[nycbug-talk] USB wireless for FreeBSD 9.x

[Scott Robbins]

I have a Zenbook, using the AR9485 Atheros card.  Unfortunately, it won't
be supported until 10 is released.  I've played a bit with CURRENT on this
machine, but don't have the time or patience right now.

I've tried a few of the options posted by the person who has created the
driver to get it working on 9.2-RC3 but had no luck, and I don't want to
spend a lot of time on it at this point.


So, my first question, as I like the small form factor, has anyone used one
of these?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833162037

It's a Buffalo WLI-UC-GNM, which does not seem to be specified in man(4)
run, though a WLI-UC-GN is specified.  Some googling seems to indicate that
it's supported, though one person was having trouble with it a year ago.  

What I'm finding, going through the various man pages, e.g., run, rum,
urtw, etc., is that many of the cards listed are fairly old.  For example,
the Asus USB-N13 is supported, but only in version A1.  B&H had the card in
stock, including a used one for $12.00, but after skating over, bringing
the laptop, it turned out that both the used and the new one were version
B1, which is not supported.  (They were very nice there, they allowed me to
try, despite what I'd seen on BSD forums, take the used one out of the box
which will mean more work for them wrapping the plastic back, and try it on
my laptop.)

So, firstly, 10 RELEASE should be out within a few months, so I could be
patient, but as my wife, who teaches dance to children frequently tells me,
I have less restraint than some of her creative movement students (who are
Kindergarten or pre-Kindergarten age.)

I like the Buffalo one that I linked because of it's small form factor, but
if no one has tried that, has anyone tried one that definitely worked for
them that is still available?  I don't want to spend much over $20.00, and
would prefer the small form factor.  After 10 hits RELEASE, I'll probably
wind up offering it as a known to work USB wireless on this list.  :)

So, TL;DR

Has anyone tried the Buffalo WLI-UC-GNM as a USB wireless and found it to
work?  
Does anyone have a USB wireless that they have found to work that is still
readily available for not much more than $20.00?

Thanks for any input.


-- 
Scott Robbins
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