# Intel IPW2200 Pro Wireless not working!

## wafer_overflow

Hi to all! Few weeks ago i've installed on my fujitsu-siemens laptop Gentoo Linux 2005.1 starting from stage3 and using an internet connection. I had no problems in making my wireless network card working! Just downloaded the drivers, the firmware and installed 'em all.

After an emerge sync/emerge world i found my network card was not working correctly! My kernel changed from 2.6.11-r6 to 2.6.11-r10 (i'm not sure if the ".11" is right... anyway it's the last version) and now i get a firmware error loading ipw2200 module!

Here the error i got:

ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.6

ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation

ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE

ipw2200: failed to register network device

ipw2200: probe of 0000:00:0b.0 failed with error -5

This SHOULD mean that i've installed the firmware in the wrong directory so i've checked if it was so but the firmware it's in /lib/firmware which is the right one!

How can i fix this problem? My drivers version is 1.0.6 and firmware is 2.3 ...

Thanks to all, alberto.

----------

## Lemming73

I had the same error. Try downgrading udev to 58.

```
echo "=sys-fs/udev-068" >>/etc/portage/package.mask

emerge udev
```

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## wafer_overflow

Solved!! Thank you very much!

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## elestedt

 *wafer_overflow wrote:*   

> Solved!! Thank you very much!

 

Please add [SOLVED] or similair to the original subject...

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## hashier

BEST FORUM EVER!

10 min and I fixed 2 problems:

This and

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-338410-highlight-unlink+global.html

Thx.

Pls. add [SOLVED]

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## hookooekoo

This is the udev I have installed.

```
 sys-fs/udev

      Latest version available: 070-r1

      Latest version installed: 070-r1

      Size of downloaded files: 429 kB

      Homepage:    http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/kernel/hotplug/udev.html

```

I followed the above instructions

```

ittomlt tomg # echo "=sys-fs/udev-068" >>/etc/portage/package.mask

ittomlt tomg #emerge udev

```

Plus

```

ittomlt tomg #emerge ipw2200

ittomlt tomg # rmmod ipw2200

ittomlt tomg # modprobe ipw2200
```

My udev still shows as 070-r1, and here is my log output, even after follwoing all instructions  :Sad: 

```

Nov 12 01:34:48 ittomlt rc-scripts: eth1 does not exist

Nov 12 01:35:00 ittomlt ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.6

Nov 12 01:35:00 ittomlt ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation

Nov 12 01:35:00 ittomlt ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:03.0[A] -> Link [LNKB] -> GSI 5 (level, low) -> IRQ 5

Nov 12 01:35:00 ittomlt ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

Nov 12 01:35:10 ittomlt ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

Nov 12 01:35:10 ittomlt ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE

Nov 12 01:35:10 ittomlt ipw2200: failed to register network device

Nov 12 01:35:10 ittomlt ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

```

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## hashier

As Iposted my last reply 0.7* wasn't released-

Try the old one. I think it was 0.58 but I can't tell u right now exatcly which version, cos my Laptop is not here \-:

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## dgaffuri

 *hookooekoo wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> ittomlt tomg # echo "=sys-fs/udev-068" >>/etc/portage/package.mask
> ```
> ...

 

You have to put

```
>=sys-fs/udev-069
```

or

```
>sys-fs/udev-068-r1
```

if you want to emerge 068-r1 (068 is no more in portage), you're masking versions so you have to specifies versions greater than the one you want to install. Anyway I've 070-r1 and works perfectly with ipw2200-1.0.8 and firmware 2.4 (you have to unmask them in /etc/portage/package.keywords together with ieee80211). Which kernel are you running?

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## hookooekoo

I am running 2.6.12 r10.

I tried to update to ipw2200-1.0.8 and firmware 2.4, but not sure how and must be doing something wrong.

Here is my portage.mask

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> >=net-wireless/ieee80211-1.1.6
> 
> >=net-wireless/ipw2200-1.0.8
> ...

 

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## punix

Hi mates!

Are u using the apropiate firmware version?

I solved the problem installing the 2.2 firmware version.

just tryit (cp the files to /lib/firmware) 

see ya

punix

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## dgaffuri

 *hookooekoo wrote:*   

> I tried to update to ipw2200-1.0.8 and firmware 2.4, but not sure how and must be doing something wrong.
> 
> Here is my portage.mask
> 
>  *Quote:*   
> ...

 

Again, you are _masking_ packages with package.mask, not unmasking them; so you're saying: don't give me ieee80211 versions 1.1.6 and above, but only those below. That's not the even the correct way in this case, these packages are masked by keywords, so remove these entries from portage.mask and add the following to /etc/portage/package.keywords

```
net-wireless/ipw2200 ~x86

net-wireless/ipw2200-firmware ~x86

net-wireless/ieee80211 ~x86
```

This way you're saying that you want the test branch versions of these packages.

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## hookooekoo

I already have 2.3 installed.

I understand what I overlooked in your keywords post before.  I got the newest installed.

