# WLAN zd1211 doesnt create interfaces

## Progman

Hi

I downloaded and installed the zd1211 wlan drivers to get my internal USB2 WLAN card worked. So I loaded the module via modprobe.

```
modprobe zd1211
```

dmesg shows:

```
...

zd1211 - version 5000

usbcore: registered new driver zd1211
```

I expect to get a new interface like wlan0 or so, but... it doesn't. The command iwconfig shows

```
eth0      no wireless extensions.

lo        no wireless extensions.

sit0      no wireless extensions.

```

(whatever sit0 is...)

So, where is my new interface?

----------

## Mord

It might be sit0.

Anyway, when I installed this module, no wireless extensions showed until I gave it an ip address with ifconfig.

----------

## Progman

 *Mord wrote:*   

> It might be sit0.
> 
> Anyway, when I installed this module, no wireless extensions showed until I gave it an ip address with ifconfig.

 

It doesn't work for me. After I set the sit0 interface up with

```
ifconfig sit0 192.168.0.99 up
```

 ifconfig shows me

```
sit0      Link encap:IPv6-in-IPv4

          inet addr:192.168.0.99  Mask:255.255.255.0

          inet6 addr: ::192.168.0.29/96 Scope:Compat

          inet6 addr: ::127.0.0.1/96 Scope:Unknown

          inet6 addr: ::192.168.0.99/96 Scope:Compat

          UP RUNNING NOARP  MTU:1480  Metric:1

          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0

          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

```

An "IPv6-in-IPv4" interface doesn't look like a wireless interface, as iwconfig shows:

```
eth0      no wireless extensions.

lo        no wireless extensions.

sit0      no wireless extensions.

```

----------

## Mord

That was just a guess.

I was ecstatic when I got my zd1211 unit working (X-Micro 802.11g), but its extremely flaky and I have no reliable way of getting it working again once it stops.  So far, the only method that's worked is a seemingly random combination of removing, inserting, module unloading, loading, interface restarting, and even rebooting.

I'm quite dissappointed.  And the driver itself doesn't help much at all.  Its log output of the driver is very sparse and not much help.

----------

## Captain Queezy

I'm also having the same problem.  Did you have to set up anything special in the kernel (besides the wireless ham radio setting)?  I can't seem to get it to work, and am wondering if maybe i've done something wrong.

Are you saying the only solution is to reboot over and over until it begins to work?  I've been trying to unload and reload the zd1211 driver, but this doesn't have any success for me.

Please let me know if anyone has had any real success with this.

----------

## tartoo

 *Progman wrote:*   

> 
> 
> So, where is my new interface?

 

Check /proc/net/wireless:

```
sticky# cat /proc/net/wireless

Inter-| sta-|   Quality        |   Discarded packets               | Missed | WE

 face | tus | link level noise |  nwid  crypt   frag  retry   misc | beacon | 17

 wlan0: 0000   68.   31.  161.       0      0      0      0      0        0

```

That tells me I have one wireless adapter recognized, 'wlan0'.

For the record, my "Hawking Technology HWU54G" 802.11b/g USB dongle seems to be

working fine now with net-wireless/zd1211-20050315 under hardened-sources-2.6.11-r13.

It wasn't accepting any wireless extension commands until I configured a temporary

IP address via 'ifconfig wlan0 inet 192.168.111.1' -- after I gave it an IP address, any

IP address, I could set the ESSID and WEP I wanted with iwconfig.  Thanks for that tip, Mord.

----------

## yoda@gentoo

i got the same problem...

but i can't run :

```
cat /proc/net/wireless
```

i don't have /proc/net/wireless, need to install something ?

i can do ifconfig :

```
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:0D:3A:BB:27:06

          inet addr:192.168.1.2  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:3835 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:3506 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100

          RX bytes:293090 (286.2 Kb)  TX bytes:475200 (464.0 Kb)

          Interrupt:4 Base address:0x5000

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback

          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0

          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1

          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0

          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:13:49:06:87:24

          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:100

          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

```

but still no IP when i try to do /etc/init.d/net.wlan0

```
bringing wlan0 up                         [OK]
```

ohh yes, and: iwconfig wlan0, gets me :

```
wlan0     no wireless extensions.
```

----------

## tartoo

 *yoda@gentoo wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> cat /proc/net/wireless
> ```
> ...

 

You need to have wireless support enabled in your kernel:

```
$ grep CONFIG_NET_RADIO /usr/src/linux/.config

CONFIG_NET_RADIO=y

```

```
Support for wireless LANs and everything having to do with radio,

but not with amateur radio or FM broadcasting.

Saying Y here also enables the Wireless Extensions (creates

/proc/net/wireless and enables iwconfig access).

Symbol: NET_RADIO [=y]

Prompt: Wireless LAN drivers (non-hamradio) & Wireless Extensions

   Defined at drivers/net/wireless/Kconfig:8

   Depends on: NETDEVICES

   Location:

     -> Device Drivers

       -> Networking support

         -> Network device support (NETDEVICES [=y])

           -> Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)
```

That might be a large part of the problem you're having getting wireless to work.  :)

----------

## Tuna

the zd1211 project is in a very early stage (or idle stage more likely..) and they havnt releases any decent files yet. so you should grab your hands on the current CVS version of the driver. ensure your devices's usb ids are listed in the sources and if they are not, add them to the list of devices. the project team does not have much different hardware so it is likely your usb id is missing. your device will not be recognized until you add them to the list then. once you load the module you have to "ifconfig wlan0 up" to enable the wireless extension on the device. im not sure if that is a limitation or just bad driver behaviour: the wireless extension will only be available if the device is up! so dont even try setting an essid before the device is up.

----------

## mlybarger

curious if anyone has gotten wep working with this card/driver?  i have a hawking usb card that i have working, but only when my router is wide open.  i'm using the cvs version of the zd1211 driver.  here's the non commented lines from my /etc/conf.d/wireless

```

sleep_scan_wlan0="2"

scan_mode_wlan0="Ad-Hoc"

key_home="s:aa2b-9999-99 enc open"

preferred_aps=( "home" "away" "work")

```

the key is probably missing something. i've also tried:

key_home="open aa2b-9999-99"

but that doesn't seem to work either.

----------

## Tuna

zd1211 development is splitted in different efforts right now. if you have problems i suggest to try the driver at http://zd1211.ath.cx/ . this driver is build upon the newest driver released by zydas (yes they reently released a driver on their own too) including some patches. this driver is said to support WPA aswell.

----------

