Dlink Wireless G USB Adaptor DWA-110

Google fodder: After upgrading the firmware on my DLink Wireless 108G Storage Router (XH0414) to v1.11, I found that a couple of my systems - one linux and one WinXP - were having trouble maintaining a stable connection with WPA encryption. More offline than online.

I was using WPA because the old DSE 802.11g USB WiFi adaptor (XH8227) I had didn't support WPA2. It also doesn't work with Linux, so I had the USB adaptor for Windows and an Atheros-based PCI WiFi card for Ubuntu.

As WPA2 was stable and worked just fine, the firmware upgrade forced the issue of WPA vs WPA2, so I went over to PB Tech in Wairau Valley and picked up a DLink Wireless G USB Adaptor DWA-110 for about $50.

The install on WinXP was trouble free, though as usual everything in the box had big warnings on it NOT to plug the device into the system before installing the drivers. OK...been down that path before and know not to ignore those warnings.

The new device worked just fine with WinXP, so I rebooted to Linux to see what would happen.

I soon found that I was connected to the WiFi AP with TWO adaptors - both the USB adaptor and the PCI card. The new device just worked out of the box, acquired an IP address via DHCP and went for it. Now I can retire the PCI card if I want and go with just the one device.

I love that. Yet again, Linux was easier than Windows.

2009-07-30 UPDATE: This device has not worked automatically with any 'standard' Ubuntu 9.04 kernel revisions after 2.6.27-14. I continue to use 2.6.27-14 and related modules.

2009-03-10 UPDATE: I removed the PCI card and now use the USB WiFi on both sides. Had to add the options statement to /etc/modprobe.d/options to get the device to see channels 12 and 13. (My AP is on channel 13). Then I was away laughing!

Linux: Atheros wifi can't see channels 12 and 13

Google Fodder: I had set my D-Link 624S wifi router to automagically select the channel with the least interference. It opted for channel 13. That was cool with all my systems except my laptop (Acer Travelmate 2483 with Atheros wifi chipset).

Googled around and found the bug on Launchpad. The key piece to sorting this out was adding this line to my /etc/modprobe.d/options and then re-starting my system (simple - brute force!):

options cfg80211 ieee80211_regdom="EU"

"iwlist wlan0 channel" previously only reported channels 1 to 11, but now shows all of them. No problems connecting to the AP now on channel 13:

steve@steve-laptop:~$ iwlist wlan0 channel
wlan0 13 channels in total; available frequencies :
Channel 01 : 2.412 GHz
Channel 02 : 2.417 GHz
( blah blah blah blah )
Channel 11 : 2.462 GHz
Channel 12 : 2.467 GHz
Channel 13 : 2.472 GHz
Current Frequency=2.472 GHz (Channel 13)

Wifi everywhere!

It's amazing! There is wifi everywhere! 

Wandering around my neighbourhood with my iPod Touch (with WifiTrak installed), I've been amazed by the number of wireless access points / devices I'm seeing. Sometimes there are ten or more visible at the same time. It is very rare for the iPod to report "No networks detected". There is almost always at least one...

Even more amazing is the number of homes / businesses who don't use any encryption AND have DHCP turned on.

Wide open wifi. Incredible. If your device (iPod, Laptop, whatever) is set to "auto-connect", then you can't avoid connecting to them. Interesting legal issues there, I suppose.

Coverage by these unsecure APs comes close to being ubiguitous. On average, it would be about one for every 200 metres in the area I walk around in. Wide open wifi Internet is never much more than a  minute's walk away. That makes it hard to resist the temptation of taking advantage of what might be described as the unwitting 'generosity of spirit' demonstrated by people who don't secure their wireless Internet access at all and leave DHCP turned on to allow you to connect easily.

It's like leaving a basket of shiny, fresh apples sitting right on the footpath......