OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Hardware => Topic started by: Martin Iturbide on June 16, 2014, 05:43:12 pm

Title: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 16, 2014, 05:43:12 pm
Hi.

I wanted to test some network drivers with the Windows driver and GenMac on eCS 2.1.  I want to write an article about it on the OS2World Wiki, but sadly I don't have a successful case to share. I can share my try with a NIC that I can not make it work.

For the moment I'm trying a “D-Link DWA-525 Wireless N 150 Desktop” PCI card which is a RALink 5360 HardwareID: 1814x5360

Can anybody help me out? Can you check my openoffice article (attached on this post) and let me know if I'm doing the procedure in a right way? Maybe I'm missing some important step. 

Thank in advance

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 16, 2014, 07:38:04 pm
Please see: ftp://genmac@ftp.os2voice.org/ (ftp://genmac@ftp.os2voice.org/) for details (use the word "unsupported" as a password, with no quotes, and it must be lower case). READ both README files, carefully, and upload the windows driver, and registry information. I will add it to the GENMU_TEST package for testing. If that works, it will be moved to the GENMU package.

No guarantees that it will work, but it will be installed properly.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 17, 2014, 12:15:43 am
Thanks Doug.

According to what I'm reading I'm missing two important steps.

1) Using EGenM32W_V02.zip to edit genm32w.os2 (I'm still reading how to do it.
and
2) Editing Protocol.ini and change the word "UNSUPPORTED" to "NONE"

Let's see what happens.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 17, 2014, 04:10:18 am
Hi.

I'm not sure if I'm using EGenM32W right. If anybody can check the updated article file and tell if doing the right steps I will appreciate it.

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 17, 2014, 07:33:56 am
Thanks Doug.

According to what I'm reading I'm missing two important steps.

1) Using EGenM32W_V02.zip to edit genm32w.os2 (I'm still reading how to do it.
and
2) Editing Protocol.ini and change the word "UNSUPPORTED" to "NONE"

Let's see what happens.

EGenM32W_V02 is a bit tricky, but it is not difficult to use. Just follow the directions that I give in the README files. Be sure that you edit IBMCOM\MACS\genm32w.os2. It is the only one that is actually used.

You should edit the NIF file, in \IBMCOM\MACS, not PROTOCOL.INI. After editing the NIF file, use Asapters and Protocols to uninstall it (if already installed), and install it again.

Why not just send me the files? It takes about 5 minutes to add a device to the WarpIn installer (once I get time to do it), and you don't have to mess with editing things. You are wasting time messing around trying to re-invent the wheel.

Hopefully, GENMAC will become obsolete, when Multiimac support is created.

Quote
I'm not sure if I'm using EGenM32W right. If anybody can check the updated article file and tell if doing the right steps I will appreciate it.

Just follow the directions in the README files.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 17, 2014, 07:39:44 am
I should have mentioned, that Win2K drivers work best, followed by WINXP drivers. Drivers from VISTA, and later, usually don't work.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 17, 2014, 05:45:57 pm
Hi Doug.

I just send you the files to your email (I it is also attached here).

I will try to find the Win2K drivers for it to test them out.

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 17, 2014, 07:23:41 pm
I sent you an e-mail with the details. You had a typo, and the INF file is for a Realtek device. The windows registry information, for your device is necessary.

I will build an installer, when I get the registry information.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 17, 2014, 10:20:27 pm
Nice, the Wifi card started to work once I fixed the Typo you told me. I will update the article too to post it on the Wiki.

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 17, 2014, 11:45:26 pm
Here I share what I learned on this two days about running a network card with GenMAC.

http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Testing_an_UnSupported_Network_Driver_with_GenMAC (http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Testing_an_UnSupported_Network_Driver_with_GenMAC)

Now I'm doing more test with this card, the hardware loads, but the Wireless LAN Monitor (V3.12b2) is giving me problems.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Andi B. on June 18, 2014, 11:25:25 am
Quote
...but the Wireless LAN Monitor (V3.12b2) is giving me problems...
If you tell something about the problems maybe I can help ;)
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 18, 2014, 01:58:58 pm
Thanks Andi

I'm not sure what is happening. I was able to surf the Internet on a public hotspot with this card and machine. After a while of surfing the web I tried to connect to a WPA2 network and them it started to stop working.

