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USB WiFi - Printable Version

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USB WiFi - kovacsadam07 - 2018-08-01 11:34

Hi,

is there any supported usb wifi dongle? I could boot iPXE from a usb drive but it doesn't see my usb wifi adapters (RTL8192CU RTL8188CUS).
I tried to build ipxe like this
Code:
sudo make bin-x86_64-efi/ipxe.efi DEBUG=scsi:3,iscsi,rtl818x,rtl8180,rtl8185



RE: USB WiFi - NiKiZe - 2018-08-01 22:04

USB support is quite recent, and Wifi have not gotten any love for quite some time. so "no" there is no supported USB wifi (only) nics supported.
There however is ACM, NCM, ECM USB support
Where ACM is the common type of NIC that you get by enabling tethering on a Android (I do think iOS has the same)
So by using a phone that you connect to the wifi (all wifi settings are done on the phone) you will be able to "get" wifi. But do note that it will be a separate network between computer and phone, so iPXE will not see the wifi network, only the "phone network"

build with
Code:
make bin-x86_64/acm--ncm--ecm--axge.efi
Some info about that build target and others are found on the http://ipxe.org/appnote/buildtargets page

Note that the ipxe build target does not include any usb drivers.
Also don't use sudo, build as a limited user, and if there is any particular reason that you are building as root - fix that instead.


RE: USB WiFi - kovacsadam07 - 2018-08-02 11:37

Thank you for your answer Smile

I will try a Raspberry Pi Zero in usb gadget mode as a ECM/NCM device. Hopefully I can make it a mass storage as well so I can have a bootable ipxe drive and a "gateway" to my network.

Does ipxe (bin-x86_64/acm--ncm--ecm--axge.efi) support usb hubs? So if my device has only 1 usb port (eg tablet) can I use a hub to attach the Pi0 and keyboard/mouse?

Will there be any USB Wifi support later?