Wireless Card Issues
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I have an old Linksys WMP54G, pfsense see the device, but something is wrong. One time and one time only i got the WiFI to broadcast its SSID, but i couldnt connect. i am not sure what i did. now everything i play with the settings in pfSense interface the box just crashed and reloads. VERY annoying. its an old car and i dont care for it.
So instead of trying to fix it. I want to just buy a new Card. What do you recommend? I want two buy two cards. one that is just good and cheap. the other i wanted to have Infrastructure mode or Client mode. The list i found in pfsense website of supported devices seems outdated.
Anyone have any suggestions on a card that they know works?
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I want to just buy a new Card.
USB? PCI? PCI-Express?
the other i wanted to have Infrastructure mode or Client mode.
I presume you mean Infrastructure or Access Point.
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PCI or USB
No I meant Infrastructure. I thought Client mode is the same. Just another name. I think in DD-WRT they call it Client Mode. Let me explain what iam trying to do and u can tell me. So i want the wireless card in the pfsense box to get a internet connection from another wireless Router. Lets say my phone hot spot.
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No I meant Infrastructure. I thought Client mode is the same.
Correct. I thought you meant you wanted the card to operate in Infrastructure OR Client mode. It seems you want the card to operate in Infrastructure (also known as Client) mode.
To clarify, a number of systems in Infrastructure (also known as Client) mode can communicate concurrently with an Access Point. It seems you want a "point-to-point" link in which case either end can act as Access Point and the other end must operate in Infrastructure (also known as Client) mode.
USB cards based on the Ralink RT3070 seem to work well with pfSense. You could search the Wireless forum for RT3070 for reports from users of cards with that chipset. Cards with RT3070 chipset seem to be no longer readily available from retail outlets near me but seem to be readily available on eBay.
PCI cards based on the Atheros chipsets seem to be well regarded, though I have seen reports suggesting there might be problems with very recent Atheros chipsets.
There are a number of Intel mini-PCI cards which would probably work well for your particular requirements but would need a mini-PCI to PCI adapter. Such adapters seem to be readily available on eBay.
pfSense currently doesn't support 802.11N so supported cards with 802.11N capability operate in "802.11G compatible" mode.
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@wallabybob Thank you for your help. It seems it might just be easier to get a new or find my old router and run it as a access point. What do u think?
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It seems it might just be easier to get a new or find my old router and run it as a access point. What do u think?
I agree EXCEPT that if you ever have to do any troubleshooting you might wish you had used a WiFi interface in pfSense. I run two pfSense boxes as APs and prefer that to using external APs because it reduces the number of power supplies, boxes and management interfaces I have to deal with.
It isn't too difficult to get suitable cards, provided you do a bit of research which you have done.
Regarding the WMP54G, it appears there were 4 different variants of that board, two using Broadcom chipsets and two using Ralink chipsets. Do you know what chipset is in your card? (perhaps you have a ral0 interface which would indicate a Ralink chipset.) Which version of pfSense did you try? What mode did you configure the card? (Infrastructure?)
You might get better results if you try a pfSense 2.1 snapshot build for those builds have more up to date device drivers than lower numbered pfSense versions.
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Not sure on the chipset. it is V4. I do believe its the Ralink. tried it on the newest version 2.02 RELEASE I tried it under Access Point. I was not attempting Infrastrcuture yet? i just want to get Wifi up right now.
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i just want to get Wifi up right now.
Then give 2.1 snapshot builds a try. The device drivers in 2.1 are much more up to date than the drivers in 2.0.2.
2.1 snapshot builds can be downloaded from http://snapshots.pfsense.org and following the appropriate link. You should be able to download an "Update" file, then upload that to your pfSense box as a firmware upgrade.
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I will try it. although i really dont want a beta.
Regardless i will give it a try. So going back to wireless cards, which one do u recommend? or which one do u have?