Wireless adapter that only operates on channel 1

[petoetje59]

Recently bought a couple of Chinese B-Link BL-LW05-AR5 150 Mbps Nano wireless N USB adapters.
Several forum posters claimed they worked out-of-the-box on a Raspberry Pi in Raspbian Linux, and their large external antenna was also a deciding factor for me.
They do work OOTB on a RPi-B - if one uses them to set up an ad-hoc network as I succeeded doing.
However, what the specs of these adapters don't tell you is... that they only work on channel 1 (and wireless mode G only @ 54 Mbps).
Bad luck if, like me, you're in an interfering environment with many foreign wireless networks all using channel 1.
The channel restriction was confirmed by the technical staff at B-Link.
I have no idea whether this restriction also applies to Infrastructure mode (I don't use wireless APs).
Are wireless adapters that can only operate on one channel commonplace, or is this just a flawed product 'feature' ?

Petoetje.

[drgeoff]

Without further evidence I wouldn't rule out the following:

1. The adaptors default to Channel 1 if not instructed otherwise.

2. The software setup you have doesn't have a means to specify the channel to use. Or you have not found it.

3. B-Link technical staff have not fully understood your enquiry and have confirmed point #1 above or just replied a polite "yes" to the question you asked.

[DougieLawson]

What does lsusb show when the dongle is plugged in?

[petoetje59]

1) +2) Obviously they default to channel 1.
Changing the channel on the RPi-B is simply done in /etc/network/interfaces :

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wireless-channel 1

...but if I do that - and change the channel in the connecting wireless bridge as well (where I can change the channel in Ad-Hoc mode, this device has been faithfully in use for 8 years) - then I can't connect anymore (after a reboot). When I revert back to channel 1 it connects fine again.
I suspected a restriction as the accompanying utility that replaces Windows Zero Config on a Windows configured adapter shows the channel setting option permanently greyed-out, and there is no setting to change channels in the Windows Device Manager either.

3) B-Link only makes network-related stuff, and the contact person replied not just "yes" but - in Chinese flavoured English : Our company card is unable to change the default channel.
That's not just polite, but a straight answer to a straight question.

[petoetje59]

What does lsusb show when the dongle is plugged in?

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Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0bda:2838 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL2838 DVB-T
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:8176 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter

Device 007 is the wireless adapter.
Bottomline : the device works... but only on channel 1 (and only G mode) - in Ad Hoc mode, I did not test Infrastructure mode as I have no need for it.
I have two of them and both display this behaviour, and I accept the explanation from B-Link that this is simply a (to me a flawed) feature of this model.
I just wandered if this is commonplace with other wireless adapters - and if so, why.

[DougieLawson]

That USB dongle is covered in excruciating detail in http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 91&t=29752

[petoetje59]

That USB dongle is covered in excruciating detail in http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 91&t=29752

That post is only about issues with the RTL8188EU which I do not have and doesn't work OOTB - mine is the RTL8188CUS (see my 'lsusb') which works but with a restriction purposely built-in by the makers B-Link.
So, I'm still no wiser about whether others tried to change their wireless channel but couldn't on whatever brand of wireless adapter.

[DougieLawson]

That post is only about issues with the RTL8188EU which I do not have and doesn't work OOTB - mine is the RTL8188CUS (see my 'lsusb') which works but with a restriction purposely built-in by the makers B-Link.
So, I'm still no wiser about whether others tried to change their wireless channel but couldn't on whatever brand of wireless adapter.

But that's not what the USB vendorid/productid says which are my primary search predicates.

What does lsmod show when the offending device is plugged in?

[fruitoftheloom]

That post is only about issues with the RTL8188EU which I do not have and doesn't work OOTB - mine is the RTL8188CUS (see my 'lsusb') which works but with a restriction purposely built-in by the makers B-Link.
So, I'm still no wiser about whether others tried to change their wireless channel but couldn't on whatever brand of wireless adapter.

But that's not what the USB vendorid/productid says which are my primary search predicates.

What does lsmod show when the offending device is plugged in?

Bus 001 Device 007: ID 0bda:8176 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapte

Yes definitely a RTL8188CUS same as I use

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0bda:8176 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter and mine states 54Mb/s though it is supposed to be N Wireless compatible:

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Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: AC:E2:15:58:B9:C2   
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Sensitivity:0/0  
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=99/100  Signal level=85/100  Noise level=0/100
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

I have now change my Wireless Router from Wirelss Mixed Mode to 150Mb/ps N only and now:

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Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: AC:E2:15:58:B9:C2   
          Bit Rate:135 Mb/s   Sensitivity:0/0  
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=100/100  Signal level=89/100  Noise level=0/100
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

The OP you need to change the Wireless Router Wireless Mode to get full speed

[petoetje59]

The OP you need to change the Wireless Router Wireless Mode to get full speed

Your setup uses a wireless router, AP, and the wireless B-Link adapter on channel 6 @ 135 Mbps, so the channel and connection speed can be changed in this mode.
I have no wireless router nor wireless AP and use/need the adapter only in Ad-Hoc mode where it doesn't connect on anything but channel 1 and only at 54 Mbps max.

[fruitoftheloom]

The OP you need to change the Wireless Router Wireless Mode to get full speed

Your setup uses a wireless router, AP, and the wireless B-Link adapter on channel 6 @ 135 Mbps, so the channel and connection speed can be changed in this mode.
I have no wireless router nor wireless AP and use/need the adapter only in Ad-Hoc mode where it doesn't connect on anything but channel 1 and only at 54 Mbps max.

OK my bad. Maybe you need to try a different Adaptor, the other recommended out-of-the-box one is the Ralink RT5370 ?????

[petoetje59]

What does lsmod show when the offending device is plugged in?

Lists module 8192cu. Several other posters reported this too. Is probably some compatible Linux driver module.
The B-Link adapter definitely contains the RTL8188CU(S) chipset, although they don't mention this on their website nor on the blister package.
The Deal Extreme site mentions it : http://www.dx.com/p/lb-link-bl-lw05-ar5 ... nna-203378
So do other less reputable box shifters.
The Linux iw command doesn't work with this device - it bluntly reports :
nl80211 not found.
iw had to be installed as it wasn't included on my Raspbian version.