# 2200BG doesn't work on my notebook? But why?

## bacardischmal

Hello,

I've got a 2200BG (iwp2200) installed in my notebook and managed to get her recognized by the system. 

But if I want to set up an Ap I won't get a connection and the quality displayed is zero.

I've thinking about:  eth1      unassociated  ESSID:off/any

Does anybody have an idea how to solve this?

Regards

bacardi

ieee80211 version 1.1.12 

ipw2200 version 1.0.11-r1

ipw2200-firmware version 2.4 

wireless-tools version 28_pre13 

Kernel: 2.6.15-gentoo-r1

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> Linux-L ~ # ifconfig -a
> 
> eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:08:0D:56:5B:0C
> ...

 Last edited by bacardischmal on Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:35 pm; edited 2 times in total

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## unclecharlie

bacardischmal,

read /etc/conf.d/wireless.example and make your own /etc/conf.d/wireless file.

then make sure that /etc/init.d/net.eth1 points to /etc/init.d/net.lo (via ln -s /etc/init.d/net.lo /etc/init.d/net.eth1)

from there you should just be able to do-

/etc/init.d/net.eth1 start

hope this helps,

Charlie

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## no_hope

what does your dmesg  say?

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## bacardischmal

Hello,

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> Linux-L ~ # /etc/init.d/net.eth1 start
> 
>  * Starting eth1
> ...

  *Quote:*   

> dmesg
> 
> MPC0 MPC1  LAN VIY0 VIY1  COM USB1 USB2 USB3 AMDM  LID
> 
> ACPI: (supports S0 S3 S4 S5)
> ...

  *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> /etc/conf.d/wireless
> 
> essid_eth1="linksys"
> ...

 

Regards 

bacardiLast edited by bacardischmal on Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:00 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## TerranAce007

Currnetly, I cannot get my wireless working with any 2.6.15 kernel. I've tried r1, r4, and now r5, but I just ended up downgrading back to 2.6.14-r5 until the issue is resolved. I had the same problems when 2.6.13 and 2.6.14 first came out.

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## no_hope

 *TerranAce007 wrote:*   

> Currnetly, I cannot get my wireless working with any 2.6.15 kernel. I've tried r1, r4, and now r5, but I just ended up downgrading back to 2.6.14-r5 until the issue is resolved. I had the same problems when 2.6.13 and 2.6.14 first came out.

 

I have a 2915 a/b/g and it works with vanilla 2.16.15.1 and emerged ipw2200.

My card is very finicky when it comes to using iwconfig. Basically, I have to issue all commands using a single iwconfig invocation. If I omit anything, the card won't associate. Here's what I do to get it to work

```
modprobe ipw2200 hwcrypto=0 #current firmware's crypto is broken

iwconfig eth1 essid tsunami mode managed channel 1

```

"channel 1" is the tricky part. Without it the card will go to "frequency 0" and may not work if channel is changed later.

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## unclecharlie

bacardischmal,

have you tried just -

```

#/etc/conf.d/wireless

essid_eth1="any"

```

for /etc/conf.d/wireless?

Charlie

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## bacardischmal

yes, i've tried it but it takes no effect

and this is strange: eth1 unassociated

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## unclecharlie

bacardischmal,

Have you tried unemerging ieee80211 and ipw2200 and just using the in-kernel modules?

I was running the gentoo packages for both before 2.6.15. But as of 2.6.15, the built-in kernel modules are recent. to do this you need to-

```

cd /usr/src/linux

cp .config ..

emerge -C ipw2200

emerge -C ieee80211

emerge gentoo-sources

cp -f ../.config ./

```

The emerge gentoo-sources is because the ieee80211 package mangles the kernel source. The cp .config lines are because I'm not sure whether it gets erased during the reemerge. (might be redundant  :Wink:  )

Then you do-

```
cd /usr/src/linux

make menuconfig

```

The options you need are-

Networking->Generic IEEE80211 Stack and the options underneath for WEP/WPA. These may be built as modules or directly into the kernel.

Device Drivers->Network device support->Wireless LAN(Non-hamradio)->Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG and 2915 ABG Network Connection. MUST be built as a module!

