Netgear WPN111

Netgear WPN111 108Mbps RangeMAX USB (with super G/MIMO)

• Chipset: Atheros AR2414
• usbid: 1385:5F01
• Driver: Both of the device drivers available for XP, the versions 1.1 and 2.0, will work (see Netgear software). ndiswrapper does not work with Vista driver.

Version 1.1 Download - http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/870 (Must install both .INFs, buggy driver. Install version 2.0 if possible)

Version 2.0 Download - http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/869

Info

Installing this driver is fairly straightforward with ndiswrapper. Anyone with a WEP or no encryption should have a solid connection. If you need to obtain the driver from Netgear's software, see Netgear software.

WPA and WPA2 encrypted networks

There is a glaring problem though when connecting to networks with WPA2 encryption. The connection will drop randomly while connected, usually during downloads or streaming, but it also happens when the computer is left alone (it will disconnect overnight). The cause seems to be ndiswrapper; I can't modprobe -r or rmmod the ndiswrapper module. The terminal just hangs and doesn't return anything. Likewise, I cannot do ndiswrapper -l, same issue.

Ndiswrapper only does this when the connection has gone out. The device is still blinking. I have tried many other commands, and none of them seem to stop the ndiswrapper module. It would be a start just to be able to stop and restart the ndiswrapper module so that I can re-establish the connection. I'd really like to be able to keep a stable connection, though.

Here are a few threads. One is a howto thread to connecting to WPA2 (requires installation of Wicd and some configuration).

• HOWTO: WPA2 with NETGEAR WPN111 - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=5670733
• NETGEAR WPN111 Loses Connection - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1049562
• [SOLVED] Can't figure out WPA2 - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=853762

Netgear software

If you download Netgear's software to install the drivers, you will be downloading a Windows executable (.exe) that contains an installer for Netgear's connection manager. Open this installer in WINE, let the installation run, and then browse to WINE's "C:\Program Files\NETGEAR\WPN111\Driver" folder. All of these files are what you need to install in ndiswrapper.