DaemonForums  

Go Back   DaemonForums > OpenBSD > OpenBSD General

OpenBSD General Other questions regarding OpenBSD which do not fit in any of the categories below.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
guitarscn guitarscn is offline
Package Pilot
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 166
Thumbs down I don't like Linksys :(



I recently called them today inquiring about a certain wireless-N adapter I was interested in purchasing, but I wanted it to be compatible with OpenBSD so I asked about the chipset it was using, and the outsourced reps on the other line didn't even know what a chipset was. I heard them conversating (with their superiors I guess) in a different language and came back to tell me that this particular wireless adapter did not have any chips. What?

The latest representative I spoke with I was getting impatient after an hour and a half, so I kindly asked her if she could forward me/transfer my call to maybe a more knowledgable higher tier support, and I was hung up on!!!

Reply With Quote
  #2   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
guitarscn guitarscn is offline
Package Pilot
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 166
Default

I posted in their forums and they deleted my post:

Quote:
We apologize for deleting your post in the Wireless Adapters section. Upon further review of your post, we assessed that it is not in line with the discussion board's guidelines.

Your posts has no technical information and deemed unproductive. The Forums are designed mainly to provide a place for customers to help customers on technical concerns. This is not the right place to share your dissatisfaction.

Please be aware of board rules and guidelines. Thanks.

Regards,
I posted plenty of technical information with my post asking about the product...what the heck, dude
Reply With Quote
  #3   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

Quote:
wireless-N
You aren't going to get 802.11n capability, yet.

Picking one embedded 802.11n chip I have with a netbook:
Quote:
CAVEATS
The athn driver does not support any of the 802.11n capabilities offered
by the adapters. Additional work is required in ieee80211(9) before
those features can be supported.
Reply With Quote
  #4   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
ocicat ocicat is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,318
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guitarscn View Post
The latest representative I spoke with...
You are asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. Most of the world is not familiar with OpenBSD, & expecting it will simply give you ulcers.

Business orients itself towards populations which are likely to buy their products & services in large quantities. Hence, they will have some familiarity with Windows & possibly Linux. Anything else is a fluke.

Business provides technical support in order to cover very basic needs. Support does not generate revenue, so the most minimal effort will be expended on setting up the necessary infrastructure or hiring knowledgeable people.

Look at it another way. You can likely buy a corded telephone from any vendor & expect that once it is plugged in, basic service can be attained. This is because the standards are well established, & everyone knows what they are. Wired telephone service is a mature industry.

Wireless isn't mature, so focusing on standards is even more important.

When dealing with wireless with the *BSD family, look at the manpage for whatever device you have (which can be determined in dmesg(8) output after the device is connected...). A general list of drivers can be found from apropros(1):

http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.c...=1&format=html

After studying the manpage for whatever device you have (as also suggested by jggimi...), you will have a better idea about what standards to look for in third-party products. It is also common within the manpages to state what specific commercial cards have been known to work.

Lastly, to minimize getting bit by buying hardware that ends up not being supported, only buy from vendors where it is very clear what the return policy is, & make sure you return items within the timeframe specified.
Reply With Quote
  #5   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
BSDfan666 BSDfan666 is offline
Real Name: N/A, this is the interweb.
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,223
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guitarscn View Post
The latest representative I spoke with I was getting impatient after an hour and a half, so I kindly asked her if she could forward me/transfer my call to maybe a more knowledgable higher tier support, and I was hung up on!!!
That department doesn't employ people who know such information, the people that designed the device do not work for customer support.

All you've done is annoyed and insulted some random people trying to make a meager living.

Instead of contacting Linksys/Cisco (..you probably didn't buy it from them directly), deal with the company you intend on purchasing the card from.

Inquire about their refund/return policy, buy it.. and then just try it out for yourself.
Reply With Quote
  #6   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
jggimi's Avatar
jggimi jggimi is offline
More noise than signal
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 7,975
Default

If you'd like to know what devices people are having success or failure with, follow misc@, and learn to use mailing list archive search tools. That will give you much more information, much more successfully, then calling some outsourced customer service department that can only read to you from a prebuilt script to you over the phone, to solve only the most common problems for people on Windows (and possibly Mac). They only want to know if you're using XP, Vista, or Win 7, so they can move to the right section of the script.
Reply With Quote
  #7   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
guitarscn guitarscn is offline
Package Pilot
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 166
Default

The main reason why I attempted to ask them was because in my previous history with them, I had bought two of the exact same wireless adapters (at different points in time), same model, same version number, yet they both ended up having different chipsets! This was very surprising to me. I guess I got lucky on one while a while later (not too far ahead in time) it was something totally different. So I am paranoid that in the span between months I do research, that they will suddenly begin to manufacture the very card I am researching and about to buy with a different chipset...
Reply With Quote
  #8   (View Single Post)  
Old 19th March 2010
ocicat ocicat is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,318
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guitarscn View Post
...I had bought two of the exact same wireless adapters (at different points in time), same model, same version number, yet they both ended up having different chipsets!
This is a common practice not limited to Linksys. Computer manufacturers do exactly the same thing.

Case in point, I bought an HP netbook based on information found on misc@ stating that all components were known to work (including wireless). dmesg(8) was attached. I ended up buying the same model, but wireless doesn't work, & my dmesg(8) output shows that my system was six months newer. Componentry can & does change throughout the lifecycle of a product line.

It is all based on the manufacturer's suppliers & where they find better deals.
Reply With Quote
  #9   (View Single Post)  
Old 20th March 2010
shep shep is offline
Real Name: Scott
Arp Constable
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Dry and Dusty
Posts: 1,503
Default

In addition to the man pages I find google and an online vendor catalog to be helpful.
My usual plan of attack is to browse the open box section at New Egg and enter the wireless N adapter model number into google followed by "linux" Almost invariably someone has tried the adapter and if semi-knowlegable will post the chipset. I have even been alerted that the manufacturer had changed the chipset while retaining the same model number.
When purchasing I try to speak to a sales person and tell them that I want a particular version with a particular chipset and get assurances that I can make the return without a restocking fee if it does not have the desired chipset. The other tactic I use is to buy locally and have a sales person open the box to look directly at the chipset.

In general RAlink and the older atheros drivers work well and I usually hunt for one those chipsets.

Last edited by shep; 20th March 2010 at 03:04 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Is a Linksys WRT54G wireless card compatible with OBSD? guitarscn OpenBSD General 7 24th February 2009 03:01 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:03 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content copyright © 2007-2010, the authors
Daemon image copyright ©1988, Marshall Kirk McKusick