Copyright (c) 1997, 1998, 1999
Bill Paul <wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu>. All rights reserved.
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$FreeBSD: wi.4,v 1.3 1999/05/22 16:12:43 wpaul Exp $
.Dd $Mdocdate: October 17 2021 $ .Dt WI 4 .Os .Sh NAME .Nm wi .Nd WaveLAN/IEEE, PRISM 2-3, and Spectrum24 IEEE 802.11b wireless network device .Sh SYNOPSIS .Cd "# all architectures" .Cd "wi* at pci?" .Cd "wi* at pcmcia? function ?" .Cd "wi* at uhub? port ?"
p .Cd "# macppc extra attachment" .Cd "wi* at macobio?" .Sh DESCRIPTION The .Nm driver provides support for wireless network adapters based around the Lucent Hermes, Intersil PRISM-2, Intersil PRISM-2.5, Intersil PRISM-3, and Symbol Spectrum24 chipsets. All five chipsets provide a similar interface to the driver.
p The .Nm driver encapsulates all IP and ARP traffic as 802.11 frames, though it can receive either 802.11 or 802.3 frames. Transmit speed is selectable between 1Mbps fixed, 2Mbps fixed, 2Mbps with auto fallback, 5.5Mbps, 8Mbps, or 11Mbps, depending on hardware.
p These are the modes the .Nm driver can operate in: l -tag -width "IBSS-masterXX" t BSS mode Also known as .Em infrastructure mode, this is used when associating with an access point, through which all traffic passes. This mode is the default. t IBSS mode Also known as .Em IEEE ad-hoc mode or .Em peer-to-peer mode. This is the standardized method of operating without an access point. Stations associate with a service set. However, actual connections between stations are peer-to-peer as in ad-hoc mode. Cards with very old firmware revisions do not support this mode. t IBSS master Also know as .Em Host IBSS mode. In this mode the station takes on part of the role of an access point, though traffic does not pass through it to reach the other stations. When a group of stations are operating in IBSS mode, one of them must be the master, specifying the network name of the service set. t Host AP In this mode the driver acts as an access point (base station) for other cards. Only cards based on the Intersil chipsets support this mode. Furthermore, this mode is not supported on USB devices. t ad-hoc mode More accurately known as .Em ad-hoc demo mode . This mode does not require an access point; the adapter communicates with other ad-hoc stations within range on a peer-to-peer basis. This mode is not specified by the IEEE 802.11 standard and there may be problems interoperating with adapters manufactured by different vendors. .El
p The .Nm driver can be configured to use both software and hardware Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). It is strongly recommended that WEP not be used as the sole mechanism to secure wireless communication, due to serious weaknesses in it.
p The Lucent WaveLAN/IEEE Silver and Gold cards as well as the Intersil and Symbol cards have support for WEP encryption. The WaveLAN Gold as well as newer Intersil and Symbol cards support 104-bit keys, the others only accept 40-bit keys. The Lucent WaveLAN/IEEE Bronze cards do not support WEP at all. See also .Sx CAVEATS below.
p The .Nm driver can be configured at runtime with .Xr ifconfig 8 or on boot with .Xr hostname.if 5 . .Sh HARDWARE Cards supported by the .Nm driver come in a variety of packages, though the most common are of the PCMCIA type. In many cases, the PCI version of a wireless card is simply a PCMCIA card bundled with a PCI adapter. The PCI adapters come in two flavors: true PCMCIA bridges and dumb PCMCIA bridges. A true PCMCIA bridge (such as those sold by Lucent) will attach as a real PCMCIA controller. The wireless card will then attach to the PCMCIA bus. Wireless cards in PCMCIA slots may be inserted and ejected on the fly. A dumb bridge, on the other hand, does not show up as a true PCMCIA bus. The wireless card will simply appear to the host as a normal PCI device and will not require any PCMCIA support. Cards in this type of adapter should only be removed when the machine is powered down.
