This guide is only applicable for server installations of Ubuntu. If you are running a desktop installation of Ubuntu, try WifiDocs/Driver/Madwifi and the MadWifi wiki for more information.

1. Checking For Atheros Chipsets

First, verify that your wireless network adapter requires the madwifi device drivers.

Issue the following command:

sudo lspci | grep Atheros

If there is any output similar to that below, you should definitely install madwifi.

00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)

If there is no output, try looking through http://madwifi.org/wiki/Compatibility to see if your network adapter is supported.

2. Installation

2.0.1. Ubuntu 8.04

The drivers are in the restricted modules package; also see the madwifi-tools package.

sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules madwifi-tools 

2.0.2. Ubuntu 7.10

Navigate to http://madwifi.org/ and download and extract the latest version of the madwifi drivers (0.9.4 at the time of this writing)

wget http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/madwifi/madwifi-0.9.4.tar.gz
tar -xvzf madwifi-0.9.4.tar.gz
cd madwifi-0.9.4

Download the necessary tools, compile and install the module

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-server
make
sudo make install

2.1. Setting Master Mode

• NOTE: If you are plan on using this wireless network adapter in "master" mode (i. e. for the purposes of setting up a wireless router), create the file /etc/modprobe.d/madwifi and add the following to it:

  • options ath_pci autocreate=ap

  This will tell madwifi to set your wireless device (ath0) to master mode.

Finally, load the module

sudo modprobe ath_pci

3. Sources

1. MadWifi 'First Time User' HOWTO

2. MadWifi Ubuntu Notes

3. VAP Autocreation Upon modprobe ath_pci