# Acer Wifi problems

## Anterus

Hi there.

I have some big problems with my new notebook ( Acer TravelMate 2480 ). I can't "start" my wificard. I get error messages in dmesg, while i try. 

So, Acerhk should solve the problem. But in my case it doesn't help. It doesn't work with my notebook. I think it'll work if I set the keycodes manually. But i didn't know them.

Dmesg:

```
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1b.0 to 64

ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.

ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)

wlan: 0.8.4.2 (0.9.3.1)

ath_pci: 0.9.4.5 (0.9.3.1)

ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:0a:03.0[A] -> GSI 18 (level, low) -> IRQ 18

wifi%d: unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware revision not supported' (HAL status 13)

atkbd.c: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xd5 on isa0060/serio0).

atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e055 <keycode>' to make it known.

atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xd5 on isa0060/serio0).

atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e055 <keycode>' to make it known.

atkbd.c: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xd6 on isa0060/serio0).

atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e056 <keycode>' to make it known.

atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xd6 on isa0060/serio0).

atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e056 <keycode>' to make it known.

```

lspci:

```

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)

00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)

00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02)

00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)

00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 02)

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8038 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 14)

0a:03.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5005G 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)

0a:09.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments Unknown device 8039

0a:09.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)

```

My kernel:

```
2.6.20-hardened-r2 ( Gensources of course ) 
```

Every idea is welcome, thanks. I hope my English isn't too bad   :Very Happy: 

Cheers

----------

## DirtyHairy

The atkbd.c errors refer to your keyboard and are in no way related to wifi (most likely they refer to notebook special keys and are completely harmless).

```
 * app-laptop/acerhk

     Available versions:  0.5.34 ~0.5.35

     Homepage:            http://www.cakey.de/acerhk/

     Description:         Hotkey driver for some Acer and Acer-like laptops

```

 -> acerhk doesn't seem to have anything to do with wireless other than being able to switch it on and off via hardware key. It should work with madwifi-ng, check http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_ar5005 . If I misread your post and you've already got madwifi installen and your problem is switching on wireless without the hotkey, you should look into the madwifi documentation, possibly it can be activated manually via a sysfs file  :Smile: 

----------

## Anterus

 *Quote:*   

> If I misread your post and you've already got madwifi installen and your problem is switching on wireless without the hotkey, you should look into the madwifi documentation, possibly it can be activated manually via a sysfs file

 

Yea, that's the problem. They say some people can activate it with Acer_Acpi. But Acer_Acpi doesn't work on a Travelmate 2480   :Crying or Very sad: 

So... I have no idea how to switch on my wifi.

http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/wiki/SupportedHardware

----------

## viderporst

What does acer_acpi post in dmesg? If it states, it can't find WMI, then your notebook isn't supported yet. In that case, you can dump your DSDT (cat /proc/acpi/dsdt > dsdt.aml), disassemble it with iasl and send the disassembled code to the devloper of acer_acpi. The page is hosted on code.google.com.

----------

## bszente

 *Anterus wrote:*   

> Yea, that's the problem. They say some people can activate it with Acer_Acpi. But Acer_Acpi doesn't work on a Travelmate 2480  
> 
> So... I have no idea how to switch on my wifi.
> 
> http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/wiki/SupportedHardware

 

The 0.7 version loads on the TravelMate 2480. Unmask it, and install that one.

However the problem is, that even enabling the WiFi, I could not managed to load ath_pci correctly. I'm keep getting the following error:

```
unable to attach hardware: Hardware didnt respond as expected, (HAL status 3)
```

This one has an AR5006EG card.

----------

## Hara

Similar problem here.

Acer Aspire 3050

lspci

```

08:04.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5005G 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)

```

dmesg

```

ath_pci: 0.9.4.5 (0.9.3.2)

ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:08:04.0[A] -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 21

wifi%d: unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware revision not supported' (HAL status 13)

```

No ath0 from ifconfig or iwconfig

----------

## Hara

Wiki Website says not supported as of 0.9.2

http://madwifi.org/wiki/Compatibility/Atheros

----------

## Hara

Strange but the button that controls the wireless on the front is not just a button that passes an event, but actually controls the hardware on/off state. For me it was always lit which told me that it was not implemented, but after switching it on and reloading the kernel modules, my builtin wifi now works. Therefore the only remaining bug is for the light to properly describe the builtin wifi on/off state.

source: http://shaun.homelinux.org/laptop/acer3053.html

----------

## dr_cerebro

 *Anterus wrote:*   

>  *Quote:*   If I misread your post and you've already got madwifi installen and your problem is switching on wireless without the hotkey, you should look into the madwifi documentation, possibly it can be activated manually via a sysfs file 
> 
> Yea, that's the problem. They say some people can activate it with Acer_Acpi. But Acer_Acpi doesn't work on a Travelmate 2480  
> 
> So... I have no idea how to switch on my wifi.
> ...

 

Well, it works with acer_acpi, but you have to make a manual install to do that.

Try this: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=580672&page=2 just until it says:

```
dmesg | grep acer_acpi
```

then, follow this wiki: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Acer_Aspire_5024#WiFi

----------

