====== DEPRECATED ======

**IMPORTANT NOTE**: This page is deprecated, updated documentation can be found [[install_drivers|here]]

====== HostAP ======

HostAP is the recommended driver for Prism2.x/3 based PCMCIA and PCI cards. The driver official web site is at http://hostap.epitest.fi.

===== Patching =====

If you're using a kernel version >= 2.6.16, you have to patch kernel sources with [[http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/hostap-kernel-2.6.18.patch|hostap-kernel-2.6.18.patch]] patch instead of using the following method:

  ifconfig wlan0 down
  wlanctl-ng wlan0 lnxreq_ifstate ifstate=disable
  /etc/init.d/CardBus stop
  rmmod prism2_pci
  rmmod hostap_pci
  wget http://hostap.epitest.fi/releases/hostap-driver-0.4.9.tar.gz
  tar -xvzf hostap-driver-0.4.9.tar.gz
  cd hostap-driver-0.4.9
  wget http://patches.aircrack-ng.org/hostap-driver-0.4.7.patch
  patch -Np1 -i hostap-driver-0.4.7.patch
  make && make install
  mv -f /etc/pcmcia/wlan-ng.conf /etc/pcmcia/wlan-ng.conf~
  /etc/init.d/pcmcia start
  modprobe hostap_pci &>/dev/null


===== Troubleshooting =====
==== Card appears to hang ====
If your card appears to hang (no packets captured or injected), disable the interface, reload the drivers and re-insert the card. Also consider updating the firmware (if prism2).

==== Inserting card crashes the system ====

Your system hangs when booted or crashes when the card is inserted.

http://forum.aircrack-ng.org/index.php?topic=2337.msg13100#msg13100

This problem can be fixed with a patch from SuD:

http://tv.latinsud.com/hostap/

Or run the following script.  It is a bit convoluted but it works.

Script:
   #!/bin/sh
   modprobe orinoco_cs
   pccardctl eject
   rmmod orinoco_cs
   rmmod orinoco
   rmmod hermes
   rmmod hostap_cs
   modprobe hostap_cs
   pccardctl insert

You also need to add this to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist:

   #orinco wireless drivers
   blacklist orinoco_cs
   
   #hostap wireless drivers
   blacklist hostap_cs

==== Current bug ====

Also be aware of [[https://github.com/aircrack-ng/aircrack-ng/issues/288|this bug]]


===== Limitations =====

There are some important limitations with this driver:

  * Fragmentation attack does not work
  * Shared key authentication attack does not work
  * The driver does not support USB devices
  * The prism cards only support B mode.  They don't support G mode, Super G, N, etc.  This means you are limited as to what packets you can capture.