I'm using Wireless LAN Monitor (V3.12b2) and WPA Supplicant v2.0 2013-05-12 build (on eCS 2.1) . When I scan for Wifi network I can see all the list of SSID, but if I select one the connect button does not "light up" and do not work.  I also created a "profile" for the WPA2 network and is getting ignored when I apply it. Also it stopped connecting to the public network too. The icon just stays with the "magnifying glass" without connecting anymore.

Any ideas?

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Andi B. on June 18, 2014, 03:53:50 pm
Not sure if the wpa_supplicant can not connect or dhclient does not get an IP address. In addition to what I've written here http://www.os2world.com/forum/index.php/topic,412.msg3718.html#msg3718 the basic things to check are
1) does xwlan detect the device (settings page)
2) what version of wpa_supplicant xwlan uses (see WPA settings page, should be 2.0 written in blue color)
3) what version of dhclient xwlan finds on your system (TCP/IP settings page 2, dhclient3xx don't know exactly any more but when it's written in blue it should be okay)
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Pete on June 18, 2014, 04:33:04 pm
Hi Martin

I just spotted a thread about WPA2 in the genmac mailing list see news.gmane.org thread WPA2-PSK

In the above thread Doug states "WPA2-PSK support seems to have problems. Try WPA-TKIP. You *may* be able to get WPA2-PSK to work with the updated supplicant and the updated XWLAN, but you should understand a bit about how it all works, if you want to try that. You will also need the new DHCP support."

I also seem to recall reading somewhere, possibly in the above newsgroup, that WPA2 may not work with all (genmac) drivers.

I cannot remember whether my laptops are using WPA2. I'll have to check that later and if WPA2 is not in use I'll give it a try and report back.


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 18, 2014, 07:54:55 pm
GENMU_TEST has been updated to include the 1814:5360 device. If it works, it will be removed from GENMU_TEST, and put into GENMU, which *may* get it into the GENMAC that ships with eCS 2.2.

ftp://genmac@ftp.os2voice.org/ (ftp://genmac@ftp.os2voice.org/)

Use the word "unsupported" (lower case, and no quotes) if it asks for a password.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 19, 2014, 12:54:34 am
Thanks Doug.

Just one question, does the WarpIn installer patches in some way the GENM32W.OS2 file driver? I uninstall the driver and install it with GenMU_test and I started to get "NO VALID HARDWARE INFO in PROTOCOL.INI FOR (“WRND322$”)" on boot.

I modified "GENM32W.OS2" list with the EgenM32W tool to get back the driver loading.

Regards
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 19, 2014, 04:48:30 am
Thanks Doug.

Just one question, does the WarpIn installer patches in some way the GENM32W.OS2 file driver? I uninstall the driver and install it with GenMU_test and I started to get "NO VALID HARDWARE INFO in PROTOCOL.INI FOR (“WRND322$”)" on boot.

I modified "GENM32W.OS2" list with the EgenM32W tool to get back the driver loading.

Regards

Hmmm. I checked the patch, it should be correct. What, exactly, did you change?

You mention WRND322$, which indicates that you have two GENMAC supported NICS. Is this correct? What is the other (first) one? Please post the log files for the failure (or send them to me).
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Paul Smedley on June 19, 2014, 11:30:08 am
Untested build of wpa_supplicant 2.2 - http://smedley.id.au/tmp/wpa_supplicant-2.2-os2-20140618.zip
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: dbanet on June 19, 2014, 12:15:24 pm
Hi Martin

I just spotted a thread about WPA2 in the genmac mailing list see news.gmane.org thread WPA2-PSK

In the above thread Doug states "WPA2-PSK support seems to have problems. Try WPA-TKIP. You *may* be able to get WPA2-PSK to work with the updated supplicant and the updated XWLAN, but you should understand a bit about how it all works, if you want to try that. You will also need the new DHCP support."

