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1. Embed this notice
   Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 18:39:11 JST Bricky
   Looking for a USB 802.11ax NIC only to be told to avoid the Realtek ones (i.e. almost all of them). There are Mediatek ones around but so far only from AliExpress.
   https://github.com/morrownr/USB-WiFi/discussions/25
   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 18:39:11 JST 翠星石

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster You need to avoid all 802.11ac and 802.11ax wireless chipsets if you want to keep your freedom.
     
     Atheros 802.11n chipsets are quite good and also respect your freedom.
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     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:02:00 JST 翠星石

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster Just because some parts of your computer run proprietary software means that you must run more?
     
     I'm not sure what the use case of 802,11ax is really, as 802.11n is plenty fast as far as wireless goes - if you really want a very fast and reliable connection, you shouldn't use wireless and you should go for 1000BASE-T over cat6 instead.
   • Embed this notice
     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:02:01 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     @Suiseiseki Pretty sure there's something in my system that uses blobs. I'm not free with some of my software choices either.
   • Embed this notice
     mdn (mangeurdenuage@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:16:24 JST mdn

     in reply to

     • mdn
     @thatbrickster also stated in The surreptitious assault on privacy, security, and freedom at libreplanet six years ago:
     https://media.libreplanet.org/mgoblin_media/media_entries/1529/144_7_gerwith.webm
     Added the slides.
   • Embed this notice
     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:16:25 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • mdn
     @mangeurdenuage They are 802.11n, I'm looking for 802.11ax. My AC dongle isn't recognised under Fedora, that's why I'm looking.
   • Embed this notice
     mdn (mangeurdenuage@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:16:25 JST mdn

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster
     >802.11ax
     I' think you'll never find a entirely free/libre hardware/driver then, as stated many years ago by thinkpenguin FCC laws passed in the past decade made it non legal to have free/libre implementations due to "security" concerns.
     翠星石 repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     mdn (mangeurdenuage@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 19:16:26 JST mdn

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster Look at thinkpenguin https://www.thinkpenguin.com/catalog/networking-gear-gnu-linux they have information on compatible free/libre wireless chipsets.
   • Embed this notice
     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:03:05 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     @Suiseiseki If the kernel already has a driver for it, I wouldn't be adding any more blobs. I'd be using what's already there.
     
     AX has better latency than N, not to mention newer dongles have better signal performance. The TP-LINK dongle I'm using is certified to work under linux-libre, I have it because it's virtually guaranteed to work. The main downside is that it doesn't pick up my network very well.
     
     I'm with you on going wired. I'd love to have a WiFi-free home, alas I can't afford that luxury. I've yet to set up an old Xiaomi router as a wireless bridge since I haven't had time lately to do that.
   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:03:05 JST 翠星石

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster >If the kernel already has a driver for it, I wouldn't be adding any more blobs.
     Linux doesn't contain much proprietary firmware anymore, most was moved to the separately distributed linux-firmware (but of course there is still some left).
     
     You're certainty going to add a crapload more of proprietary software by downloading linux-firmware mind you.
     
     >AX has better latency than N, not to mention newer dongles have better signal performance
     Minor convenience features drives you to go out of your way to give up more of your freedom?
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     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:03:40 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • mdn
     @mangeurdenuage Please tell me this is a joke.
     翠星石 repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     mdn (mangeurdenuage@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:03:40 JST mdn

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster Here's an example https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/fcc-threat-tp-link-bullied-and-lock-down-situation-worsening-wireless-routers
     
     "The FCC has attacked TP-Link's non-compliance with new FCC rules despite being mostly in compliance via a total lock down. This has caused the lock down situation to go from bad to worse. While this is being sold in the media as FCC doing good by forcing companies to cooperate with the open source community it's actually undermining the communities values and ability to get a complete set of source code upstream for *any* modern devices. It's not acceptable that we should have to lock down the main firmwares, but it's worse to ask manufacturers to lock down specific wifi firmwares only."
   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:25:22 JST 翠星石

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster >Someone's not reading the thread.
     I've read the thread just fine.
     
     >If you'd have told me the FCC was bullying makers not to share source
     That wouldn't be the truth.
     The FCC is bullying manufacturers into implementing digital handcuffs, but they don't specifically mandate that the wireless firmware is proprietary.
     
     Sure the FCC is encouraging proprietary wireless firmware, but every single 802.11ac and 802.11ax wireless chipset manufacturer made the decision to do that from the start all by themselves and that would be the same if the FCC was to no longer exist.
     
     Sharing source? Is that a line from the "open source" infidels about "sharing" proprietary software?
     
     >rather than belittle me for thinking about this
     I'm asking questions, the only person being belittled is you belittling yourself, as you won't give me honest answers.
   • Embed this notice
     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:25:23 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     @Suiseiseki Someone's not reading the thread. If you'd have told me the FCC was bullying makers not to share source, rather than belittle me for thinking about this, you'd be more persuasive.
   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:37:44 JST 翠星石

     in reply to
     @thatbrickster gas, gas, gas
   • Embed this notice
     Bricky (thatbrickster@shitposter.club)'s status on Tuesday, 17-Jan-2023 20:37:45 JST Bricky

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     @Suiseiseki
     >the only person being belittled is you belittling yourself
     No time for gaslighters. Bother someone else with your autistic behaviour.