How To Get The Netgear WN311T To Work
Unfortunately there is no Linux driver for this PCI wireless adapter. Believe me I have searched. The Marvell driver for the TopDog is said to work, but under Intrepid I couldn’t get it to work.
The Chipset
The chipset in this adapter is the following:
lspci -nn | grep Marvell
Result:
01:08.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88W8361 [TopDog] 802.11n Wireless (rev 03)
Subsystem: Netgear Device 7e00
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
Memory at fdec0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Memory at fdee0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: [access denied]
To use this adapter we need to use ndiswrapper and the Windows driver.
To make it easier for my readers I decided to tar the needed files. Thus eliminating the need for them to install cabextract and unshield.
Note to Netgear if I am breaching any copyright laws please ask me to remove the files it will save us both lawyer fees.
First Like always lets make sure we are on the desktop. This makes it easy to find the file.
In Terminal (Kmenu->System->Konsole) copy and paste:
cd ~/Desktop
Then Download the tar file.
wget -c http://madberry.org/wp-content/drivers/wn311t.tar.gz
Install Ndiswrapper:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.9
Untar the driver files.
tar xvfz wn311t.tar.gz
Go into the directory we just created by untarring.
cd Driver
Install the driver using ndiswrapper.
sudo ndiswrapper -i NetMW14x.inf
Now run:
sudo ndiswrapper -m
Then:
sudo depmod -a
And:
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper
To make sure it starts on boot:
echo ndiswrapper | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
Now reboot and you’re ready to use you wireless N network. Use usual methods to connect to your AP. Like wpa_supplicant or knetworkmanager.
If this worked for you please leave a comment. If it didn’t work then post a comment with the following information:
uname -a
cat /etc/issue
iwconfig
ndiswrapper -l
Please use the pastebin and post the link you get in the comment. I want to keep the comments readable.
Tags: bus master, cd driver, copy and paste, copyright laws, latency, lawyer fees, linux driver, ls, lspci, ltd, marvell technology group, medium devsel, n network, ndiswrapper, pastebin, pci, tar file, topdog, windows driver, wireless adapter, wpa supplicant
Is there also a procedure for the WN511T
[Reply]
Just follow the same procedure. The only thing you have to change is the driver. Just download the new windows driver and try it out.
I would love to buy one and try it out for you but this is a non profit website and I need funds to buy the card so I need people to donate.
[mad]Berry
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The procedures sorta of work for me. Im using WICD and at times it will recognize my wireless, other times it wont and when it does recognize the 311T, it wont connect using it. Heres my parameters:
Linux MultiMedia 2.6.24-23-server #1 SMP Thu Nov 27 19:19:15 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.422 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Bit Rate:1 Mb/s Sensitivity=-200 dBm
RTS thr=2346 B Fragment thr=2346 B
Power Management:off
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
Ubuntu 8.04.1 \n \l
netmw14x : driver installed
device (11AB:2A02) present
[Reply]
hi and thanks so far for your detailed writeup.
would this w-lancard be avaiable for pfSense in a VM running BSD on a Intrepid machine?
thx´n´greetz
plex
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sorry for bugging you with this question – after rethinking I came to the clue that this is not the solution as the VM will access the hardware itself without making use of installed drivers on the guest system…
regarding WN311T & BSD I found a blog where this situation is documentated:
http://vivin.net/archives/journal/7/10/2007/Getting_the_Netgear_WN311T_to_work_on_PCBSDFreeBSD/
if you should aspire to play around with a bsd-VM and this tut please let me know as I am half a noob to linux yet and will need any further documentation available for this.
plex
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Thanks for the info, this worked for me on Ubuntu 8.10 with a Netgear WN511T, just had to find the drivers as mentioned.
I do have one issue in that my pcmcia card wireless services on this interface do not start after a reboot. However if I unplug and reseat the pc card it will start.
Any Ideas?
Robert
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Yes this is because the Ubuntu starts the network before it starts pcmcia. To fix the problem add /etc/init.d/pcmcia start in /etc/init.d/networking below the #!/bin/sh -e. This should solve the problem.
