[Commotion-dev] Experiences with AR7xxx based USB wifi adapter?

[Ben West]

Hi All,

Part of the envisioned testing procedure Commotion involves simulating
multiple nodes (OpenWRT or otherwise) bound together via a virtual mesh
under one VirtualBox host.  Although the mac80211_hwsim library does show
some promise for simulating wireless networks, that library as-is does not
support a single (virtual) radio broadcasting both the adhoc mesh and the
APs.  I instead had been instantiated multiple virtual radios for each
(B)SSID and bridging that radio with a virtual wired interface.

This works, but the Commotion auto-configuration tool doesn't support it,
requiring manual configuration of the nodes, which ultimately reduces the
usefulness of the test procedure.

Other the other hand, VirtualBox is claimed to support connecting USB
peripherals directly to VMs, which opens up the possibility of connecting
USB wifi adapters, i.e. physical radios, to virtual nodes.  I.e. multiple
USB wifi adapters hanging off extension cables plugged into a hub, with
each radio turned down to minimum tx power.

Does anyone on the list happen to have good experience with a particular
brand/model inexpensive USB wifi stick based on Atheros AR72xx?  I happen
to have a single such stick sitting around, brand SMC, but I thus far found
the carl9170 driver that Ubuntu selects for that device kinda crappy.

-- 
Ben West
http://gowasabi.net
ben at gowasabi.net
314-246-9434
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