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    High powered USB/mini PCIe card in AP mode

    Wireless
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    • J
      Joshy
      last edited by

      Thank you for the feedback wallabybob.  Since the permanent installation of a high powered card would be in the middle of nowhere(nothing but farmland for at least 1/4 mile in all directions) I think I'm being fairly considerate of others.  If the permanent installation would be in a city I would definitely agree with you.  I try to be considerate when I can.  At home I have a low powered router with a 14dbi antenna(it looks like a baseball bat) and I get great coverage in my entire house.

      BTW… Your first link doesn't work.  Not sure what exactly you were linking to.

      The last link is very nice!  I would order a WLE200N2-23 but I can't find anyone selling it on ebay/Amazon/Google.  Rather odd.  I've emailed them(Singapore!) to see how to purchase one.

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      • W
        wallabybob
        last edited by

        @Joshy:

        BTW… Your first link doesn't work.  Not sure what exactly you were linking to.

        Sorry, try this:   and http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=ath&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+8.3-RELEASE&arch=default&format=html for the man pages for the uath and ath drivers.

        @Joshy:

        I would order a WLE200N2-23 but I can't find anyone selling it on ebay/Amazon/Google.  Rather odd.  I've emailed them(Singapore!) to see how to purchase one.

        If you say where you live, another reader might be able to suggest a local seller of Compex cards.

        I have no idea if any of those Compex cards work with FreeBSD. Compex may be able to tell you.

        Now I'll go fixup that earlier reply.

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        • J
          Joshy
          last edited by

          I'm outside Chicago, Illinois in the USA.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • J
            Joshy
            last edited by

            Got those devices in the mail from the ebay link.  They work great!  Thanks for the help!

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            • M
              MaxPF
              last edited by

              Just ordered the one in the ebay link. Not bad for $11.55.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • C
                Clear-Pixel
                last edited by

                There seem to be a few cheap Chinese USB devices based on the Ralinktech RT3070.

                http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB2-0-High-Power-500mw-RT3070-150Mbps-150M-b-g-n-11n-Wireless-WiFi-Adapter-card-/230689039571?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item35b62364d3 - Reported as Functioning in hostap mode
                http://www.geetek.net/products/janus-ii/6/2
                http://www.meritline.com/geetek-janus-ii-usb-high-power011n-300mbps-adapter-with-dual-high-gain-5dbi-depole-antennas–-p-92493.aspx?source=s2010&strcoup=MLCR19JN&dealid=47025
                http://www.ebay.com/itm/EDUP-High-Power-150M-1000mW-WiFi-USB-Wireless-N-Adapter-Card-RT3070-Ralink-6DBI-/321004532728?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item4abd5c73f8
                http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ralink-RT3070-Long-Range-High-Gain-1000-mW-Wireless-N-USB-WIFI-B-G-N-Adapter-/290661632668?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item43acc88a9c
                http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Power-150M-1000mW-WiFi-USB-Wireless-Adapter-RT3070-/250824909812?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item3a665463f4
                http://www.ebay.com/itm/150M-Hight-Power-USB-Wireless-Wifi-Adapter-1000mW-RT3070-/150937983715?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item23249adae3
                http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wlan-WiFi-Wireless-150Mbps-802-11N-USB-Adapter-6dBi-Antenna-LG-N23-Ralink-RT3070-/200845866526?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item2ec358b61e

                Some venders are posting the chip with a suffix on the end RT3XXXL
                Anyone know why the L?

                <–----------------------------------------
                It's been posted and reported that the Ralinktech RT3572 chip is functioning in client mode.
                http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,55794.0.html
                Ralinktech
                http://www.ralinktech.com/en/02_products/product_list2.php?cata2_sn=301&cata3_sn=

                Device: Rosewill RNX-N600UBE - RT3572 chip
                Reported as Functioning in client mode
                Problems Reported: None as of Yet

                Device: Linksys/Cisco AE1000 300Mbps 802.11n Dual-Band Wireless - RT3572 chip
                No Data as of Yet
                Problems Reported: N/A
                –---------------------------------------->

                Please test and report back details.

                • Wireless Range?

                • Are Connections/Connectivity Rock Solid?

                • Up and Download speed on USB 2.0?

                • Unit Cold, Warm or Hot to the touch?

                • What your setup - IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n?

                • What Ver. of Pfsense are you running?

                • What Driver for hostap mode?

                • And anything else worth mentioning.

                HP EliteBook 2530p Laptop - Core2 Duo SL9600 @ 2.13Ghz - 4 GB Ram -128GB SSD
                Atheros Mini PCI-E as Access Point (AR5BXB63H/AR5007EG/AR2425)
                Single Ethernet Port - VLAN
                Cisco SG300 10-port Gigabit Managed Switch
                Cisco DPC3008 Cable Modem  30/4 Mbps
                Pfsense 2.1-RELEASE (amd64)
                –------------------------------------------------------------
                Total Network Power Consumption - 29 Watts

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                • C
                  Clear-Pixel
                  last edited by

                  Has Anyone tried the TP-LINK TL-WN7200ND word is it's based on the RT3070

                  I would think there would be less chance of burning your house down versus these CHEAP fly by night China outfits.

                  http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WN7200ND
                  http://wikidevi.com/wiki/TP-LINK_TL-WN7200ND

                  HP EliteBook 2530p Laptop - Core2 Duo SL9600 @ 2.13Ghz - 4 GB Ram -128GB SSD
                  Atheros Mini PCI-E as Access Point (AR5BXB63H/AR5007EG/AR2425)
                  Single Ethernet Port - VLAN
                  Cisco SG300 10-port Gigabit Managed Switch
                  Cisco DPC3008 Cable Modem  30/4 Mbps
                  Pfsense 2.1-RELEASE (amd64)
                  –------------------------------------------------------------
                  Total Network Power Consumption - 29 Watts

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • M
                    MaxPF
                    last edited by

                    The slow boat from China finally arrived and I can confirm that this:

                    http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB2-0-High-Power-500mw-RT3070-150Mbps-150M-b-g-n-11n-Wireless-WiFi-Adapter-card-/230689039571?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item35b62364d3

                    works perfectly in hostap mode on my Alix box running 2.0.2

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                    • M
                      MaxPF
                      last edited by

                      UPDATE:
                      After a couple of weeks of testing, unfortunately I have found that this wifi dongle causes my Alix boards to reboot randomly at least once a day or more and when it is working, the wifi signal is not very stable.
                      Oh well, I can't expect much from a $11 device.

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                      • M
                        MaxPF
                        last edited by

                        UPDATE #2:

                        After changing all the "Regulatory settings" back to default instead of setting them manually, I haven't had a reboot in 5 days, so it may be working after all.
                        For the record I'm running 2.1 build from dec.23.

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                        • ?
                          Guest
                          last edited by

                          I bought the same USB wifi device as you did on ebay.

                          I tried it twice, it worked somewhat, but my pfsense system crashed twice and my config got wiped both times. I had perform a restore/reload of the firmware/config.
                          I have since removed the device from the system, hasn't crashed since.

                          The signal level was lower than using a separate WRT54G running Tomato as an access point. Not sure I will retry this device as it , I think, caused the only crashes I have ever had of pfsense.
                          Running the latest 2.1 beta.

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                          • M
                            MaxPF
                            last edited by

                            Mine keeps working well and I have reached 7 days uptime since I made the changes in the configuration. As for signal strength I can't complain, I have my Alix box setup in the basement and get good signal up to the 2nd floor of my house. Hopefully it will stay this way.

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