Troubleshooting GenMAC/GENMU

[aziz]

I have no prior experience with WIFI under OS/2, so do not expect any prior knowledge.

I recently put a Intel 5100 mini-pcie card in a computer. This card has an PCI id of 8086:4237. Booting into a linux live distribution I can connect to my wifi network and also a number of neighboring networks are visible (signal strength is not that good, but I do get a connection). From what I gathered this particular card is officially not supported by GenMAC, but should work with the GenMU package for intel cards. In addition the xwlan widget should be used.

I got the GenMac driver loaded on boot. It says: Loaded for Device: Intel 5100 a/b/g [8086/4237] ("WRND32"). So I suspected all is good.

However I am unable to find a wireless network. Not with the xwlan widget, not with the GenMac provided scan.exe
I am not sure how to proceed/troubleshoot. It seems to me I should first get to a point where I can query a list of networks, before continuing to configure the xwlan widget/wpa supplicant.

Any help?

[Doug Bissett]

I have no prior experience with WIFI under OS/2, so do not expect any prior knowledge.

It has been a long time, since I did this, so some guessing here.

I got the GenMac driver loaded on boot. It says: Loaded for Device: Intel 5100 a/b/g [8086/4237] ("WRND32"). So I suspected all is good.

That sounds promising. It means that the driver loaded. Only part way there. You also need the WPAsuplicant https://hobbesarchive.com/Home/Download?path=/Hobbes/pub/os2/util/network/misc/WPASupplicant_2-10_2021-07-25.zip.

Any help?

As I said, it has been a long time, but now you need to configure the widget (I am doing this, on my one remaining GENMU machine, guessing as I go):
RMB on the widget-> Properties-> Inspect the options. Usually, it will work with the defaults, but you may want to change them, after you get it working.Close that.
RMB on the widget-> Add/Edit Profile-> click New-> Give it a name, that you will recognize (I use the SSID)-> Add the network name (the SSID)-> Security tab-> under Encryption, select WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK (your router needs to support what you select). Add the Preshared key (password). Inspect the rest of the settings, but they should work. Close.
RMB on the widget-> Select profile (the one you just created).

Sorry, but I seem to have missed something. This isn't working, and I have run out of time, for now. See if you can make it work, and I will be back later.

[Andi B.]

That sounds promising. It means that the driver loaded. Only part way there. You also need the WPAsuplicant https://hobbesarchive.com/Home/Download?path=/Hobbes/pub/os2/util/network/misc/WPASupplicant_2-10_2021-07-25.zip.

Not necessary. Use the one included in XWLAN package. xwlan314beta12.zip is the greatest and probably the latest ever too. See here for right version - http://trac.netlabs.org/xwlan/wiki. Look here - http://trac.netlabs.org/xwlan/browser/trunk/src/ship/readme.txt - for steps to narrow down your problem.

You also may consider using the standalone program instead the widget until your setup is up and running (hope it works with your hardware).

[Neil Waldhauer]

I used the 5100 a long time ago. In every computer that had a 5100, I had to power up the computer with the card off, then turn it on. On my computers, a WiFi LED would light up if the 5100 was going to work.

Now, a travel router attached to an Ethernet port does so much more, I've abandoned the 5100 for my own use.

[Doug Bissett]

Sorry, but I seem to have missed something. This isn't working, and I have run out of time, for now. See if you can make it work, and I will be back later.

Andi B knows a lot more about configuring this, than I do.

Now, a travel router attached to an Ethernet port does so much more,

I fully agree with this, which is one of the reasons why I haven't got this to work previously.

FTR, I haven't been able to configure my IBM ThinkPad T43 to work with GENMU. I have, obviously, missed something. I can get the computer to do all that is expected, except to actually connect to the router. Effectively, the "cable" is missing, otherwise it looks good. The "cable" is supplied by the WPAsupplicant. I will report back, if I can figure it out.

[Andi B.]

FTR, I haven't been able to configure my IBM ThinkPad T43 to work with GENMU. I have, obviously, missed something. I can get the computer to ...

I've a T43 somewhere in the store which I'm pretty sure with working wlan. I think I've posted somewhere the device ids of all my computers which I know working well. If you're really wanna play with your T43, (T42p, T60) I may have to dig it out to check.

[aziz]

The computer in question is a HP desktop model, that came without any wifi adapter and has no on/off switch for radio. I think I am experiencing the same problem as Doug, i.e. The "cable" is disconnected. I am inclined to belief it means that the radio is not turned on. Upon research it turned out other people have experienced the same problem, using different operating systems. As a workaround the following video mentions to cover pin 20 with insulation tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzAKcmlaH1M . I am a  bit hesitant to perform this modification, because it was a PITA to put the card in the computer in the first place, especially attaching the antenna's without proper tooling is troublesome. Furthermore linux is able to turn the radio on, so there should be a way of achieving the desired result using just software. Unfortunately I have no idea how the driver implements the activation of radio, what the deficiencies of the current driver are and how to fix them (especially without source code). 

[Doug Bissett]

I've a T43 somewhere in the store which I'm pretty sure with working wlan.

My T43 (1871 model, but that shouldn't matter) did work, with no troubles, but that was a wile back. Obviously something went wrong, somewhere. I need to find some time to play with it. It does work in winXP, so the hardware is okay.

[Andi B.]

I've a T43 somewhere in the store which I'm pretty sure with working wlan.

My T43 (1871 model, but that shouldn't matter) did work, with no troubles, but that was a wile back. Obviously something went wrong, somewhere. I need to find some time to play with it. It does work in winXP, so the hardware is okay.

Probably you know it anyway but what comes to mind are -
- disable Energy saving in XP WLAN driver setting
- shut down XP while WLAN is acitve

[Doug Bissett]

Probably you know it anyway but what comes to mind are -
- disable Energy saving in XP WLAN driver setting
- shut down XP while WLAN is acitve

Neither helped. I think I was messing with this, a couple of years ago, so I did a clean install of ArcaOS 5.0.8. After adding a profile, it works.

That is, it works with WPA-PSK, and NOT with WPA2-PSK. That has always been the case, with this machine (WPA2-PSK does work in winXP). If I was actually going to use this, I would do more tweaking in the settings.

[Andi B.]

That is, it works with WPA-PSK, and NOT with WPA2-PSK. That has always been the case, with this machine (WPA2-PSK does work in winXP). If I was actually going to use this, I would do more tweaking in the settings.

I had a R52 which was not capable doing WPA2-PSK. Don't know if the card didn't support it or our Genmac driver. I think I changed the card in this machine to another working type.

I also seem to remember that for my T60 I have to use an older Genmac package, not the latest. But memories about all that wifi stuff are vanishing....