p The following cards are among those supported by the .Nm driver: l -column "Linksys Instant Wireless WPC11 2.5" "Prism-2.5" "PCMCIA" t Sy Card Ta Sy Chip Ta Sy Bus t 3Com AirConnect 3CRWE737A Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCMCIA t 3Com AirConnect 3CRWE777A Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Acer Warplink USB-400 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Actiontec HWC01170 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t Actiontec HWU01170 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Adaptec AWN-8030 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t Addtron AWA-100 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Addtron AWP-100 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Agere ORiNOCO Ta Hermes Ta PCMCIA t AirVast WM168b Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t AmbiCom WL1100C-CF Ta Prism-3 Ta CF t Ambit WLAN Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Apacer Wireless Steno MB112 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Apple Airport Ta Hermes Ta macobio t ARtem Onair Ta Hermes Ta PCMCIA t ASUS SpaceLink WL-100 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t ASUS SpaceLink WL-110 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta CF t ASUS WL-140 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Belkin F5D6020 (version 1 only) Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Belkin F5D6001 (version 1 only) Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Belkin F5D6060 (version 1 only) Ta Prism-2.5 Ta CF t Buffalo AirStation Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Buffalo AirStation Ta Prism-2 Ta CF t Cabletron RoamAbout Ta Hermes Ta PCMCIA t Compaq Agency NC5004 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Compaq W100 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Contec FLEXLAN/FX-DS110-PCC Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Corega PCC-11 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Corega PCCA-11 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Corega PCCB-11 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Corega CGWLPCIA11 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Corega WLUSB-11 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Corega WLUSB-11 Key Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t D-Link DCF-660W Ta Prism-2 Ta CF t D-Link DWL-120 (rev F) Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t D-Link DWL-122 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t D-Link DWL-520 (rev A and B only) Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCI t D-Link DWL-650 (rev A1-J3 only) Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t ELSA XI300 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t ELSA XI325 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t ELSA XI325H Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t ELSA XI800 Ta Prism-2 Ta CF t EMTAC A2424i Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Ericsson Wireless LAN CARD C11 Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCMCIA t Gemtek WL-311 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t Hawking Technology WE110P Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t I-O DATA WN-B11/PCM Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t I-O DATA WN-B11/USB Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Intel PRO/Wireless 2011 Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCMCIA t Intel PRO/Wireless 2011B Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Intersil Prism II Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Intersil Mini PCI Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCI t Intersil ISL3872 Ta Prism-3 Ta PCI t Intersil Prism 2X Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t JVC MP-XP7250 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Linksys WCF12 Ta Prism-3 Ta CF t Linksys Instant Wireless WPC11 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Linksys Instant Wireless WPC11 2.5 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t Linksys Instant Wireless WPC11 3.0 Ta Prism-3 Ta PCMCIA t Linksys WUSB11 v3.0 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Linksys WUSB12 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Longshine 8301 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Lucent WaveLAN Ta Hermes Ta PCMCIA t Melco WLI-USB-KB11 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Melco WLI-USB-KS11G Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Melco WLI-USB-S11 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Microsoft MN510 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Microsoft MN520 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t NANOSPEED ROOT-RZ2000 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t NDC/Sohoware NCP130 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t NEC CMZ-RT-WP Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Netgear MA111 (version 1 only) Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Netgear MA311 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCI t Netgear MA401 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Netgear MA401RA Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCMCIA t Netgear MA701 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta CF t Nokia C020 Wireless LAN Ta Prism-I Ta PCMCIA t Nokia C110/C111 Wireless LAN Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Nortel E-mobility 211818-A Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCI t NTT-ME 11Mbps Wireless LAN Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Pheenet WL-503IA Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Planex GW-NS11H Ta Prism-3 Ta PCMCIA t Planex GW-US11H Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Pretec Compact WLAN OC-WLBXX-A Ta Prism-2.5 Ta CF t Proxim Harmony Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Proxim RangeLAN-DS Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Samsung MagicLAN SWL-2000N Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Samsung MagicLAN SWL-2210P Ta Prism-2 Ta PCI t Senao NL-2511CF Ta Prism-3 Ta CF t Senao NL-2511MP Ta Prism-2.5 Ta PCI t Siemens SpeedStream SS1021 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Siemens SpeedStream SS1022 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t Sitecom WL-022 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t SMC 2632 EZ Connect Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t Symbol Spectrum24 Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCMCIA t Symbol LA4123 Ta Spectrum24 Ta PCI t Syntax USB-400 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t TDK LAK-CD011WL Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t US Robotics 1120 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t US Robotics 2410 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t US Robotics 2445 Ta Prism-2 Ta PCMCIA t ViewSonic Airsync Ta Prism-2.5 Ta USB t Z-Com XI-725/726 Ta Prism-2.5 Ta USB t Z-Com XI-735 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB t ZyXEL ZyAIR B-200 Ta Prism-3 Ta USB .El
p Note that some of the PRISM-II adapters only work at 3.3V, hence .Xr cardbus 4 support is required for those cards to set VCC correctly, even though they are really 16-bit cards.
