4 ms·

You are correct, unfortunately. FreeBSD has one WiFi driver ("iwm", or on Haiku we call it "idualwifi7260") that supports 802.11ac hardware, and supposedly the

You are correct, unfortunately. FreeBSD has one WiFi driver ("iwm", or on Haiku we call it "idualwifi7260") that supports 802.11ac hardware, and supposedly the 802.11 stack is ready for ac (there is an out-of-tree driver that crashes a lot but does get ac speed), but nobody added ac support to the "iwm" driver. Actually both my laptop and desktop use that driver, so who knows, maybe I'll poke at adding 802.11ac support to it one of these days.

squarefoot 5y ago
Are there any problems preventing the adaptation of Linux ac drivers, I mean are they technical or licensing etc?
- Klonoar 5y ago
  I believe that's one ongoing effort to solve the issue (since it'd also ensure things like 802.11ax support). It's just low dev resources, I think - but this is from my just browsing the situation over the past few weeks, mind you. An actual FreeBSD dev should correct me if I'm wrong. I also believe there's a hack floating around to forward ac from a Linux VM, which some use.
- waddlesplash 5y ago
  FreeBSD does have some kind of effort to work on adopting them. While that may expand compatibility greatly, it would be in my view a major loss. FreeBSD WiFi drivers more than make up for in quality what they fail to have in quantity; Linux drivers are generally the bottom of the barrel and this often translates directly to poor user experiences with them. FreeBSD drivers may work on less hardware ... but when or where they do work, they are often much more of a sure thing. (Haiku has its own troubles with FreeBSD drivers, for sure, but generally this seems to hold true: either it works nearly perfectly or it completely fails to recognize or initialize the hardware. Almost all tickets on our tracker now or in the past about such drivers have been along those lines.)
  - Klonoar 5y ago
    You've put into words something I've been thinking about and somewhat remorseful about: when FreeBSD just exists as a different kernel to run the same Linux stuff, what's the project really? Legacy? I find that I tend to prefer the FreeBSD take on things as well, so the Linux angle just feels weird the past few years.
Klonoar 5y ago
Huh, curious about the out-of-tree driver - I haven't seen that. I've considered donating funds to FreeBSD with the idea of earmarking them specifically for Wifi, but I don't know how much that actually helps...
- queuebert 5y ago
  I would donate also. The only reason I don't run it on my newer laptop is lack of wifi. Using Linux after FreeBSD is like getting dessert at McDonald's after a Michelin-star meal.
  - nix23 5y ago
    If have exactly the same problem, now my laptop runs ubuntu, because i have zero interest in customizing linux on the laptop...i want my FreeBSD :) Now we are three who could donate to FreeBSD-Foundation and wish for ac on Intel wireless.

squarefoot 5y ago

Are there any problems preventing the adaptation of Linux ac drivers, I mean are they technical or licensing etc?

Klonoar 5y ago
I believe that's one ongoing effort to solve the issue (since it'd also ensure things like 802.11ax support). It's just low dev resources, I think - but this is from my just browsing the situation over the past few weeks, mind you. An actual FreeBSD dev should correct me if I'm wrong. I also believe there's a hack floating around to forward ac from a Linux VM, which some use.
waddlesplash 5y ago
FreeBSD does have some kind of effort to work on adopting them. While that may expand compatibility greatly, it would be in my view a major loss. FreeBSD WiFi drivers more than make up for in quality what they fail to have in quantity; Linux drivers are generally the bottom of the barrel and this often translates directly to poor user experiences with them. FreeBSD drivers may work on less hardware ... but when or where they do work, they are often much more of a sure thing. (Haiku has its own troubles with FreeBSD drivers, for sure, but generally this seems to hold true: either it works nearly perfectly or it completely fails to recognize or initialize the hardware. Almost all tickets on our tracker now or in the past about such drivers have been along those lines.)
- Klonoar 5y ago
  You've put into words something I've been thinking about and somewhat remorseful about: when FreeBSD just exists as a different kernel to run the same Linux stuff, what's the project really? Legacy? I find that I tend to prefer the FreeBSD take on things as well, so the Linux angle just feels weird the past few years.

Klonoar 5y ago

Huh, curious about the out-of-tree driver - I haven't seen that. I've considered donating funds to FreeBSD with the idea of earmarking them specifically for Wifi, but I don't know how much that actually helps...

queuebert 5y ago
I would donate also. The only reason I don't run it on my newer laptop is lack of wifi. Using Linux after FreeBSD is like getting dessert at McDonald's after a Michelin-star meal.
- nix23 5y ago
  If have exactly the same problem, now my laptop runs ubuntu, because i have zero interest in customizing linux on the laptop...i want my FreeBSD :) Now we are three who could donate to FreeBSD-Foundation and wish for ac on Intel wireless.