I also seem to recall reading somewhere, possibly in the above newsgroup, that WPA2 may not work with all (genmac) drivers.

I cannot remember whether my laptops are using WPA2. I'll have to check that later and if WPA2 is not in use I'll give it a try and report back.


Regards

Pete

Using anything but WPA2-PSK AES does not make your wireless access point secure, please be aware of that.

Any other wireless encryption technology is a no-go today.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on June 19, 2014, 04:28:12 pm
Quote
Using anything but WPA-2 PSK AES does not make your wireless access point secure, please be aware of that.

Using WPA-2 PSK AES doesn't make your wireless secure either. It is just the most secure method available, next to wired (which is also not secure). When you can't make WPA-2 PSK AES work, you need to go to the next most secure method.

The security is in the mind of the user. If they don't think about what they are doing, they are likely to have a problem, eventually. If they do think about it, they are not likely to have a problem, even on open networks, with no security.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: dbanet on June 19, 2014, 04:32:18 pm
WPA2-PSK TKIP is easily crackable, while brute forcing WPA2-PSK AES may take ages.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 19, 2014, 11:12:22 pm
Hi Doug.

It used to have two adapter. A built it ethernet, a PCI ethernet and the PCI Dlink (Ralink) card.  But I started to switch some cards to try out it.

It seems that I had been messing too much with this machine and I will need to clean it up. - which means I will reinstall the software since I had been trying different adapters and installing too much software on it :)

I installed again GenMac and GenMU test, but now the adapter does not turn on (the Xcenter widget does not show the "enable" option anymore).

I will reinstall eCS 2.1 again to try out.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: dbanet on June 20, 2014, 04:09:52 am
I will reinstall eCS 2.1 again to try out.

Oh ouch. Before you proceed, you may try reinstalling MPTN only.

Just, as for me, installing eCS never goes right, at least at the first (ten) time(s). :)
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Pete on June 26, 2014, 09:30:09 pm
Hi Paul

Untested build of wpa_supplicant 2.2 - http://smedley.id.au/tmp/wpa_supplicant-2.2-os2-20140618.zip


Does not seem to want to work here - xwlan gives a couple of unexplained beeps and cannot connect.
Reinstating the older 2.0 gets connectivity back.

Regards

Pete
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Pete on June 26, 2014, 09:32:48 pm
Hi All

No, neither of my laptops can use WPA2.

Attempting to use WPA2 results in an inability to connect.

Of course WPA2 AES works fine under Windows on both laptops.


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 27, 2014, 10:48:00 pm
Hi.

I'm trying on other PC a Broadcom 14E4x4318, mini PCI on a PCI adapter.  It is supposedly supported by GenMac

The eCS 2.1 installation recognize it as GenMac 14E4x4318 and installs the driver.

On the reboot after loading GENM32W.OS2 it locking the boot (without any error) after loading X:\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\NETBIND.EXE.
It just stays there on boot.

If I reboot with Alt+F4 and stop loading the GENM32W.OS2 driver eCS will load normally.

Any ideas?
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Paul Smedley on June 27, 2014, 11:24:26 pm
Hi Pete,

Untested build of wpa_supplicant 2.2 - http://smedley.id.au/tmp/wpa_supplicant-2.2-os2-20140618.zip


Does not seem to want to work here - xwlan gives a couple of unexplained beeps and cannot connect.
Reinstating the older 2.0 gets connectivity back.

I finally got around to testing locally, found the same issues, and fixed them :)

http://smedley.id.au/tmp/wpa_supplicant-2.2-os2-20140624.zip
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Pete on June 28, 2014, 01:29:33 am
Hi Martin

Both my Acer Travelmate 5320 and Dell Latitude E5500 laptops came with Broadcom wireless nics.

I failed to get wireless working on either laptop until I threw away the Broadcom nics and installed equivalent Intel nics; for the Acer that was a 3945abg and for the Dell a 5100abgn.