p USB support is still experimental and the device may stop functioning during normal use. Resetting the device by configuring the interface down and back up again will normally reactivate it.
p Several vendors sell PCI adapters built around the PLX Technology 9050 or 9052 chip. The following such adapters are supported or expected to work:
p l -tag -width Ds -offset indent -compact t 3Com AirConnect 3CRWE777A (3.3V) t Addtron AWA-100 t Belkin F5D6000 (a rebadged WL11000P) t Eumitcom WL11000P t Global Sun Technology GL24110P (untested) t Global Sun Technology GL24110P02 t Linksys WDT11 (a rebadged GL24110P02) t Longshine 8031 t Netgear MA301 t Siemens/Efficient Networks SpeedStream 1023 t US Robotics 2415 (rebadged WL11000P) .El .Sh EXAMPLES The following example scans for available networks:
p .Dl # ifconfig wi0 scan
p The following .Xr hostname.if 5 example configures wi0 to join network .Dq mynwid , using WEP key .Dq mywepkey , obtaining an IP address using DHCP: d -literal -offset indent nwid mynwid nwkey mywepkey inet autoconf .Ed
p The following .Xr hostname.if 5 example creates a host-based access point on boot: d -literal -offset indent inet 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 mediaopt hostap nwid mynwid nwkey mywepkey .Ed .Sh DIAGNOSTICS l -diag t "wi0: init failed" The WaveLAN card failed to come ready after an initialization command was issued. t "wi0: failed to allocate N bytes on NIC" The driver was unable to allocate memory for transmit frames in the NIC's on-board RAM. t "wi0: device timeout" The WaveLAN failed to generate an interrupt to acknowledge a transmit command. .El .Sh SEE ALSO .Xr arp 4 , .Xr ifmedia 4 , .Xr intro 4 , .Xr netintro 4 , .Xr pci 4 , .Xr pcmcia 4 , .Xr usb 4 , .Xr hostname.if 5 , .Xr ifconfig 8 .Rs .%T HCF Light programming specification .Re .Sh HISTORY The .Nm device driver first appeared in .Fx 3.0 . .Ox support was added in .Ox 2.6 . .Sh AUTHORS .An -nosplit The .Nm driver was written by .An Bill Paul Aq Mt wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu and ported to .Ox by .An Niklas Hallqvist Aq Mt niklas@appli.se . .Sh CAVEATS The original Lucent WaveLAN cards usually default to channel 3; newer cards use channel 10 by default. Non-Lucent cards vary, for instance the Addtron cards use channel 11 by default. See .Xr ifconfig 8 for information on how to change the channel.
p Not all 3.3V .Nm PCMCIA cards work.
p IBSS creation does not currently work with Symbol cards.
p The host-based access point mode on the Intersil PRISM cards has bugs when used with firmware versions prior to 0.8.3 and is completely unusable with firmware versions prior to 0.8.0 and 1.4.0-1.4.2.
p Software WEP is currently only supported in Host AP and BSS modes. Furthermore, software WEP is currently incapable of decrypting fragmented frames. Lucent-based cards using firmware 8.10 and above fragment encrypted frames sent at 11Mbps. To work around this, Lucent clients with this firmware revision connecting to a Host AP server should use a 2Mbps connection or upgrade their firmware to version 8.72.
p Host AP mode doesn't support WDS.
p Support for USB devices is buggy. Host AP mode and AP scanning are not currently supported with USB devices.
p This driver does not support powersave mode.