Re: Wireless support for the Netgear WG311T?

On 2004-06-20 14:54 +0100, Josef Karthauser <joe_at_tao.org.uk> wrote:
> On Sun, Jun 20, 2004 at 02:39:36PM +0100, Josef Karthauser wrote:
> > The ath manual pages says that we support the Netgear WG311 and the
> > WG511T, but do we also support the WG311T?  (Is the T significant?).

AFAIK, the WG311T and WG511T use an enhanced Atheros chip with 
improved S/N ratio. (The Netgear web site talks about improved
antenna technology, but I don't see what's special about that
antenna at all. There used to be a more specific technical data
sheet, which talked about the improved sensitivity and S/N of the
new radio, and I guess that's what actually makes the difference.
I also seem to remember some article on "www.smallnetbuilder.com"
that talked about a new Atheros chip set with increased range back
in September 2003. Hmmm, might have been:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/News_story_328.php

Since the chips are covered by a shield on the Mini-PCI (a second
one, the PCI card has another shield around the Mini-PCI card), I
can't tell what chips are actually used.

> I should have said that the atheros web site states that the 511T and
> the 311T use the same chipset, which is the AR5002G, but that the
> FreeBSD manual page states that the 511T uses the AR5212 chipset and
> doesn't mention the AR5002G by name at all.  Addionally the atheros web
> site doesn't mention a WG311 card at at all, only a HA311, WAG311 and
> WG311T.

See: http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=236

The WG311T definitely works, both with the Atheros driver and with
the NDIS wrapper. I've unsoldered the Mini-PCI from the PCI carrier
and have used it to replace the Centrino WLAN card in my Dell D800.

I can provide boot messages (with either driver), if there is any
interest ...

Regards, STefan