[PLUG] Airlink USB Wireless Adapter AWLL3055 works

Carlos Konstanski ckonstanski at pippiandcarlos.com
Sat Nov 22 17:53:30 UTC 2008


On Sat, 22 Nov 2008, Keith Lofstrom wrote:

> Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:44:38 -0800
> From: Keith Lofstrom <keithl at kl-ic.com>
> Reply-To: keithl at keithl.com,
>     "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> To: PLUG <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Subject: [PLUG] Airlink USB Wireless Adapter AWLL3055 works
> 
>
> On Friday Nov 21 2008, Fry's least expensive 802.11a/b/g adapter
> was the Airlink AWLL3055, "802.11G USB Adapter with +10dBi Antenna",
> costing $19.90 (they may sometimes have cheaper devices, but they
> were out of stock).  I bought one, to see what kind of grief we
> can expect at the next clinic.  Not much from this one, it turns out.
>
> The 3055 is not small, because it is built with a 10dB patch
> antenna and has a 6 foot USB cable on it.  The whole package is
> 2x4x3 inches or so .  The antenna increases the range considerably.
> I get "4 bars" to my access point 30 feet and two walls away.
> It claims to be 40mW (16dBm) on the box.  No FCC ID (!!).
>
> The higher gain antenna means that you are not spraying RF in all
> directions.  That increases security by reducing eavesdropping,
> reduces multipath interference, and is also more neighborly,
> though you need to know where the access point is.
>
> The USB2 connection means less interface incompatability - this
> should work with most 5 year or younger machines, getting around
> the paucity of CardExpress incompatabilities, for example.  And
> because it unplugs quickly from a laptop, it provides "air gap"
> security - yank it out and you are isolated.  I don't trust
> builtin Wifi, mediated by potentially vulnerable software, to
> always tell the truth about being disconnected.
>
> The Airlink contains a ZyDas zd1211b chip, USBID 0ace:1215, which
> is moderately well supported by the Linux ZD1211 driver.  It doesn't
> report link quality, but the adapter is otherwise plug-and-play in
> Hardy Heron, and works with my older RHEL 5 distro.
>
> At the clinic, we keep encountering wireless cards with unsupported
> chipsets, often purchased cheap at Frys.  For the next few months,
> on of the cheapest adapters you can buy may be one of the better ones.
> Please don't buy unsupported wireless gear.
>
> Keith

Does it have kernel WPA support (I'm guessing this means mac80211)?
I've been struggling with that one.  I should probably start a new
helpme! thread on this subject.  wpa_supplicant has been a nightmare,
at least with my atheros 52xx built-in wireless.  It keeps dropping
the connection, and signal strength is in the toilet.

I have been poking around the 2.6.25.19 kernel source looking for
mac80211 support in various wifi drivers.  Correct me if I'm wrong -
the orinoco_cs card has no such support, right?

Carlos



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