[mad]Berry
[Reply]
hi can you help me resolve this . Been struling for over two weeks now. Thanks
# lspci -v
03:07.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. Device 2a02 (rev 03)
Subsystem: Netgear Device 7e00
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
Memory at fdde0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Memory at fddd0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
# ndiswrapper -l
yk51×64 : driver installed
# iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
# cat /etc/issue
Welcome to openSUSE 11.0 (X86-64) – Kernel \r (\l).
uname -a
Linux linux-byfa 2.6.25.5-1.1-default #1 SMP 2008-06-07 01:55:22 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[Reply]
Does this work with linux Redhat 64 bit? Do you have the correct drivers for this?
PS I thought I’d posted a request yesterday but it seems do have dissapeared. Thanks
[Reply]
I have been unable to get any results at all. I included all the info you specified. I also included part of the lshw listing, which I hope points the way to what is really wrong.
Uname -a:
Linux Athanasius 2.6.28-7-generic #20-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 9 15:42:34 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU /Linux
issue:
Ubuntu 9.04 \n \l
iwconfig:
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
eth1 no wireless extensions.
Pan0 no wireless extensions.
ndiswrapper:
neta3ab : driver installed
netrt61g : driver installed
pertinent section of lshw -c network:
*-network:0 UNCLAIMED
description: Ethernet controller
product: 88W8361 [TopDog] 802.11n Wireless
vendor: Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
physical id: 5
bus info: pci@0000:00:05.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=32
[Reply]
[mad]Berry Reply:
May 7th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
@John D. Tiedeman, Did you use the 64bit drivers?
[Reply]
Paul Heckel Reply:
July 25th, 2009 at 5:02 am
@[mad]Berry,
Hi there. I am a bit confused by this question. To which specific 64 bit drivers are you referring? The Vista 64 bit drivers contained in the Netgear bundle? Or are there other 64 bit drivers in play here?
I’ve been having a heck of a time coercing my AMD64 Jaunty instance to use this driver. Any further guidance would be appreciated.
[Reply]
[mad]Berry Reply:
August 15th, 2009 at 11:47 am
@Paul Heckel, Yes the 64bit Netgear drivers from either the CD or the Netgear website.
It hadn’t occurred to me to look for 64-bit drivers, because in the 3 years since I went 64-bit I have neither seen nor needed them. I used ndiswrapper (always my last resort) to install the two drivers I found on the Marvell site. Do you know of any for the WN311T. I have even read that they aren’t needed with *ubuntu 9.01 because the module is in the kernel but I haven’t been able to find it.
[Reply]
[mad]Berry Reply:
May 8th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
@John D. Tiedeman, I don’t like using ndiswrapper much myself. But in this case there is no way around it. I haven’t tried the WN311T on Kubuntu 9.04 yet I will be able to tell you more after my new motherboard comes in I won’t be updating the system that has the WN311T until after the hardware upgrade of Magnus.
[Reply]
I am trying to get a 511t woring in ubuntu 9.04 but can not attached is my pastebin.
thanks for your help
[Reply]
oops
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shadgkiss@ubuntu-laptop:~$ uname -a
Linux ubuntu-laptop 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
shadgkiss@ubuntu-laptop:~$ cat /etc/issue
Ubuntu 9.04 \n \l
shadgkiss@ubuntu-laptop:~$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.
eth0 no wireless extensions.
irda0 no wireless extensions.
wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:off/any
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.437 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Bit Rate:1 Mb/s Sensitivity=-200 dBm
RTS thr=2346 B Fragment thr=2346 B
Power Management:off
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
pan0 no wireless extensions.
shadgkiss@ubuntu-laptop:~$ ndiswrapper -l
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
netmw14x : driver installed
device (11AB:2A02) present
[Reply]
yes I need some help….
I followed your instructions but had some issues. First, When I put the line “sudo modprobe ndiswrapper” in the terminal it froze and I had to shut the terminal. Second, after I rebooted my computer the wireless service didnt load and wouldnt start.
Any ideas?
[Reply]
Shot in the dark here as Im not sure if you are still reading these posts …
I tried to follow your steps but could not get this file wiht your download – NetMW14x.inf
How can I get that file ???
[Reply]
@Chris, Like the article says download the tar file using:
wget -c http://madberry.org/wp-content/drivers/wn311t.tar.gzor right click and save as this link:
http://madberry.org/wp-content/drivers/wn311t.tar.gz
I’m not home at the moment when I get home later I will check the file to make sure it has all files needed.
[mad]Berry
[Reply]