[Tfug] Intel vs. Atheros WiFi driver performance/stability?

Tue Sep 11 14:14:33 MST 2007

On 9/11/07, Jim March <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ehhh...right now the Intel card is running with whatever drivers
> Ubuntu threw at it :).
>
> I assume it's the open-source driver as Ubuntu is NOT listing it among
> "restricted drivers" which they'd do by policy if it was a binary
> blob.

Ah, maybe Ubuntu is already using the new iwl driver. I had to do some
kernel rebuild (easy with make-kpkg) and use module-assistant to add
the new driver in debian.

> How do I tell for sure now?

I don't know, maybe "lsmod |grep iwl" or "lsmod | grep ipw" ? You
could also look for it using ps.

> Update: after a few days of use, this Intel card is still kicking
> massive amounts of ass :).  Works GREAT.  Best Linux WiFi card I've
> ever had.
>
> Jim
>
> On 9/11/07, Jeremy D Rogers <jdrogers at optics.arizona.edu> wrote:
> > The card Jim is talking about uses ipw2200 which my wife's laptop has
> > and it sorta just works. But for the intel ABG cards, are you using
> > ipw3945 or iwlwifi drivers? I switched to iwlwifi to try out the new
> > opensource driver and I actually found it was more stable. You loose
> > the LED activity light for now, but it works for me and no regulatory
> > daemon (no binary blob aside from firmware).
> > http://intellinuxwireless.org/
> >
> > JDR
> >
> > On 9/9/07, John L. Sackett <jsackett5 at cox.net> wrote:
> > > That's Atheros 5008 vice 5800.
> > >
> > > John L. Sackett wrote:
> > > > In the 'Doze world, I have the opposite experience. The Intel Drivers
> > > > -especially 2-3 years ago (intel pro set) were and are terrible, BSOD's
> > > > and Hardware and Memory faults.
> > > > In addition under M/S products, the Intel drivers are chatty, and set
> > > > off our IDS due to a high amount of association probes. That's the 2200,
> > > > and latest Intel ABG nic.  Transfers of large files are impossible to
> > > > accomplish >500MB (CD ISO's).  Outdoor use is horrible due to limited
> > > > range.
> > > > We just got some Atheros 5800 series NIC's and it's like night and day
> > > > outdoor range.  We are using Cisco AP's - Cisco uses Atheros.
> > > > At home I use a Dlink 520 PCI card as an AP with FreeBSD. Works great.
> > > > TKIP and WPA. Old Cisco 350b/abg nics are Atheros and use the same
> > > > driver/Utility as Atheros with a Cisco logo.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Jim March wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> Big question off the bat: on a Mini-PCI WiFi card, there's "main" and
> > > >> "aux" antenna inputs.  In the laptop there's white and black cables.
> > > >> Anybody got a clue which is which?
> > > >>
> > > >> :)
> > > >>
> > > >> As most of you know, my Atheros-based factory WiFi Mini-PCI card in my
> > > >> low-end Acer laptop was the victim of cruel circumstance at a TFUG
> > > >> meet.  It's sad demise was determined at autopsy to be "death by coke
> > > >> drowning" :).
> > > >>
> > > >> I've been running since on a decent little $30 PCMCIA Atheros-based
> > > >> Taiwanese card from SWS.  Works OK, but doesn't have the range of the
> > > >> late mini-PCI card with it's plug-in antenna connections heading off
> > > >> towards the screen.
> > > >>
> > > >> Well today I was selling a fellow TFUGer the carcass of my old Fujitsu
> > > >> laptop for cheap.  He needed a 15.4" 1280x800 screen and the old Fuji
> > > >> died of motherboard issues.
> > > >>
> > > >> In showing him how the Fuji came apart, we found I had an Intel-based
> > > >> Mini-PCI card in the Fuji.  And since his HP laptop had the same
> > > >> thing, we had no problem dropping the price on the Fuji carcass by $10
> > > >> (down to $40 <grin>) so I could pull the Intel WiFi card - a
> > > >> PRO/Wireless 2200BG.
> > > >>
> > > >> Just got it working.  Signal strength bars, performance under
> > > >> speedtest.net and general "feel" are all improved over the Atheros
> > > >> chipset - either the original Mini-PCI or the PCMCIA replacement.
> > > >> With the original internal Atheros card, signal strength 1 foot from
> > > >> my router was about 68%, with the PCMCIA it was worse, with Intel it
> > > >> reads 99%.  And it feels noticeably faster as well.
> > > >>
> > > >> I know the "MadWiFi" driver project for the Atheros chipset is a bit
> > > >> of a mess (shows up under Ubuntu under "Restricted Drivers" for
> > > >> example) but seeing it side-by-side with the Intel driver, the
> > > >> difference is almost startling.
> > > >>
> > > >> Remember, I'm plugging the Intel card into the factory-original
> > > >> in-the-screen-shell antennas...so performance shouldn't be a big jump
> > > >> like I'm seeing.
> > > >>
> > > >> What else...the dead Fujitsu this came out of was new as of...April
> > > >> '05 I think.  The Intel card is supporting WPA no problem.  I assume
> > > >> it's a 54b/g type.  A quick EBay search:
> > > >>
> > > >> http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=PRO%2FWireless+2200BG&category0=
> > > >>
> > > >> ...shows cards like this are going for less than $20 "buy now" - I
> > > >> think I'm going to score an Intel card for my buddy's Toshiba -
> > > >> another MiniPCI Atheros card right now.
> > > >>
> > > >> So.  Upshot from that coke spill so far: for $40 total I have a spare
> > > >> Atheros-based PCMCIA card I can use for diagnostics, etc. and an
> > > >> upgraded internal WiFi setup.  I can cope with that :).  Worth it just
> > > >> to see the difference the Intel card seemed to make.
> > > >>
> > > >> Very interesting.
> > > >>
> > > >> Jim
> > > >>
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> > > >>
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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