FreeBSD Wifi support for 802.11n Atheros AR9271 chip

[Thomas Mueller]

> Dear FreeBSD Developer,

> I have been following your to-do list through the site:

> https://wiki.freebsd.org/AdrianChadd and https://wiki.freebsd.org/WiFi/80211ac

> And I envisioned that I specialize in Qualcomm Atheros, so I would like
> to expect to port the AR9271 802.11n 150Mpbs 2GHz 1x1: 1 Wireless USB 2.0 chipset from this
> list https://man.openbsd.org/athn.4 that already exists on openBSD for freeBSD?

> Chipset                                  Spectrum TxR:S Bus
> AR5008-2NG (AR5416+AR2122) 2GHz 2x2:2 PCI/CardBus
> AR5008-3NG (AR5416+AR2133) 2GHz 3x3:2 PCI/CardBus
> AR5008-2NX (AR5416+AR5122) 2GHz/5GHz 2x2:2 PCI/CardBus
> AR5008-3NX (AR5416+AR5133) 2GHz/5GHz 3x3:2 PCI/CardBus
> AR5008E-2NG (AR5418+AR2122) 2GHz 2x2:2 PCIe
> AR5008E-3NG (AR5418+AR2133) 2GHz 3x3:2 PCIe
> AR5008E-2NX (AR5418+AR5122) 2GHz/5GHz 2x2:2 PCIe
> AR5008E-3NX (AR5418+AR5133) 2GHz/5GHz 3x3:2 PCIe
> AR9001-2NG (AR9160+AR9103) 2GHz 2x2:2 PCI
> AR9001-3NG (AR9160+AR9103) 2GHz 3x3:2 PCI
> AR9001-3NX2 (AR9160+AR9106) 2GHz/5GHz 3x3:2 PCI
> AR9220 2GHz/5GHz 2x2:2 PCI
> AR9223 2GHz 2x2:2 PCI
> AR9280 2GHz/5GHz 2x2:2 PCIe
> AR9280+AR7010 2GHz/5GHz 2x2:2 USB 2.0
> AR9281 2GHz 1x2:2 PCIe
> AR9285 2GHz 1x1:1 PCIe
> AR9271 2GHz 1x1:1 USB 2.0
> AR2427 2GHz 1x1:1 PCIe
> AR9227 2GHz 2x2:2 PCI
> AR9287 2GHz 2x2:2 PCIe
> AR9287+AR7010 2GHz 2x2:2 USB 2.0

> I'm waiting for a return.
> Best regards.
> Cads
> Sent from [ProtonMail](https://protonmail.com), Swiss-based encrypted email.

I have a wireless Atheros AR9271 chip , USB or acts like USB, on an MSI MPOWER motherboard dating to May 2013.

FreeBSD has no driver for this; I was able to use Hiro H50191 USB wireless adapter, driver rsu, though it sometimes drops the connection especially when I have it running for a long time.

Currently on NetBSD, there is an athn driver, but booting hangs unless I disable athn.

Previously on NetBSD, most of the time it would fail to load the firmware, but I have had some times where I was actually able to get an internet connection with this wireless adapter.

Last experience I have with OpenBSD is 5.4, from liveusb-openbsd.sourceforge.net, now far outdated.  This OpenBSD had both rsu and athn drivers, but neither one could load the firmware.

You could try to port from either NetBSD or OpenBSD.

On NetBSD I use re driver for Ethernet Realtek 811E/8168.

Tom