TP-Link TL-WN821N wifi usb adapter - no wireless N mode

[Savvas Radevic]

I have a wireless usb adapter: TP-Link TL-WN821N

The problem is that iwconfig and lshw do not list that it supports wireless "N" mode.

Please note:
1. openSUSE 11.2 shows "802.11bgn" (with "n"), whereas Ubuntu 9.10 shows "802.11bg" (without "n").
2. I tried "locking" the router to wireless N only, no luck!
3. It currently supports up to 54Mbps (through wireless G).
4. I tried manually setting to speeds higher than 54Mbps, but iwlist does not detect higher speeds than 54Mbps.
5. In Windows, I get approximately 100Mbps transfer speed.

$ lsusb
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0cf3:1002 Atheros Communications, Inc.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 09da:0080 A4 Tech Co., Ltd
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

$ modinfo ar9170usb
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.31-16-generic/updates/cw/ar9170usb.ko
firmware: ar9170-2.fw
firmware: ar9170-1.fw
firmware: ar9170.fw
description: Atheros AR9170 802.11n USB wireless
license: GPL
author: Christian Lamparter <email address hidden>
author: Johannes Berg <email address hidden>
srcversion: 1C24FAAEFE8ADA455048958
alias: usb:v057Cp8402d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v057Cp8401d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v04BBp093Fd*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v2019p5304d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v083ApF522d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0CDEp0026d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0CDEp0023d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0586p3417d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0ACEp1221d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0846p9001d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0846p9010d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v07D1p3C10d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:vCACEp0300d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0CF3p1002d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0CF3p1001d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
alias: usb:v0CF3p9170d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*
depends: mac80211,led-class,ath,cfg80211
vermagic: 2.6.31-16-generic SMP mod_unload modversions
parm: nohwcrypt:Disable hardware encryption. (bool)
parm: ht:enable MPDU aggregation. (bool)

$ iwconfig
[...]

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated
          Tx-Power=20 dBm
          Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off

$ sudo lshw -C network
[...]
  *-network:1
       description: Wireless interface
       physical id: 2
       logical name: wlan0
       serial: 00:25:86:e5:22:0d
       capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Dec 11 18:02:11 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: linux-backports-modules-2.6.31-16-generic 2.6.31-16.18
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-16.52-generic
SourcePackage: linux-backports-modules-2.6.31
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-16-generic x86_64

[Gionn (giovanni.toraldo)]

With opensuse you can use N?
As far as I can understand reading http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ar9170, N support is not ready yet, but it's on the plans.

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

On 8 March 2010 22:35, Gionn (Giovanni Toraldo) <email address hidden> wrote:
> With opensuse you can use N?
> As far as I can understand reading http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ar9170, N support is not ready yet, but it's on the plans.

As far as I can remember, yes. How can I check if it actually uses wireless N?
I'll check it out again during the weekend

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

Looks like I was wrong... but it is weird that it lists "IEEE 802.11bgn" with iwconfig, while Ubuntu lists "IEEE 802.11bg":

linux@linux:~> iwlist scan
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wmaster0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:25:86:C7:9D:73
                    Channel:11
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality=67/70 Signal level=-43 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    ESSID:"Deligradska"
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
                    Mode:Master
                    Extra:tsf=000000001d34f622
                    Extra: Last beacon: 32181ms ago
                    IE: Unknown: 000B44656C6967726164736B61
                    IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C
                    IE: Unknown: 03010B
                    IE: Unknown: 2A0100
                    IE: Unknown: 2F0100
                    IE: Unknown: 32040C121860
                    IE: Unknown: 2D1A7C181BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: 3D160B081500000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD090010180201F0050000
                    IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101800003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00
                    IE: Unknown: DD1E00904C337C181BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD1A00904C340B081500000000000000000000000000000000000000

linux@linux:~> /usr/sbin/iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wmaster0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"Deligradska"
          Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: 00:25:86:C7:9D:73
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=20 dBm
          Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=64/70 Signal level=-46 dBm Noise level=-86 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

[axm (70ip53x02)]

> As far as I can understand reading http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/ar9170, N support is not ready yet, but it's on the plans.

As far as I can understand it, the potential (802.11n) is listed as a feature, but not under working (as is b/g), so I suppose it is not working. But it is not listed under "not yet working" either, assuming it is not just among "lots of other things". Where do you get the understanding it is on the "plans" from?

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

axm is right.. quoting:

"features

    * 802.11abgn/bgn (depending on hardware)
    * 1 or 2 spatial streams for 802.11n (depending on hardware)"

Well, my hardware (TP-Link TL-WN821N) has wireless N support -- what's the deal?

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

I just compiled http://wireless.kernel.org/download/compat-wireless-2.6/compat-wireless-2.6.tar.bz2 (2010-07-08, info in README)

Download, extract, then while in the extracted directory:
./scripts/driver-select atheros
make
sudo make install
sudo make wlunload
sudo modprobe ar9170usb

It now shows "bgn". But I'm :)

$ lshw -c network

  *-network:1
       description: Wireless interface
       physical id: 2
       bus info: usb@2:1
       logical name: wlan0
       serial: 00:25:86:e5:22:0d
       capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ar9170usb driverversion=2.6.32-23-generic firmware=N/A ip=192.168.100.100 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn

$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

eth1 no wireless extensions.

vboxnet0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
          Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

.. but still no wireless N speed/bit rate:
$ sudo iwlist scan
          Cell 04 - Address: 00:25:86:C7:9D:73
                    Channel:11
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality=60/70 Signal level=-50 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    ESSID:"Deligradska"
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
                    Mode:Master
                    Extra:tsf=00000000138cd972
                    Extra: Last beacon: 30ms ago
                    IE: Unknown: 000B44656C6967726164736B61
                    IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C
                    IE: Unknown: 03010B
                    IE: Unknown: 2A0106
                    IE: Unknown: 2F0106
                    IE: Unknown: 32040C121860
                    IE: Unknown: 2D1A7C181BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: 3D160B001300000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD090010180201F0050000
                    IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101800003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00
                    IE: Unknown: DD1E00904C337C181BFFFF000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
                    IE: Unknown: DD1A00904C340B001300000000000000000000000000000000000000

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

reopening the bug, the ar9170usb module could use a backport update. The problem is that I don't know if wireless N actually works, although it's listed with a recompiled version of compat-wireless (see the 2 comments above).

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

$ uname -a
Linux home-desktop 2.6.32-23-generic #37-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jun 11 08:03:28 UTC 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Savvas Radevic (medigeek)]

See bug 540827 -- carl9170 driver fixes most of the problems.

[FaberfoX (faberfox)]

I'm on a TL-WN822N that also uses the ar9170usb driver by default. On 11.04, simply blacklisting ar9170usb makes the kernel use the carl9170 driver and everything works great with it.
For new users, this can be achieved with the following command from a terminal:

echo "blacklist ar9170usb" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ar9170.conf

After rebooting you should check on connection information that the driver is carl9170 instead of ar9170usb.

Could someone confirm this also works for the TL-WN821N?

[Aleksey Chaplygin (chaplygin-a-o)]

Hi, I use the TL-WN821N FCC ID: .. V3 and tried to do the following:

echo "blacklist ar9170usb" | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ar9170.conf

and it's perfect working after rebooting =) Thank you FaberfoX.

P.S.:
GNU/Linux:
Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.21-generic 3.0.6

[Aleksey Chaplygin (chaplygin-a-o)]

I rushed to conclusions, the problem still remains = (

[Aleksey Chaplygin (chaplygin-a-o)]

adapter is still losing the connection and for a long time can not recover it, tell me steps to diagnose the error