Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 12:48:56 +0800 From: "Lim, Wee Guan" <weeguan@myrealbox.com> To: mobile@freebsd.org Subject: (Solution) Avaya 802.11b Silver Card, 7.28.01 Firmware Upgrade, "timeout in wi_cmd" Message-ID: <20030315044856.GA144@atlas.weeguan.nu>
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Dear all, Got with me an Avaya Wireless Lan Silver (rebadged ORINOCO) with firmware reported as Lucent 7.28.01 which is quite old. Tried to get it working with 4.8RC1, but always dies with the following errors (hand transcribed) when i try to load the /etc/start_if.wi0 script: wi0: timeout in wi_cmd 0x0002, event status 0x8080 wi0: wi_cmd: busy bit won't clear wi0: wi_cmd: busy bit won't clear ---< eject card >--- wi0: timeout in wi_seek to fc03/0; last status ffff Interestingly, this error occurs only when I run the script. If I execute the commands on the shell one at a time, things work fine, sometimes. Sometimes the same error occurs, but at different commands, etc. Since the card works fine in Windows, I checked the firmware displayed by the client manager in windows and found that the Avaya drivers load a later version of the firmware into the card. Tried to download Avaya firmware updater, but that is not available on Avaya's website. Guess that because their driver loads a new firmware into the card when it is running, they may have figured that there is "no need" to flash the card. Seeing this, I decided to try flashing the card to a later firmware. As usual, the firmware update needs to be done in Windows. Tried with Orinoco Firmware Updater, but the updater won't run (sees a non-Orinoco Driver operated card). Tried installing Orinoco Drivers, no go, because the drivers see a non-Orinoco Card. Finally, saw online somewhere that Agere drivers will drive other rebadged Orinoco cards, and there is a firmware updater for Agere Cards. The steps taken to do flash the firmware are as follows: 1) Remove Avaya Client Manager from Windows. (if present) 2) Replace the original Avaya drivers for the card with the Agere one. 3) Fire up firmware updater. It recognizes the Avaya card (or at least the Agere drivers driving the Avaya card). Flash the firmware (My updater brings firmware up to 8.42.01.) 4) Install the Agere Client Manager (if needed). Putting the flashed card back into FreeBSD and firing it up, everything works like a charm. No more errors. Just thought to put this in the archives for other Avaya Wireless Lan Card users who might have the same problems getting their cards to work on FreeBSD. This saved my Avaya card from becoming a paperweight in FreeBSD. :-) Don't know if this procedure works for other rebadged Orinoco (Dell TrueMobile, Compaq, etc.). Any comments, easier ways to get things done, are welcome. Cheers to all. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-mobile" in the body of the message
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