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DLINK DWA 556 (-need help) Airport Extreme updates


roninx
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okay so i've been working on this osx86 system for days and what i would like to know is,

 

what do i have to do to get the airport extreme updates required for the wireless-n upgrade to recognize my DLINK DWA 556.

 

I've patched 802.11 with one i found somewhere and in my system profile it says:

 

AirPort Card Information:

 

Wireless Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x168C, 0x3A70)

Wireless Card Locale: Unknown

Wireless Card Firmware Version: 1.0.47

Current Wireless Network: DLINK

Wireless Channel: 8

 

It connects to WPA Level-G just fine, its just not very fast.

 

 

I have these files:

AirMac Extreme 802.11n Enabler.pkg (Distribution.dst fix applied)

AirPortExtremeUpdate2007002.dmg

AirPortExtremeUpdate2007004.dmg

 

yet whenever i start these files there is a red exclamation sign over my harddrives and it says

You cannot install AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler on this volume. This volume does not meet the requirements for this update.

 

i havent been fulfilling my responsibilities because i've been scouring the net.

Any help would be appreciated. :)

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YES! i started deleting things in the AirPortExtremeUpdate2007002 and AirMac Extreme 802.11 Enabler and everything works!!

 

i have a custom built system and all my stuff works now!

 

if anyone is interested in getting heir installs to work and they dont currently because of a volume check, post on this topic and i will tell you how to circumvent the OS check.

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  • 1 month later...

i was wondering if DWA-556 is recognised as airport extreme without any modified kext? And how do u know that it's connected at 54Mbps? Not at N speed?

 

And why don't u share the how to directly instead of waiting for someone to ask for it?

 

Thanks

 

Edit: what router do u use?

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Works -N , out of box, plugged straight into a 10.5.3 install. (with latest airport update).

 

Yep. I can confirm also. It works out of the box without kext modifications (tested on 10.4.9 & 10.5-10.5.3) with two caveats:

 

1. It is almost fully recognized as a AirPort card, but the Network System Preference doesn't show all of the options one would expect from a real AirPort card. It works, but these options are notably absent.

 

2. The max N connection speed of this card is 130 Mbps because it does not operate at 5 Ghz, 2.4 Ghz only. Fast enough for me, but still not exactly an AirPort card. I paired this card with three routers and the best performer was an AirPort Extreme Gigabit N Base Station.

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Yep. I can confirm also. It works out of the box without kext modifications (tested on 10.4.9 & 10.5-10.5.3) with two caveats:

 

1. It is almost fully recognized as a AirPort card, but the Network System Preference doesn't show all of the options one would expect from a real AirPort card. It works, but these options are notably absent.

 

2. The max N connection speed of this card is 130 Mbps because it does not operate at 5 Ghz, 2.4 Ghz only. Fast enough for me, but still not exactly an AirPort card. I paired this card with three routers and the best performer was an AirPort Extreme Gigabit N Base Station.

I can confirm that I can get 270mbps connection to an Apple Airport Extreme base.

 

The issue is not that the card is not capable of it, boot into windows and make a connection and you will see it connect at 270mbps.

 

The issue is with the subsystem device ID's, since this isn't identifying itself as an Apple device it's loading the generic third party atheros driver and this is the reason that you can't connect at anything more than 130mbps.

 

Funny, I have a DWA-556 and instead of modifying info.plist and going for a quasi-functional solution I decided I'd modify the device and subsystem ID's on the card itself and now it reports as a real Apple device and connections are great at 270mbps.

 

I'm not sure why I can't get the 300mbps that it claims it's capable of but 270mbps rocks just the same.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Guest BuildSmart

Currently to the best of my knowledge there is no publicly available software that allows you to modify an 11n based card but it is my understanding that this is being worked on by the linux guys with no idea on a projected release date since they can't seem to get it to work at this time.

 

Everyone kept asking me to help with one that is open source and publicly available so I created a post and offered to assist with the app but other than everyone asking for it no one wants to participate so the app is not being developed.

 

This basically means you have no options at this time to do it yourself and I no longer modify cards you own, I will purchase and modify a card for an additional fee but the cost is the current full retail price which is $99.99 +tax (I pay it so you must too) from BestBuy plus a small $10.00 fee for my time and effort plush shipping to you (usually around $8.00 UPS) so you'd be looking at around $125.00.

 

I'm working on something else so if you can wait a little I'll know for certain if I can provide a cheaper solution with better results.

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I think I'll try to install the airport N enabler... :(
I would be very impressed, actually it would be a miracle if anyone managed to get a DWA556 to connect in OSX at a speed greater than 130mbps because none of the apple provided software is designed to do it with the chipset used in this card.

 

My solutions have been to decompile the existing driver, modify the HAL and recompile or to use a card that I have been working on with Atheros that has the correct chipsets.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I would be very impressed, actually it would be a miracle if anyone managed to get a DWA556 to connect in OSX at a speed greater than 130mbps because none of the apple provided software is designed to do it with the chipset used in this card.

 

My solutions have been to decompile the existing driver, modify the HAL and recompile or to use a card that I have been working on with Atheros that has the correct chipsets.

 

Anyone facing very very slow operation and dropouts with this card.

Sometimes, it is so slow that I have ping times of 600 to the router (internally).

 

Haven't patched anything. Worked OOB

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Anyone facing very very slow operation and dropouts with this card.

Sometimes, it is so slow that I have ping times of 600 to the router (internally).

 

Haven't patched anything. Worked OOB

I have dropped this card in favor of the Bufallo Technology WLI-PCI-G300N and LinkSYS WMP300N cards because these can be modified to look like real apple cards with just a little work.

 

Personally I don't use these devices, I had Broadcom and Atheros design cards for me that are far superior, provide the 300mbps connects in OSX and are now just waiting on my OK for a production run.

 

I have a couple of the apple clone Broadcom AirPort cards (802.11b/g/n) that I'm interested in selling relatively cheap if anyone is interested.

 

SEE: 802.11b/g/n (2 cards available)

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