# Errors with prism54 module

## kwiqsilver

I'm trying to set up a prism54 based 802.11g card.

I get the module to load, but when I try to start the connection I get this in /var/log/messages:

```
May 17 13:52:10 shadowcat eth2: resetting device...

May 17 13:52:10 shadowcat eth2: uploading firmware...

May 17 13:52:10 shadowcat eth2: firmware version: 1.0.4.3

May 17 13:52:10 shadowcat eth2: firmware upload complete

May 17 13:52:11 shadowcat eth2: no 'reset complete' IRQ seen - retrying

May 17 13:52:12 shadowcat eth2: no 'reset complete' IRQ seen - retrying

May 17 13:52:12 shadowcat eth2: interface reset failure

May 17 13:52:12 shadowcat prism54: Your card/socket may be faulty, or IRQ line too busy :(

May 17 13:52:12 shadowcat eth2: prism54_set_txpower() auto power will be implemented later.

May 17 13:52:22 shadowcat eth2: prism54_set_txpower() auto power will be implemented later.

May 17 13:52:22 shadowcat rc-scripts: Failed to configure wireless for eth2
```

The card is on IRQ 10, according to lspci -v, but so are another network card and both USB controllers. Is that possibly the issue? Can I somehow force a different IRQ for it?

Thanks.

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## Minos

Try using an older firmware.  I had some problems with 1.0.4.3 (don't remember if they were the same as what you're seeing), but now that I'm using 1.0.3.0, it works just fine.

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## kwiqsilver

I tried that, but I still get the same error about the IRQ.

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## kwiqsilver

Here's my /proc/interrupts file:

```
           CPU0

  0:  173240843          XT-PIC  timer

  1:       1446          XT-PIC  i8042

  2:          0          XT-PIC  cascade

  7:          0          XT-PIC  ehci_hcd

  9:          0          XT-PIC  acpi

 10:   14595026          XT-PIC  uhci_hcd, uhci_hcd, eth2, eth1

 11:    2395067          XT-PIC  uhci_hcd, eth0

 14:     885819          XT-PIC  ide0

NMI:          0

ERR:          0
```

I have three devices on 10. Could I somehow force eth2 to go elsewhere?

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## laurentgedm

kwiqsilver,

did you find a solution to this problem? i'm getting exactly the same error...

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## widan

 *kwiqsilver wrote:*   

> I'm trying to set up a prism54 based 802.11g card.
> 
> I get the module to load, but when I try to start the connection I get this in /var/log/messages:
> 
> ```
> ...

 

There are two kinds of prism54 cards: the "full mac" ones, that are well supported, and the newer "soft mac" ones, that are not supported at the moment. Most/all of the new cards you can buy now will unfortunately feature the "soft mac" chip (as it costs less to manufacture). On cards with "soft mac", the prism54 driver generates these errors (as it tries to upload a "full mac" firmware, that the "soft mac" chip can't handle, as it has less firmware RAM, and so it doesn't work).

From the prism54.org web site:

 *Quote:*   

> We have a problem. Manufacturers started buying the SoftMAC chipsets, which are not yet supported and may never be, as drop-in-replacements for the FullMAC chipsets without changing PCI IDs and apparantly sometimes not changing even the FCC ID. That said, you are better off first testing a card before buying it. If you can't test a card and want linux support, I can recommend you just not buy a prism 802.11g based chipset for now.

 

Even if it's a less-than-ideal solution, ndiswrapper should get the card to work. There are people working on support for "soft mac" cards here, but it's in the very early stages.

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## laurentgedm

Thanks for that (sad) information.

Is there a way to know exactly what wlan controller is in the computer?

It's for my sister's PC and i don't know the exact specifications...

lspci only tells me the chipset, but for ndiswrapper you need to know exactly what card it is, right?

(sorry, i don't know much about all this)

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## echo6

Thanks widan for the explanation,  I've just gone through the pain of installing what is obviously a softMAC Netgeat WG511.   I found this post after I got the same IRQ error.

laurentgedm,  you should get the card working with ndiswrapper,  it only requires two Window's driver files *.sys and *.inf.

Identiyfing if your device has SoftMAC or HardMAC is difficult,  for the Netgear I found a post here which basically states if it is made in China it is SoftMAC,  if it is made in Taiwan it is HardMAC.   As that link suggests you can check out the box to check the origin of the device,  or if you already have the card it is on the underside at the bottom.

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## Starcub

I'm having the exact same problem with my WG511.  My card says it was made in Taiwan.  I've used it fine in other distro's before so I know it can work with Linux.  My guess is that it needs an older firmware file.

-----------------------------------

Update:  just tried 1.0.3.0, and still same problem

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## milothurston

Am I correct in assuming that the following (made in China) card is unsupported?

```

05:00.0 Network controller: Intersil Corporation ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette]/ISL3886 [Prism Javelin/Prism Xbow] (rev 01)

```

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