Return-path: Received: from mail-qy0-f174.google.com ([209.85.216.174]:34201 "EHLO mail-qy0-f174.google.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751094Ab0KWVGn convert rfc822-to-8bit (ORCPT ); Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:06:43 -0500 Received: by qyk11 with SMTP id 11so2744770qyk.19 for ; Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:06:42 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <4CEC2292.1030808@lwfinger.net> References: <4CEA9903.6070604@lwfinger.net> <370521.43644.qm@web29514.mail.ird.yahoo.com> <4CEAC868.9040402@lwfinger.net> <4CEC2292.1030808@lwfinger.net> From: Klaas De Craemer Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:06:22 +0100 Message-ID: Subject: Re: RTL8187L: Can only "enable" hw radio switch after Windows boot To: Larry Finger Cc: htl10@users.sourceforge.net, linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, Herton Ronaldo Krzesinski Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 21:22, Larry Finger wrote: > On 11/23/2010 01:26 PM, Klaas De Craemer wrote: >> >> This morning I put the transceiver inside. I just connected it to the >> Atom box without antenna and it reported no wireless block: >> >> [  382.312044] usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 2 >> [  382.450722] usb 1-3: New USB device found, idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8187 >> [  382.450835] usb 1-3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3 >> [  382.450939] usb 1-3: Product: RTL8187_Wireless >> [  382.451027] usb 1-3: Manufacturer: Manufacturer_Realtek_RTL8187_ >> [  382.451122] usb 1-3: SerialNumber: 00C0CA3F9517 >> [  382.451822] usb 1-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice >> [  382.743060] phy1: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel' >> [  382.746490] phy1: hwaddr 00:c0:ca:3f:95:17, RTL8187vB (default) V1 >> + rtl8225z2, rfkill mask 2 >> [  382.764106] rtl8187: Customer ID is 0xFF >> [  382.764344] Registered led device: rtl8187-phy1::tx >> [  382.764554] Registered led device: rtl8187-phy1::rx >> [  382.765254] rtl8187: wireless switch is on >> [  382.765594] usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8187 >> >> Then I put it back onto the antenna outside and it connected just fine. >> >> I'm really confused now. Does this mean that it might be both a hard- >> & software problem? I guess I should also check if it works fine >> "warm" + immediately connecting it to the antenna. If temperature is >> such a problem I might put a heating resistor inside the transceiver >> housing... > > I think we do have both a hardware problem in that your device is getting a > false hardware block reading when cold, and that the Linux driver is missing > some operation that compensates for this hardware error. > >> The Windows driver is 6.1316.1209.2009 for Windows 7 64bit. It comes >> with a GUI from Alfa Networks that says version 700.1604.108.201. > > The only Windows 7 system here belongs to my wife, and any requests to use it > for testing are not well received. In addition, the USB capture code I have only > works on XP. I will try to get that driver, or as close as I can. > > A heating element of some sort might be the best bet. As winter comes, the > device might not generate enough heat to keep working. I don't know how cold it > gets where you are located, but if it is 4-5 now, I would expect at least -20 later. > > Larry > Don't worry, I live in Belgium and temperatures in winter rarely get below -10 °C. I might just jam an USB cup heater in the enclosure... If you think there is anything I can help you with, please let me know. For now I'll try some more test variations to see if I can find more clues. Klaas