Using the GPLed linux driver with the Belkin F5D6050 Adapter.

(Atmel AT76C503A based wireless usb device)

Go to my main wireless page for pictures.... this all needs an update which I will get to doing where time permits!

If you have a Netgear MA101 USB device, try  http://www.mckinney.co.nz/wireless/gpl-driver.html for more information.

What you need:

• a Belkin F5D6050 USB wireless device. Have a look here to see what kind of board you may have, or have a look at ./src/includes/usb/config.h once you've downloaded the source code.
• a RedHat 7.3 install with raw non-SMP kernel 2.4.19 compiled from scratch. Download from http://www.kernel.org 
• Internet access from the computer you are building the driver on so you can fetch the source code from cvs.  Or see below.
• Note, the USB adapter I used was running with a usb-ohci.o module.

  Edit /etc/modules.conf and  add alias usb-controller usb-ohci

Getting and compiling the driver

By CVS

1. You need cvs installed for this. Its on the RedHat install CDs if its not installed already.
2. make a directory to put the code in. go into that directory
3. run: cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.atmelwlandriver.sourceforge.net               :/cvsroot/atmelwlandriver co atmelwlandriver    as one line.

This will download the source code. (if prompted for a password, just hit Enter)

From here

You can download an "old" file from here (atmelandriver.tgz - 604Kb) if you prefer the CVS tarball I used.

• To compile the driver:

1. Go into the atmelwlandriver directory
2. Run: make config
3. select the following options:
   • build all? no
   • build debug version? yes  - ONLY IF YOU WANT A LOT OF SYSLOG MESSAGES.
   • build usb drivers? yes
   • build usb 503a rfmd driver? yes
   • build usb 503a intersil 3861 driver? no
   • build usb intersil 3863 driver? no
   • build usb rfmd 505 driver? no
   • build pcmcia drivers? no
   • build miniPCI driver? no
   • build applications? yes
   • build command line application? yes
4. run: make install
5. run: depmod -a (ignore any errors - there is a patch out to solve this, but it isn't on this site)

Making it work

• First, make sure your usb card driver module is loaded. Check with  lsmod or run  modprobe usb-ohci
• Plug in your Belkin F5D6050 usb device. Check the syslog output - it should show that the device was plugged in to the bus.
• Install the Atmel driver - Use  modprobe usbvnetr. I have found that installing the Atmel driver before plugging in the device results in the whole thing just stopping at "resetting usb device" and it goes no further.
• You should get some messages in syslog to say the device is registered and also some to the console.

Sep 17 23:32:19 machine kernel: usb.c: registered new driver usbvnetr
Sep 17 23:32:19 machine kernel: usb_vnet_probe: usb vendor/product=d5c/a002
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: vnet_kernel.c: Reseting Usb Device
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel:
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: vnet_kernel.c: Reset completed.
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: Reg Domain
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: usbvnetr: driver version 1.0.1, compiled Sep 17 2002 23:29:29 (dbg_mask x0)
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: MAC addr 00:30:XX:XX:XX:XX firmware 0.90.2.140
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: Multicast is enabled
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine kernel: vnetusba.c: usb eth1 initialized and registered
Sep 17 23:32:22 machine /etc/hotplug/net.agent: invoke ifup eth1

• Then run  lvnet  to configure the card. It should open a configuration screen.

• Set all the parameters and then exit the configuration program.

• Now you need to add the Belkin interface to your machine routing table. If you don't run DHCP, run:

ifconfig <interface alias> up

ifconfig <interface alias> <ip address> netmask <netmask> then 

route add default gw <default gateway ip address>

• If you downloaded the driver via CVS, whenever you want to get the latest source code from cvs, go into the atmelwlandriver directory, and run: cvs update. Then run: make clean, then make config ; make install to recompile the driver. 

• Next, install wireless tools package to configure things using the command line. I don't know how well this works but I am still looking at it.

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