installfest statuses

[Scott Robbins]

On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 11:02:26AM -0500, George Rosamond wrote:
> Scott Robbins:

> > On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 08:14:05PM +0530, Sujit K M wrote:
> >> On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 11:17 AM, Mike N. <mike at myownsoho.net> wrote:
> >>> I did not make it to the installfest, but I did install PCBSD on my laptop
> >>> this week.
> >>>
> >>> here's a link to my dmesg: http://www.nycbug.org/?action=dmesgd&dmesgid=2516
> >>
> >> The FreeBSD manual has a section. Hope this helps.
> > 
> > Actually, not looking that good for that card. 
> > 
> > https://wiki.freebsd.org/dev/iwn(4)
> > 
> > There does seem to be a patch on github
> > 
> > http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-current/2013-September/044513.html
> > 
> 
> I am using iwn(4) successfully, but not with that chipset IIRC.  If you
> haven't already, try "kldload iwn" and see what happens.. at least to
> see if it's recognized.  Then "kldstat" and "ifconfig".

Yes, I'm also using iwn without issue on my laptop, but for a different
Centrino card than mentioned by the OP.  FWIW, FreeBSD-10 has added support
for some cards, the one on my Asus UX31E Ultrabook now works, using ath,
whereas it wasn't working in 9.x

As George says, it certainly won't hurt to try kldload.  

> 
> But at the end of the day, it's better to just pickup a wireless card
> for laptops.  It's not worth the hassles and headaches of a crappy
> driver.  They are dirt cheap and they are usually simple enough to
> install.  And if you can't get around the BIOS' whitelist, then get a
> USB one.

I've had to do that in the past as well.  B&H photo let me bring in my
notebook and try a USB wireless before buying.   (Whether that's their
policy, or just that I got lucky, I don't know.  I believe it was a
refurbished USB stick though, and I knew there was a question as to whether
it would work, based on the revision.)


-- 
Scott Robbins
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