Looking for a 5GHz mini-pcie wireless adapter that works with Trisquel and Parabola.
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My local area has had a recent flood of new 2.4GHz wireless access points. All of the channels are completely crowded, some of our home laptops don't detect the Wi-Fi at all.
However, no one is using any of the 5GHz channels, so I'm wanting to try and migrate to 5GHz to try and stabilise my connection.
My laptop is a libreboot'd T400 so it will accept and mini-pcie wireless adapter. It currently has a Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 which works with free software but doesn't support 5GHz at all. So I need to replace it with something that is 5GHz compatible. The only issue is I've not been able to find anything that supports 5GHz AND is compatible with free software. I've searched h-node, kernel.org and even the Debian wiki but I've had no luck.
Can anyone here offer me some suggestions?
If you must stick to 5GHz that leaves you with 802.11a and/or 802.11n.
And there are lots of things in the free world that support that.
Look at the ath9k kernel module for your answer:
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath9k
Make a note of supported chipsets, including the single or dual band ones.
Search for those chipsets. I find lots of them very easily.
As an example, when I plug AR9160 (which is dual-band) into a search engine I find that Sparklan has the WMIA-199NI. That's a Mini PCI card though and I don't know if it'll work in your machine or not -- maybe it needs Mini PCI Express for example.
I see that eBay also has stuff.
Anyway, regardless of where you get stuff, those are the research steps to freedom now that you know the compatible chipsets.
Would this do? It has the AR9380: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atheros-Dual-Band-Mini-PCIE-Full-Size-Wireless-WiFi-Card-AR5BXB112-AR9380-W040/302024942290?epid=6004057245&hash=item465216e2d2:g:RksAAOSwDrNZUCRg
Though, it has three antenna connectors which is unusual. I'm guessing I can connect just one and two and then at some point add a third antenna to the screen assembly. The problem is the antenna connection points are labelled 0, 1, 2 not 1, 2, 3.
I saw this stackexchange question: https://superuser.com/questions/521217/can-i-use-a-3-antenna-mini-pci-card-if-i-only-have-2-antenna-cables.
The main answer states that "Just remember to plug in 1/2 and leave 3 out otherwise you may have problems", the issue is I can't be sure which one is the third antenna with the bizarre numbering. If you look at this Intel WLAN card http://www.laptopparts101.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/mini-pci-e-wireless-card.jpg you'll see that the numbering goes 1, 3, 2.
"Would this do?"
Rather than just giving you the answer I'm trying to teach you to find it on your own: What chipset does it use? Do you see any of the numbers matching with the ath9k page at
https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/ath9k ???
It does have the same chipset, I'm just being pedantic/paranoid. I can confirm that I purchased that card from the eBay listing. It works like a charm and is 5GHz compatible. Thanks for pointing me to ath9k page.
> antenna connection points are labelled 0, 1, 2 not 1, 2, 3.
For programmers is 0, 1, 2 not the same as 1, 2, 3?
If seller says, the libre software wifi card is not
for this or that notebook, it does not involve
a libreboot notebook?
Are there 5ghz libre software usb wifi cards?
I have personally tested these cards to have 5GHz
AR5BXB92 this is listed by lspci as atheros AR928X
it has 2.4GHz and 5GHz
AR5B22 this has 2.4 and 5GHz
lspci listed as: Qualcomm Atheros AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
*******************************
The following cards DO NOT have 5GHz, only 2.4
AR5B95 this only has 2.4GHz
lspci listed as: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
AR5B93 this only has 2.4GHz
lspci listed as: Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
Bought this card:
Confirmed working with Trisquel and Parabola and it does work with 5GHz.
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