# Prism54 firmware upload problem [solved!]

## sabaisabai

Hi,

my wireless card has been working flawlessly for the last two years, but stopped working after an 'emerge uD world'.  I can't see anything in the latest update that's tripping it up though.  The card is a  Netgear WG511 made in Taiwan.  Here's what happens when I try to bring it up:

# ifconfig eth0 up

SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory [and no activity in the wireless status lights]

Various config info follows:

dmesg shows:

eth0: islpci_open()

eth0: resetting device...

eth0: uploading firmware...

prism54: request_firmware() failed for 'isl3890'

eth0: could not upload firmware ('isl3890')

ls -l /lib/firmware shows:

-rw-r--r--  1 root root 93996 Jan 22 21:39 isl3890

lspci shows:

03:00.0 Network controller: Intersil Corporation ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette] (rev 01)

iwconfig shows:

eth0      NOT READY!  ESSID:off/any

          Mode:Managed  Channel:6  Access Point: 00:00:00:00:00:00

          Tx-Power=31 dBm   Sensitivity=0/200

          Retry min limit:0   RTS thr=0 B   Fragment thr=0 B

          Encryption key:off

          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0

          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

prism54 support is compiled into the kernel, though I've also tried it as a module with the same result.  

Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers,

BenLast edited by sabaisabai on Tue Jan 31, 2006 6:46 am; edited 1 time in total

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## Schmolch

same problem if i build it into the kernel.

as module it wont even load.

[update]

maybe not the exact same problem but check this out:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-424180-highlight-.html

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## sabaisabai

Thanks for the heads-up Schmolch.  The problem on my side though isn't loading the module (it loads fine), but instead the uploading of the firmware to the wireless card via hotplug.  I still haven't got it working a week after posting this topic.     :Sad: 

I'm optimistic that the card is close to working, since dmesg reports the following when I plug the card in:

eth1: prism54 driver detected card model: Netgear WG511

Now if only ifconfig eth0 up would work!

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## Schmolch

Sabaisabai, i pasted my kernel-config here:

http://pastebin.com/528828

Maybe you can find something you are missing in the firmware, hotplug or network sections.

If you have prism54-firmware emerged and its still not loading it there must be some other reason why it fails.

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## sabaisabai

Thanks Schmolch.. still no luck though.

Cheers.

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## sabaisabai

I just discovered this morning that USB devices also weren't working (/dev/sda1 wasn't appearing as usual upon plugging in a device).  It turns out the solution was to revert to udev-070-r1 from udev-079-r1.  Nicely enough that's fixed my wifi card too.  I'm rapt  :Smile: 

Thanks for your help Schmolch.  I hope this thread and solution helps somebody else out in Gentoo-land.

[edit]Not sure how big a factor this is, but FYI my kernel is 2.6.7-gentoo-r6.  It's relatively old for a 2.6.* kernel, but my system vomits blood if I try newer kernels.[/edit]

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