless-testing are
> > two different versions or the same? Which one is better?
> > 
> > Also please point me to documents on how to setup Ath9k in AP mode.
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > Arun
> > 
> 
> Arun,
> 
> compat-wireless is just a way to use the wireless drivers from wireless-next (I believe) with older kernels, and is generally the 'best' way to get the drivers, especially if you choose a snapshot from a stable kernel release.  The drivers that ship with each kernel should 'just work' always, and then you can choose to stick with those drivers, if they work for you, or update to more recent ones to gain bug fixes, and new features.  Many (most?) distros provide these drivers as backports, so you might look into that option, depending on your particular needs and what distro you run.
> 
> As far as running ath9k in master mode:
> 
> http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Documentation/hostapd
> 
> That should be all you need.  I've run ath9k as an AP for a long time now (since before that page was authored), and when I was first setting it up, that page would have been insanely valuable to me.  
> 
> Pat Erley
 		 	   		  
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[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Joerg Pommnitz]

Arun Govindan <arunz <at> hotmail.com> writes:
> 1. Why I can't bring up a card in AP mode without hostapd? 
> Why hostapd is a must even while I'm not planning on using 
> any authentication?

Because the required functionality is not part of the mac80211
kernel code.
See http://www.haifux.org/lectures/206/wirelessLec.pdf for more
information.

Regards
  Joerg

[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Ben Gamari]

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:24:51 +0530, Arun Govindan <arunz@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm trying to bring up ath9k in AP mode with DWA-556 PCI-x card. I see three options to compile and test ath9k:
> 
> 1. Download the kernel source code and build. But this means that I need to rebuild kernel every time make changes.
> 
Personally, I would just go with this option. I haven't had any issues with
hosting an AP on 2.6.33.
> 
> Also please point me to documents on how to setup Ath9k in AP mode.

You'll need to familiarize yourself with hostap.
Cheers,

- Ben

[ath9k-devel] Ath9k - Newbie question

[Rakesh Kumar]

On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 11:39 AM, Ben Gamari <bgamari.foss@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:24:51 +0530, Arun Govindan <arunz@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I'm trying to bring up ath9k in AP mode with DWA-556 PCI-x card. I see
> three options to compile and test ath9k:
> >
> > 1. Download the kernel source code and build. But this means that I need
> to rebuild kernel every time make changes.
> >
> Personally, I would just go with this option. I haven't had any issues with
> hosting an AP on 2.6.33.
> >
> > Also please point me to documents on how to setup Ath9k in AP mode.
>
> You'll need to familiarize yourself with hostap.
> Cheers,
>
>

+1.
Use code from git:
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/git-guide
Use hostapd: http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Documentation/hostapd

Remember to enable 80211n related config option in the .config that you'd
use to build the hostapd.

<http://wireless.kernel.org/en/developers/Documentation/git-guide>
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