Cryptographic Options-> The above ieee80211 setup should automatically build the crypto modules you need. But if it doesn't you may need to select the ARC4, AES, SHA1, Michael MIC modules, depending on whether you use WEP/WPA/etc...

Then save your configuration and do-

```

make bzImage

make modules

make modules_install

```

Then copy your new bzImage to your boot partition and reboot to the new kernel. Hopefully it should all work. 

hope this helps,

Charlie

[edit] p.s.- If this sounds like a pain, it is a bit. But once you've done it you'll no longer need to re-emerge ieee80211 and ipw2200 every time you update your kernel. In the end it's a time saver.[/edit]

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## stardotstar

I have tuned into this thread just in the last two days as I start to wrangle with my ThinkPad R51's ipw2200...

I must confess despite getting most of the other Gentoo configuration that has stumped me out this wireless has me stuffed!

I know I am missing some fundamental concepts and would appreciate some handholding with this.

Initially I went down the route of epxecting to use wireless-tools or wpa-supplicant.  Then I read the advice above and, because I had not emerged ieee80211 and ipw2200 (they failed first because of no crypto in kernel) so I followed advice to use the kernal modular ipw2200.

My kernel is built with the ieee80211:

CONFIG_IEEE80211=y

CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_WEP=y

CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_CCMP=y

CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_TKIP=y

and also with the ipw2200 support:

CONFIG_IPW2200=m

and the module is listed in my /etc/module.autoconf.d/kernel-2.6

```

loop

ieee1394

ohci1394

raw1394

dummy

irtty-sir

sir-dev

s2io

ipw2200

dpt_i20

ipr

sata_sys

sata_sx4

touchkitusb

cytherm

phidgetservo

ntfs

libcrc32c

ipip

ipt_NOTRACK

iptable_raw

ircomm-tty

ircomm

irlan

```

I note that on loading a couple of these fail to load (sata_sys for one)

when I tail /var/dmesg I find:

```

ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, git-1.0.8

ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2005 Intel Corporation

ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200GB Network Connection

ipw2200: ipw-2.4-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2

ipw2200: failed to regioster network device

ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:02.0 failed with error -5

```

So I can see that the interface is never initialising due to a problem loading the firmware - but I have found no instructions that note this aspect of the installation.  I know this interface works properly because of XP and Ubuntu.

lsmod shows that the module is loading but not being associated with anything (if that means anything):

```

Module Size Used by

irlan 25744 0

ircomm_tty...

...

ipw2200 164652 0

...

loop 13832 0

```

sorry to truncate - I am having to copy this stuff over by hand  :Confused: 

I am also unable to run lspci - not found and cannot be emerged what is going on with that??  I always thought it was a basic command to list the details reported by the dmesg : ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:02.0 etc

iwconfig predictably produces null results:

```

eth0 no wireless extensions

lo no wireless extensions

dummy0 no wireless extensions

tunl0 no wireless extensions

irlan0 no wireless extensions

```

but ifconfig has properly initialised eth0 for wired lan using dhcp...

I am pretty sure that my /etc/conf.d/net is wrong so I have set it back to just dhcp for eth0 with NO WiFi entries at all!

I really would appreciate some help stepping through this part of the process.

TIA

Will

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## stardotstar

To link this very useful thread to another excellent one:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-3129485.html#3129485

I had a win with this by emerging the firmware and etc-update

and now the interface is detected by iwconfig

I just need to get the configuration right now!

Will

still need help knowing what is up with lspci???

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## bacardischmal

Hello,

i have used the kernel modules but i have the same problem they wehn i emerge....

@stardotstar this is the link to the tropic....

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## kingcrunch

hi,

lspci is in package "pci-utils".

prolly this might help

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-423434-highlight-ipw2200+timeout.html

(sorry for the highlighting though, was searching for something similar...i´ll try building the in-kernel ipw2200 driver as a module and

 see what happens, strangely, ipw2200 1.0.8-behaviour got this way after i emerged an unstable ati-driver...don´t think its linked though).

cheers, crunch

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## stardotstar

Thanks  :Embarassed:  I eventually found the pciutils pointer in the handbook - not so much a case of RTFM as read the fine manually again (and again and again)

So, except for mastering the essid network switching things are working well now.

Thanks for the help  :Smile: 

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