# Soundblaster X-Fi + Atheros wireless = hang.  Why? [CLOSED]

## Fog_Watch

My motherboard has the following two cards:

 *Quote:*   

> lspci -vvs 05:00.0 && lspci -vvs 05:02.0
> 
> 05:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5212/AR5213 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
> 
> 	Subsystem: Cisco Aironet Wireless Communications Device cc21
> ...

 

If I attempt to play sound through the X-Fi card the machine completely hangs.  However, if I pull the wi-fi card the machine no-longer hangs when I play sound through the X-Fi.  

The hang occurs whether or not the on-board sound is disabled in the bios.  

Is there a way to configure this machine so that the wi-fi card and the X-Fi card can co-exist?

Regards

Fog_Watch.

PS

 *Quote:*   

> uname -pio
> 
> Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
> 
> 

 Last edited by Fog_Watch on Sat Jun 22, 2013 11:47 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## PaulBredbury

You need to experiment, e.g. the kernel bootup option:

```
pci=pcie_bus_peer2peer
```

There's many other pci= options.

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## Fog_Watch

 *PaulBredbury wrote:*   

> You need to experiment, e.g. the kernel bootup option:
> 
> ```
> pci=pcie_bus_peer2peer
> ```
> ...

 

Indeed there is.

I'm fearful that this exercise is going to hurt my little head.

Parameters skip_isa_align, nobios and the more mysterious pcie_bus_peer2peer, chosen at random, do appear to change the length of time (seconds) it takes before a hang occurs.  I'm still however without luck.  I'll try again.

Thanks PaulBredbury.

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## Fog_Watch

Knoppix can get this hardware to go.  Given that I haven't had much luck with pci=, how do I work out what they did that is different from me (.config)?

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## Fog_Watch

I have swapped out my horrible Cisco Aironet and put in a RT61 card:

 *Quote:*   

> lspci -vvs 05:00.0
> 
> 05:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. RT2561/RT61 rev B 802.11g
> 
> 	Subsystem: D-Link System Inc AirPlus G DWL-G510 Wireless Network Adapter (Rev.C)
> ...

 

The machine no-longer hangs - so this is closed.

```

...................Dangerously off-topic alert..................

|                                                              |

| In attempting to solve this I tried a Creative EMU10K1 card. |

| Don't: it sounds horrible.  Initial impressions of the X-Fi  |

| card are that is reproduces quite nicely.                    |

|                                                              |

| The RT61 card was a little tricky to get going.  In addition |

| to the kernel module some firmware is needed.                |

| net-wireless/rt61-firmware is of no use here as the links    |

| are stale.  A work around is to go to mediatek.com, get the  |

| Linux RT61 download and unpack the firmware *.bin(s) into    |

| /lib/firmware.  The card has a much better range than the    |

| Aironet.                                                     |

|                                                              |

"---------------------------------------------------------------
```

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