Intel ipw3945 on Fedora 7

strikeforce · #1 2007-06-07, 05:17 AM CDT

Taken from the following website link. Copied and pasted hence the layout.

http://fedoramobile.org/Members/opse...5-on-fedora-7/

This howto will show you how to blacklist/remove iwl3945 / mac80211 in Fedora 7 and install / use the "known working" ipw3945 kernel module / driver, microcode firmware, regulatory daemon and startup init script. For this you will need to have root privileges and have roots path/environment.

Applicable to Fedora Versions

* Fedora Core 7

Requirements
Explanation of requirements.

1. kernel-devel (kernel development files for building modules against the running kernel)
2. gcc (C++ compiler)
3. ipw3945-1.2.1.tgz (driver / kernel module)
4. ipw3945-ucode-1.14.2.tgz (microcode / firmware)
5. ipw3945d-1.7.22.tgz (regulatory daemon)
6. ipw3945 (startup init script)

Doing the Work

Basic description of what will be done and what is expected. Learn to become root here.

1. Blacklisting the offending modules:

Code:

#nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

add these exact lines at the bottom then save and exit:

Code:

# iwl3945
      blacklist iwl3945
      blacklist mac80211

2. Reboot the system:

Code:

#] reboot

3. Create a temp directory on your desktop called 'ipw3945' and download the following files into it:

Code:

 $] mkdir /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945 (replace $user with your username)

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/i...1.tgz?download
http://bughost.org/ipw3945/ucode/ipw...ode-1.14.2.tgz
http://bughost.org/ipw3945/daemon/ipw3945d-1.7.22.tgz
http://fedoraos.org/ipw3945/ipw3945

4. Install kernel development packages and gcc compiler:

Code:

#] yum install kernel-devel gcc

5. Unpack the gzipped tarballs into the directory on your desktop called 'ipw3945' that we created earlier:

Code:

      $] tar xvfz ipw3945-1.2.1.tgz
      $] tar xvfz ipw3945-ucode-1.14.2.tgz
      $] tar xvfz ipw3945d-1.7.22.tgz

6. Copy ucode firmware and regulatory daemon to their respective locations:

Code:

      #] cp ipw3945-ucode-1.14.2/ipw3945-ucode /lib/firmware && cp ipw3945d-1.7.22/ipw3945d /sbin

(or choose the version for x86_64 if necessary)

7. Compile and copy the resuling kernel module to the correct location (for more options here see 'more information' below):

Code:

      $] cd ipw3945-1.2.1 && make
      $] su --login 
      #] cp /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945/ipw3945-1.2.1/ipw3945.ko /lib/modules/2.6.21-1.3212.fc7/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
      #] chmod 744 /lib/modules/2.6.21-1.3212.fc7/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/ipw3945.ko
      #] depmod -ae

8. Install startup init script:

Code:

#] cp /home/$user/Desktop/ipw3945/ipw3945 /etc/init.d
      #] chmod +x /etc/init.d/ipw3945
      #] chkconfig --add ipw3945 && chkconfig ipw3945 on

9. Reboot the system:

Code:

#] reboot

Troubleshooting
How to test
Explanation troubleshooting basics and expectations.

1. Configure the device:

Code:

 #] system-config-network

new --> wireless connection --> Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection --> forward

2. Restart the network:

Once you have disabled all other network cards, configured your ip address, gateway, DNS, subnet mask,
SSID, wifi channel, and encryption key:

Code:

 # service network restart

Common problems and fixes

Many laptops with built in wireless have a WLAN switch that is a toggle switch for enabling/disabling the wireless radio.

Please make sure you check this is on, or your ipw3945 wireless adapter will not detect correctly or work at all.

Also, disable all other network cards before attempting to use the ipw3945.
More Information

Special Notes:

If you'd like Monitor Mode, Promiscuous Mode or RadioTap enabled for this device you will need to edit the Makefile in

Step 7 before compiling the kernel module uncomment the corresponding line(s):

Code:

CONFIG_IPW3945_MONITOR=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_RADIOTAP=y
CONFIG_IPW3945_PROMISCUOUS=y

Added Reading

* http://fedoraos.org

For new kernels you will have to do step 7 again.

akalyptos · #2 2007-06-09, 12:30 PM CDT

why i have to do all this steps to make my 3945ABG to work ??
i use a udutu live cd and my wireless connection work perfect.

strikeforce · #3 2007-06-09, 07:29 PM CDT

This is because the ipw3945 driver is not open source. Fedora ONLY releases software that is open source. This means that certain software that you require to operate some hardware requires you to install it.

DanceTrend · #4 2007-06-10, 06:09 AM CDT

Is there a good reason to choose for this driver instead of the iwl one? I mean does this one really perform better than the open source version?

strikeforce · #5 2007-06-10, 06:27 AM CDT

Yes it does perform better. However there is a test kernel that people who were on the buglist have just got access to so we are testing the iwl3945 again.