I suspect you need a 5100abgn to replace your Broadcom nic  :-)


Regards

Pete
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Martin Iturbide on June 30, 2014, 11:33:00 pm
Hi

Does anybody found the problem that the driver is recognized with GenMac and loads on boot without any issue, but when you go to the "Wireless LAN Monitor" widget it does not shows the "Enable Radio" function enable and on the "Device" tab, it does not shows any "Wireless LANA Driver"? I'm using Wireless LAN Monitor / XWLAN version 3.12 beta 2 .

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on July 01, 2014, 03:32:02 am
Hi

Does anybody found the problem that the driver is recognized with GenMac and loads on boot without any issue, but when you go to the "Wireless LAN Monitor" widget it does not shows the "Enable Radio" function enable and on the "Device" tab, it does not shows any "Wireless LANA Driver"? I'm using Wireless LAN Monitor / XWLAN version 3.12 beta 2 .

Thanks in advance.

That is usually caused by trying to use the "UNSUPPORTED" parameter. "UNSUPPORTED" seems to prevent GENMAC from loading the interface for XWLAN. That is why you need to edit GENM32W.OS2 to make GENMAC believe that the device is actually supported. Of course, you also need to change the parameter to "NONE", but, there are other reasons why that could happen.

GENMU(_TEST) distributes a patch file, for GENM32W.OS2 because Willibald Meyer (the author of GENMAC), specifically prohibits distributing patched versions of his original files. Perhaps patching the files, after the user installs the original files, is pushing the limits a little, but it seems to be the only way to do it without distributing the patched file.

Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Paul Smedley on October 12, 2014, 01:14:49 am
Hi All,

I haven't had an opportunity yet to dust off the T60 and test this
locally, but I made a built of wpa_supplicant 2.3

The cross platform changelog is at
http://w1.fi/cgit/hostap/plain/wpa_supplicant/ChangeLog

Download available from
http://smedley.id.au/tmp/wpa_supplicant-2.3-os2-20141012.zip

Feedback appreciated before I upload this to my site.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: eirik on October 12, 2014, 11:36:33 pm
Hi Paul,

tried the new wpa supplicant on my T410.  Same (negative) result as on past attempts = driver (Intel Centrino 6300 a/g/n) loads properly, but no working WiFi.  When going into properties on Wireless LAN monitor (ver 3.12 beta 2) on then "Device" tab, no device is listed (as for previous versions of the wpa supplicant). 

It did not work for me, but hopefully for someone else soon.  Please keep up the good work  /  Eirik
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on October 13, 2014, 12:10:51 am
I tried version 2.3 on my test machine, which has an old DLink DWL-G520 adapter. The new supplicant works as well as the old one did. There are problems, but I am pretty sure that the Supplicant has nothing to do with the problems.

I will try on more modern hardware sometime tomorrow, but the problems there are more basic than anything the supplicant does. The most serious problem is that I can find no way to turn on the radio. From what I have read, it seems that radio power is now controlled by ACPI, and we don't have anything that knows about that. I expect that Erik has the same problem.
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Mike Kölling on October 13, 2014, 12:58:13 pm
Tried today on my X200 together with "Intel 3945 a/b/g [8086:4227] - GenMAC". Works as well as WPA-Supplicant version 2.2. Seems to be a little bit faster in establishing the connection.
Greetings from Potsdam / Germany,
Mike
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Mike Kölling on October 18, 2014, 12:44:28 pm
WPA_Supplicat v2.3 failed on my X200 with an D-LINK DIR-615 router, but version 2.2 is able to connect.
Greetings from Potsdam / Germany
Mike
Title: Re: Testing GenMAC with Unsupported drivers
Post by: Doug Bissett on October 19, 2014, 07:39:05 am
Quote
I will try on more modern hardware sometime tomorrow

I finally got around to trying this on my Lenovo ThinkPad L530, with Intel 2200 b/g/n [8086:0891]. Same old problem, no radio. The supplicant doesn't even open the window (it is set to do so).

FWIW, I use a DLink DIR-655 router. I don't think the router has anything to do with my problem. I tried my antique Asus WL330g as an Access point, and I see the same problem (as expected). I am also using DHCP from dhcp-client-preview2.zip, which works great on ALL of my systems, wired, and wireless, when the driver will load, and when the connection can be established.