switching libertas driver into AP mode in XO-1.75?

[Anna]

Hi George,

I have heard that the XO's wifi can't support AP mode, but I hope it's just
hearsay.  Because that would be really cool if you could put the XO's
"ears" into AP mode.

However, I do have USB wifi dongles that support AP mode and I just took a
look into that on an XO 1.75 under 13.1.0.  I had to install the firmware,
but iw list reported that AP mode is supported.  So if the idea is to have
the XO be a "self contained" wifi AP, an external dongle might be a
solution.

This particular SMC Networks USB wifi dongle was on Woot a few years ago
for like $5/each.  I got two, because, well, that's a good price and these
things come in handy.

lsusb reports this:  (after yum install usbutils)
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0cf3:1002 Atheros Communications, Inc. TP-Link
TL-WN821N v2 802.11n [Atheros AR9170]

I went and got the firmware from here:
http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/carl9170#Firmware-1

Do iw list and you're looking for AP in this section:

    Supported interface modes:
         * IBSS
         * managed
         * AP
         * AP/VLAN
         * monitor
         * P2P-client
         * P2P-GO

The native XO's wifi looks like this:

    Supported interface modes:
         * IBSS
         * managed

With a Ralink USB wifi dongle on my Mint desktop, it "just worked" to turn
it into an access point.  I mostly followed these instructions for the Pi:
http://thebitbangtheory.blogspot.com/2012/12/turning-raspberry-pi-into-wireless.html

So unless someone comes out and says, "hey, the XO's wifi does support AP
mode," it's gonna have to be an external dongle.

Anna Schoolfield
Birmingham

On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 10:29 AM, George Hunt <georgejhunt at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Does anyone have knowledge about the feasibility of switching the
> libertas_sdio driver on an XO-1.75 into Access Point mode? If so, is there
> any documentation therefor?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> George
>
> (modinfo libertas shows:
> schoolserver] library > modinfo libertas
> filename:
> /lib/modules/3.0.19_xo1.75-20120803.1234.olpc.f49cd50/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/libertas/libertas.ko
> license:        GPL
> author:         Marvell International Ltd.
> description:    Libertas WLAN Driver Library
> depends:
> vermagic:       3.0.19_xo1.75-20120803.1234.olpc.f49cd50 preempt
> mod_unload ARMv7
> parm:           libertas_debug:int
> parm:           libertas_disablemesh:int
>
> [schoolserver] library > modinfo libertas_sdio
> filename:
> /lib/modules/3.0.19_xo1.75-20120803.1234.olpc.f49cd50/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/libertas/libertas_sdio.ko
> license:        GPL
> author:         Pierre Ossman
> description:    Libertas SDIO WLAN Driver
> firmware:       sd8688.bin
> firmware:       sd8688_helper.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8688.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8688_helper.bin
> firmware:       sd8686.bin
> firmware:       sd8686_helper.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8686_v8.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8686_v8_helper.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8686_v9.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8686_v9_helper.bin
> firmware:       sd8385.bin
> firmware:       sd8385_helper.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8385.bin
> firmware:       libertas/sd8385_helper.bin
> alias:          sdio:c*v02DFd9104*
> alias:          sdio:c*v02DFd9103*
> depends:        libertas
> vermagic:       3.0.19_xo1.75-20120803.1234.olpc.f49cd50 preempt
> mod_unload ARMv7
> [schoolserver] library >
>
>
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