**glennzo** · #6 2007-06-10, 07:10 AM CDT

To get my IPW3945 working on the laptop for Fedora 7 all I needed to do was to go to services and start NetworkManager and NetworkManagerDispatch. The wireless connection is stable. It never drops out.

strikeforce · #7 2007-06-10, 07:11 AM CDT

Some people say it works a significant amount of people can't get it to work. If you got it working you won't need this.

**glennzo** · #8 2007-06-10, 07:23 AM CDT

True, I'm not in any way saying that this info is not needed. One wonders though, why it's not as easy for everyone else. Probably just too many small variables in hardware configurations for the many different computers. Still, it's enough to drive you insane. Another good example would be the Intel 82801 High Definition Audio (snd-hda-intel). Doesn't work here. Media plays, just no volume at all. I've wrestled with it to the point where I really don't care if it works or not. Then there's the built-in web cam. Doesn't work and probably never will. That's not too important. That's just a toy as far as I'm concerned, although most people just want everything to work.

bbfuller · #9 2007-06-11, 01:08 PM CDT

Thanks for that strikeforce.

I'd just installed on a new laptop. The wireless started first time but was slow and erratic. After a reboot it never worked again.

This way of doing it is working like a dream.

Recompiling for a new kernel is a small price to pay for being able to put my Netgear PCMCIA back in the box.

tbjudge · #10 2007-06-11, 08:17 PM CDT

A few notes and questions.....

Previously I had been running Core 6 had the ipw3945 working just fine
Now I sse the 3945d starting during bootup
then later on I see the script starting the Intel Pro Wireless .......

I had some lines in my modprobe but you did not mention a need for them
I changed the ucode firmware to the new versions as per your download linkk
also put the new daemon in the /sbin directory as per your inst

OBW thanks for all the work in docuenting this.....

anyway previously, in core 6 I noticed that If you tried to use the system-config-network it conflicyted with the Netwoek Manager from fully accessing the ipw3945 wirelss system do u now if that has been corrected with these updates?

sorry for so any questions

one other caveat I found that my symbolic links for the bulid were broken in the /lib/modules/2.6.21-1.3194.fc7. They wew trying to point to the source tree in a 686 library when i had a 586 - hope that makes sence. as a result when i tried to compile the ipw3945.ko it was whining about not having the ieee80211 installed. I kinda backed into that error.
This was all after downloading and using the core7 dvd to update the entire system ahem oh well

anyway the wireless is still not quite woring and it was before the update to core 7. Looks ike u got some beter stuff here.

Sorry to be so scattered on this. wondering if i have somem lefover stuff

let me be more succunct:

do I still need the lines in my modprobe.conf as follow----

# echo install ipw3945 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install ipw3945 ; \
sleep 0.5; /sbin/ipw3945d --quiet >> /etc/modules.d/ipw3945
# echo remove ipw3945 /sbin/ipw3945d --kill; \
/sbin/modprobe -r --ignore-remove ipw3945 >> /etc/modules.d/ipw3945
alias eth1 ipw3945

and is there still an conflict issue between system-config-network and the Network Manager service as far as the wireless goes?

Thanks

TBJ

strikeforce · #11 2007-06-11, 09:16 PM CDT

Leave the lines in the modprobe.conf. There shouldn't be any issue regarding the system-config-network and Network Manager since they seem to work well for me.

The issue is that you upgraded your install this assumes you have a fresh install. If you had a fresh install you would not have the 3945d in your bootup. To make it more effective you might have to remove those rpms from freshrpms in FC6.

Yes it relates to i686 which I would assume a lot of the laptops are now.

lsropia · #12 2007-06-12, 01:30 AM CDT

After doing as given, the wireless works. Though in exactly the same way as was in FC6.

DHCP mode doesnot work.
On giving
IP:192.168.1.2
mask:255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.1.1

the wireless gets activated but nothing further gets connected.

Even:
[alex@localhost ~]$ ping 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
From 192.168.1.18 icmp_seq=1 Destination Host Unreachable
From 192.168.1.18 icmp_seq=2 Destination Host Unreachable

--- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 0 received, +2 errors, 100% packet loss, time 2998ms
, pipe 2
the ping to gateway doesnot work.

How to get this going?

Please help, I had high hopes that wireless will work in FC7.

Alex

strikeforce · #13 2007-06-12, 08:02 AM CDT

Thats not a wireless issue if you have a connection thats a dns issue.

Try adding a dns server line.

DaMizZa · #14 2007-06-12, 08:35 AM CDT

That doesn't really make sense, I would suspect a dns issue if unable to ping a hostname or domain, however, pinging the gateway address should work without requiring any dns configuration. I had that same problem in Fedora 6, and eventually gave up trying until Fedora 7 was released.

hectorC · #15 2007-06-12, 08:47 AM CDT

Thanks a lot for this guide. I just tested it on my laptop and now the wireless switch and indicator light on the laptop are working. The only problem I found is that even though I added the iwl3945 and mac80211 modules to the blacklist file they continued to be loaded together with the newly installed ipw3945 but they would take over the interface. I had to manually rename them to have the ipw395 working. How can I effectively blacklist them so I don't have to rename?

Cheers,

Hector