Return-path: Received: from mail-ww0-f44.google.com ([74.125.82.44]:43262 "EHLO mail-ww0-f44.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1756462Ab0GXV0N (ORCPT ); Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:26:13 -0400 Received: by wwj40 with SMTP id 40so5778487wwj.1 for ; Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:26:11 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <4C474851.4000809@lwfinger.net> References: <87vd88n1i8.fsf@gmail.com> <4C474851.4000809@lwfinger.net> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:26:11 +0100 Message-ID: Subject: Re: Master mode in rtl8187 From: Hin-Tak Leung To: Larry Finger Cc: Ben Gamari , linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 7/21/10, Larry Finger wrote: > On 07/21/2010 01:17 PM, Ben Gamari wrote: >> Hey all, >> >> I recently purchased a Netgear WG111v2 (based on rtl8187b) and after >> seeing scattered reports[1] that master mode may be supported by the >> rtl8187 driver. Unfortunately, hostapd throws up when it attempts to put >> the card into master mode. Is master mode supported by this driver? I've >> tried both 2.6.34 as well as the latest wireless-testing tree and >> neither seem to work. > > My WG111V2 has an RTL8187L chip in it, not an RTL8187B. No, master mode is > NOT > supported by this driver. Adding that feature has been on my list of things > to > do, but the priority is very low. I really have little desire to convert my > $600 > laptop into a $40 access point. > >> I noticed there was a patch[2] sent out a few years back, but it seems >> no one followed up. While I don't have much experience working with >> wireless hardware I've done kernel driver work before, so with some >> guidance I might be able to finish up that patch. Any input would be >> greatly appreciated. Thanks! > >> [1] >> http://osdir.com/ml/linux.kernel.wireless.general/2007-07/msg00289.html >> [2] >> http://osdir.com/ml/linux.kernel.wireless.general/2007-06/msg00455.html > > That patch is useless. The rtl8187 driver and mac80211 have changed so much > that > it cannot be made to apply, and would not be likely to work. > > One other thing to consider. The RTL8187L has only a single transmit queue. > Will > the device be able to transmit beacons with an appropriate timing accuracy? > > To modify the driver, you will need to study some other driver that does > work in > master mode. There were some discussion a while back that some generic master mode support for all mac80211-based drivers might eventually happen. Is that still the case? Hin-Tak