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

[Scott Robbins]

On Sun, Sep 08, 2013 at 04:51:14PM -0400, Brian Callahan wrote:
> On 9/8/2013 2:43 PM, Scott Robbins wrote:


> >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.
> >
> >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.
> >
> >
> 
> Does FreeBSD not have urtwn(4)? I use this on OpenBSD/{macppc,sgi}
> with no problems:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/230973235744

I _think_ it's getting ported over to 10, but I'm not sure.  Out of the
adapters I've been checking, I've forgotten which it is, but there was
another USB adapter (or more than one--I've been researching for a couple
of days now, though not intensively, and have lost track) that are
supported in OpenBSD (which won't install on this Zenbook for whatever
reason--or it will install, but crashes on first boot) that are getting
ported over, but at present are only in HEAD.  

> 
> If FreeBSD doesn't have urtwn(4) you still have options:
> 
> AFAIK, urtw(4) doesn't come in a small form factor; generally they
> look like this:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALFA-AWUS036H-USB-Wireless-G-WiFi-Adapter-5dBi-Antenna-REALTEK-RTL8187L-/171122065537
> 
> Something like this should work ("should" as in I haven't tested it
> myself but the chipset claimed in the ad is supported) with run(4):
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ralink-RT3070-802-11n-WiFi-USB-WIRELESS-N-card-adapter-/261117253939
> You have to be careful with Ralink as not all chipsets are supported
> (like RT5370, which is disappointing because they're also pretty
> small).
> 
> Though honestly, if this is just a stop-gap for you, I would scour
> eBay for some used dongle I knew was supported and cheap and call it
> a day.

Best idea.  At present, I also threw a small FreeBSD install on a
VirtualBox running on a minimal Fedora, so I can go with that for now as
well.  
> 
> HTH

It does, thank you.  I might just go with that ebay one, and if it's not
supported, well, I've lost 10 dollars.  Sigh, now I'll spend the rest of
the day wondering if I should buy the one that you've found.  And many
thanks for doing the ebay check for me.


-- 
Scott Robbins
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