Now I get this error

```
ittomlt ~ # modprobe ipw2200                           

FATAL: Error inserting ipw2200 (/lib/modules/2.6.12-gentoo-r10/net/wireless/ipw2200.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)
```

Here is dmesg

```
ittomlt ~ # dmesg | grep ipw2200

ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.6

ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation

ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE

ipw2200: failed to register network device

ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.6

ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation

ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE

ipw2200: failed to register network device

ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver, 1.0.6

ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2004 Intel Corporation

ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: 0xFFFFFFFE

ipw2200: failed to register network device

ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid
```

My log output

```
Nov 14 03:23:17 ittomlt ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

Nov 14 03:23:33 ittomlt ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

Nov 14 03:23:48 ittomlt rc-scripts: eth1 does not exist

Nov 14 03:24:19 ittomlt ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

Nov 14 03:24:30 ittomlt ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid

Nov 14 03:26:02 ittomlt ipw2200: Unknown symbol escape_essid
```

Last edited by hookooekoo on Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## punix

I can not find firmware 2.4 in the portage :S

punix

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## dgaffuri

@hookooekoo

You're emerging ipw2200-1.0.6, if you want 1.0.8 you have to set correct options in /etc/portage/package.keywords as in my previous post.

@punix

Why do you want firmare 2.4? What are you trying to do. Didn't you say it worked with 2.2? Anyway if you want 2.4 (which is required by ipw2200 1.0.7 and 1.0. :Cool:  you've to unmask it as in my previous post.

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## punix

Hi mate!  :Smile: 

I just want to use my ipw2200 built in the kernel, not as a module :S

currently is working with firmware 2.2 as a module, cause if I put it builtin it fails at load the firmware :S

thanks!

punix

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## dgaffuri

 *punix wrote:*   

> I just want to use my ipw2200 built in the kernel, not as a module

 

AFAIK ipw2x00 only work as a module. If it's built in kernel it will try to load firmware before root fs is mounted.

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## punix

uhm, but I think I will leave it as a module   :Wink: 

Thanks mate!  :Smile: 

PuNiX

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## hookooekoo

I have 1.08 ipw2200 and 2.4 firmware installed and still getting the errors posted in my previous post.

Pls help  :Sad: 

Oh I have udev 073 installed now too.

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## punix

Hi mate!!

just look at your error log (dmesg ) what version of firmware its trying to load the module, and download it from http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php

untar it at /lib/firmware  :Smile: 

I hope it works!  :Smile: 

punix

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## dgaffuri

Firmware is in portage, you'd better emerge it to keep track of installed stuff.

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## punix

that's true, but the emerge ipw2200-firmware just copy the files to /lib/firmware  :Smile: 

Enric

----------

## hookooekoo

It is trying to load 2.3 from DMESG

```
ipw2200: ipw-2.3-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2
```

This is what is already emerged 

```

ittomlt tomg # emerge -s ipw2200

Searching...   

[ Results for search key : ipw2200 ]

[ Applications found : 2 ]

 

*  net-wireless/ipw2200

      Latest version available: 1.0.8

      Latest version installed: 1.0.8

      Size of downloaded files: 121 kB

      Homepage:    http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net

      Description: Driver for the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG/2915ABG miniPCI and 2225BG PCI adapters

      License:     GPL-2

*  net-wireless/ipw2200-firmware

      Latest version available: 2.3

      Latest version installed: 2.4

      Size of downloaded files: 261 kB

      Homepage:    http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net

      Description: Firmware for the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG/2915ABG miniPCI and 2225BG PCI adapters

      License:     ipw2200-fw
```

and the files are in my /lib/firmware/

```
ittomlt tomg # ls /lib/firmware/

ipw-2.3-LICENSE       ipw-2.3-ibss.fw           ipw-2.4-LICENSE       ipw-2.4-ibss.fw

ipw-2.3-boot.fw       ipw-2.3-ibss_ucode.fw     ipw-2.4-boot.fw       ipw-2.4-ibss_ucode.fw

ipw-2.3-bss.fw        ipw-2.3-sniffer.fw        ipw-2.4-bss.fw        ipw-2.4-sniffer.fw

ipw-2.3-bss_ucode.fw  ipw-2.3-sniffer_ucode.fw  ipw-2.4-bss_ucode.fw  ipw-2.4-sniffer_ucode.fw
```

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## punix

Hi mate!!

my ipw2200 module loads the version 2.2, try it  :Smile: 

punix

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## hookooekoo

It is much cleaner now after a reboot.  Now all that is happening is the following:

```
Nov 16 05:03:04 ittomlt ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection

Nov 16 05:03:14 ittomlt ipw2200: ipw-2.4-boot.fw load failed: Reason -2

Nov 16 05:03:14 ittomlt ipw2200: Unable to load firmware: -2

Nov 16 05:03:14 ittomlt ipw2200: failed to register network device

Nov 16 05:03:14 ittomlt ipw2200: probe of 0000:02:03.0 failed with error -5

Nov 16 05:03:57 ittomlt rc-scripts: eth1 does not exist

Nov 16 05:04:05 ittomlt rc-scripts: eth1 does not exist
```

I really don't think reverting to firmware 2.2 will fix it, and I am not even sure how to do it, as far as I can tell it is no longer in portage.

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## punix

I had the same problem, but with an etc-update i solve it. (because it updates de udev configs)

do you tried it?

punix

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## hookooekoo

Yeah, infact I ran this after every emerge

```

etc-update && env-update && source /etc/profile
```

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## hookooekoo

OMG this Blog

 FTW.

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