Re: D-Link DWL-650

[Nick Holland <nick@holland-consulting.net>]

Dom De Vitto wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> Now I've bought one of these too (nb, *not* a '+'/22mb version), I'm
> keen to get it working under OpenBSD (works fine under W2k on same
> machine).
> 
> FYI,
> All the Kismet docs seem to imply it should work:
> <http://www.kismetwireless.net/cards.shtml>
> As does the docs for the thing itself, for linux:
> <http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=462&question=dwl-650>
> <http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=357&question=dwl-650>
> 
> As the pictures exactly match when I have, e.g. the antenna is
> rectangular,
> not fan-shaped. I'm pretty sure what I've got and dlink say it's
> Intersil Prism2 based. 

No, unfortunately it is the FAN-shaped antennas which are wi(4)s --
got two of 'em, they work great for OpenBSD.  Just saw the retangular
antenna last weekend, almost bought it out of curiosity, sounds like
you clearly have Something Different.

*sigh*
Here I was saying nice things about dLink for at least putting
different model numbers on their cards when they change 'em.  Jerks.

> Even if not (as the dmesg indicates it's an
> ADMtek), the ADM site says it supports Linux:
> <http://www.admtek.com.tw/products/ADM8211.htm>
> assuming (aka guessing) that the 8201 is the sister to the 8211.

1) this isn't Linux...  Sometimes "supporting Linux" means "here's a
binary that works with our chip.  Aren't we great people?".  Useless
for OpenBSD (or even a later version of Linux).
2) saying they do, and really doing it are VERY different things
(Right, Sun?)
3) in a fairly quick glance at their website, they don't back up their
statement with docs or code for the chips in question.
4) assuming the 8201 is the same (driver-wise) as the 8211 is not
wise.  After all, the DWL-650 isn't even the same as the DWL-650!

> My dmesg is below, so does anyone have any ideas, before I start
> disabling stuff in the BIOS in case it's just a IRQ conflict thing...

It isn't.  The ADMtek chips are known beasts out there...we don't have
drivers, and last Todd Miller has said, we don't have docs.  Nothing
in your BIOS is going to turn a Prism2 into an ADMtek or visa-versa.

> OpenBSD 3.2 (GENERIC) #25: Thu Oct  3 19:51:53 MDT 2002
>     deraadt@i386.openbsd.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC
...
> (manufacturer 0x0, product 0x0) vendor "ADMtek", unknown product 0x8201
> (class network, subclass miscellaneous, rev 0x11) at cardbus1 dev 0
> function 0 not configured

In the case of ADMtek and TI, neither has made promises of being
open-source friendly, so we can't blame them too much...however, you
can certainly feel free to beat on vendors who replace useful products
with useless products.  Return the thing, demand a FULL refund, no
restocking fee.  After all, you bought it in good faith -- you checked
the model number, they changed the spec of the product.  Make sure
they understand why.  Write letters to the vendors -- at least if they
change the design, GIVE IT A NEW MODEL NUMBER, DAMMIT!  And make it
clear that your purchase of their products is dependant upon their
supporting -- or at least, not obstructing -- open source OS support. 
And point out that ONE card in ONE OpenBSD machine may act as an
access point for a whole bunch of other machines...which won't be
getting wireless cards at all without good OpenBSD support.

(how'd I end up on this soap box?)

Nick.
-- 
http://www.holland-consulting.net