Foxconn T77H348.02 with Atheros AR9462 AR5B22 chipset and Bluetooth support with the "ATH9K"
Hi Guys,
I want to change my current Wifi Card on a X200 with Libreboot. I need the 2,4 and the 5 GHz Dual Band because the Wifi repeater at my parents home uses dual band to get more speed.
In Ebay they sold the Foxconn T77H348.02 with a "Atheros AR9462 AR5B22" chipset. The cards have also Bluetooth 4.0 and in the description they are saying, that the ATH9K driver will give support. So my question is also for the bluetooth chip or do I need there propierty software as well?
If not what cards have dual band and are without a bluetooth chip and just need the free ATH9K driver? I could not find some only the normal once without dual band.
THX
The WiFi will work fine. Bluetooth, on the other hand, will require nonfree firmware. If you don't need Bluetooth it is not a problem.
EDIT: Actually, I was mistaken. I thought that Atheros bluetooth chips use ath3k, but this one uses ath9k according to WikiDevi, so both WiFi and Bluetooth should work.
Thx, the website is very useful I ordered one of the cards and will give a feedback when it is here.
It works perfect. So if anyone needs a better wifi and bluetooth card for his/her Thinkpad X200 it is a great choice.
I will test it under Trisquell at the weekend and give you an answer. Actuall it works well under a Ubuntu system. I had in mind, that also Ubuntu would ask when the card needs any other firmware than the ath9k?
Obviously, Ubuntu's kernel is full of blobs (proprietary software), Mint, Lubuntu, Kubuntu...too.
No, usually kernel(Linux) loads needed drivers/firmwares at boot, or when something is being plugged-in.
In deblobbed/blobless kernel at boot if something blob-hardware needs proprietary crap, it will output something like "...missing firmware...". And it will refuse to boot, stall, or it would do a normal boot ignoring missing firmware (but that blob-hardware will not work obviously).
DO NOT USE UBUNTU, MINT, LUBUNTU, KUBUNTU... they endorse and promote blobs. If you have PowerPC computer, here is nothing to do than using something like Lubuntu (at the moment). For x86-ARM you have fully libre and working operating systems, and please recommend only these.
If you have Thinkpad x200, I can recommend you flashing Libreboot into it.
If you don't like secrets in your life, just use libre software.
Before you test Trisquel do a full shutdown of the computer. Don't just reboot from Ubuntu or the firmware will still be loaded.
I am a translator!
> Actuall it works well under a Ubuntu system.
Sure, all wifi cards work in Ubuntu for its kernel is full full full full of proprietary firmware, so when you plug in an adapter that needs proprietary firmware it will work because that proprietary blob is there in the kernel, it's loaded and hence the adapter works. On the contrary it doesn't work on Trisquel because there is no prorpietary firmware..
So I tested it on Trisquel by making the following steps:
1. At the evening I shut down the computer, take off the Battery and the power supply.
2. At the next day I booted Trisquel from a USB Stick and both Wifi and Bluetooth works well.
So there cant be store anything from Ubuntu because there was no electricity for a longer time.
I have also a X60 Tablet here with Libreboot on it I can put the card inside and see if it works there too, maybe I have time later this week.
In general I know that Ubuntu is not god for freedom and I have a wondefull X200 with the 2,8 Ghz Processor and a wonderful HV121WX4-120 Panel.
I also ordered the clamps and wires to flash Libreboot on the system and when I will have more time next month I will do it and therefore also kick Ubuntu down and only use trisquel ;)
But it is always a matter of time...
I am a translator!
> 1. At the evening I shut down the computer, take off the Battery and the power supply.
I believe restarting your computer or shutting it down/ turning it on was really enough.
> I also ordered the clamps and wires to flash Libreboot on the system and when I will have more time next month I will do it
Good luck, read all there is to read on the subject **before** doing anything, be cool, be free. Cheers.