Rebranding the Atheros 928x cards - The guide

[shpokas01]

Did you modify iwleeprom correctly?

Not sure.
I am using various versions found elsewhere, but did not modify anything myself.
Atheros branch from Google code:

two versions from here:

different iwleeprom versions either report all OK, or complain about "Write verify error", but rom does not change.

like below:

# ./iwleeprom -d 0000:02:00.0 -i mod.rom
Using device 0000:02:00.0 [RW] AR9300 Wireless Adapter (PCI-E) 
IO driver: ath9300
HW: AR9300 (PCI-E) rev 0003
RF: integrated
Trying EEPROM access...
OTP address out of range: 0fff
OTP address out of range: 1001
ath9300_eeprom_check_header 00000000  @0fff r=0
Filling ath9300 EEPROM... DONE
OTP address out of range: 0401
ath9300_eeprom_check_header 00650000  @03ff r=1
AR9300 device NVM type: EEPROM  (data block @03ff)
Found block at 3ff: code=3 ref=5 length=635 major=2 minor=12 (RAW: 0cb22765)
Calculating EEPROM CRC...
CRC (stored): c211
CRC (eval)  : c211
compression : block
ath9300 short eeprom base: 383 (0x017f) size: 641




**** About to write to EEPROM ****
About to write device EEPROM, press 'Y' if you are sure... Y
Writing data to EEPROM...
  '.' = match, 'x' = write
Dump file byte order: LITTLE ENDIAN
0000 [.......
**** Write verify error: Addr 000e, wrote 103c, read 106b ****
**** Write verify error: Addr 0010, wrote 1627, read 9a ****.......................................................]
0080 [................................................................]
0100 [................................................................]
0180 [................................................................]
0200 [................................................................]
0280 [................................................................]
0300 [................................................................]
0380 [................................................................]


EEPROM has been written from 'mod.rom'

 

[RehabMan]

Not sure.
I am using various versions found elsewhere, but did not modify anything myself.
Atheros branch from Google code:

two versions from here:

different iwleeprom versions either report all OK, or complain about "Write verify error", but rom does not change.

like below:

# ./iwleeprom -d 0000:02:00.0 -i mod.rom
Using device 0000:02:00.0 [RW] AR9300 Wireless Adapter (PCI-E) 
IO driver: ath9300
HW: AR9300 (PCI-E) rev 0003
RF: integrated
Trying EEPROM access...
OTP address out of range: 0fff
OTP address out of range: 1001
ath9300_eeprom_check_header 00000000  @0fff r=0
Filling ath9300 EEPROM... DONE
OTP address out of range: 0401
ath9300_eeprom_check_header 00650000  @03ff r=1
AR9300 device NVM type: EEPROM  (data block @03ff)
Found block at 3ff: code=3 ref=5 length=635 major=2 minor=12 (RAW: 0cb22765)
Calculating EEPROM CRC...
CRC (stored): c211
CRC (eval)  : c211
compression : block
ath9300 short eeprom base: 383 (0x017f) size: 641




**** About to write to EEPROM ****
About to write device EEPROM, press 'Y' if you are sure... Y
Writing data to EEPROM...
  '.' = match, 'x' = write
Dump file byte order: LITTLE ENDIAN
0000 [.......
**** Write verify error: Addr 000e, wrote 103c, read 106b ****
**** Write verify error: Addr 0010, wrote 1627, read 9a ****.......................................................]
0080 [................................................................]
0100 [................................................................]
0180 [................................................................]
0200 [................................................................]
0280 [................................................................]
0300 [................................................................]
0380 [................................................................]


EEPROM has been written from 'mod.rom'

You should modify the iwleeprom code as shown in the guide.

 

[shpokas01]

modified iwleeprom as in (your) posts #77 and #99, but still the same error as above.

but why is rom dump 1024 bytes? shouldn't be 512 bytes?

 

[RehabMan]

modified iwleeprom as in (your) posts #77 and #99, but still the same error as above.

but why is rom dump 1024 bytes? shouldn't be 512 bytes?

My dump files are all 4096 bytes. I don't know why, but it worked so I never looked into it.

Perhaps your troubles are because you're forgetting to use 'sudo'...

 

[shpokas01]

My dump files are all 4096 bytes. I don't know why, but it worked so I never looked into it.

interesting. the other guide on insanelymac also talked about 4k dump. strange I never got one. will go looking why.

Perhaps your troubles are because you're forgetting to use 'sudo'...

nope. you get nowhere as regular user. can't open /dev/mem

 

[RehabMan]

...
nope. you get nowhere as regular user. can't open /dev/mem

In the version of iwleeprom I used, you'd get no errors and it would proceed as if it was working, but was ineffective at writing the result.

Sounds like you're using different stuff.

 

[shpokas01]

atheros branch from google code behaves exactly like that, no errors, no result.
still, dump is 1024 bytes or 1k. maybe this is different for AR9380?

I will get a AR928X card and play and see if there's any difference.

 

[RehabMan]

atheros branch from google code behaves exactly like that, no errors, no result.
still, dump is 1024 bytes or 1k. maybe this is different for AR9380?

I will get a AR928X card and play and see if there's any difference.

The version I used prints the offset being used during the dump/flash process. It allows you to verify you modified the right section of code.

 

[shpokas01]

all good with AR9285, 4k dump size, no strange output like I get with AR9380:
Trying EEPROM access...
OTP address out of range: 0fff
OTP address out of range: 1001

What would happen if I try to rebrand AR9285 to AR9380 to bypass whitelist, then use Clover patch to recognize card as AR9285? Would this work?

 

[RehabMan]

all good with AR9285, 4k dump size, no strange output like I get with AR9380:
Trying EEPROM access...
OTP address out of range: 0fff
OTP address out of range: 1001

What would happen if I try to rebrand AR9285 to AR9380 to bypass whitelist, then use Clover patch to recognize card as AR9285? Would this work?

Assuming AR9380 is on your whitelist... yes.

But Clover doesn't really help you here. Use FakePCIID.kext instead.