USB WiFi ath9k_htc device not initialized in Linux guest

[solamour]

I'm running VirtualBox 4.1.2 in Ubuntu 10.04 host with Gentoo Linux as the guest. I've been trying to use a USB WiFi device (Atheros chipset) in the guest OS, but so far no luck yet.

• When I put everything in the guest OS in a real machine (i.e. no VirtualBox guest), the USB WiFi device works OK.

• If the guest OS is Windows XP, I end up with an yellow exclamation in the Device Manager.

• If the guest OS is Linux, I'm getting the following kernel message.

[ 3.282211] ath9k_htc 1-1:1.0: usb_probe_interface [ 3.282222] ath9k_htc 1-1:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id [ 3.772725] usb 1-1: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: ar9271.fw, size: 51312 [ 4.772194] ath9k_htc 1-1:1.0: ath9k_htc: Target is unresponsive [ 4.772287] Failed to initialize the device [ 4.774250] ath9k_htc: probe of 1-1:1.0 failed with error -22 [ 4.775452] usbcore: registered new interface driver ath9k_htc

# lsusb | grep -i ath Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc. AR9271 802.11n

My guess is that the USB WiFi device itself and the setup in the Linux guest might not be an issue, because when I use a real machine, everything works perfectly. sol

[tdrd]

Confirmed this issue using Mac OS X Lion host with BT5R1 guest. USB device was same as above, 0cf3:9271.

Exact same host/guest/hardware worked with Parallels Desktop for Mac 7.

[haozhun]

Confirmed this issue using Windows 7 x64 host with Debian Squeeze (backports linux-image-686 3.2 and backports firmware-atheros 0.35). Virtualbox version is 4.1.8

Device: TP-Link WN821N v3 (using Atheros AR7010+AR9287)

Tested the device on Debian without using virtualbox, and it works fine. Tested the device on Debian using virtualbox, got the following in /var/log/syslog

kernel: [   98.212097] usb 2-2: USB disconnect, device number 3
kernel: [  102.654780] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 2 using ehci_hcd
kernel: [  103.279004] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0cf3, idProduct=7015
kernel: [  103.279014] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=16, Product=32, SerialNumber=48
kernel: [  103.279020] usb 1-1: Product: UB95
kernel: [  103.279025] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: ATHEROS
kernel: [  103.279030] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 12345
kernel: [  103.597849] usb 1-1: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: htc_7010.fw, size: 72992
kernel: [  104.596310] ath9k_htc 1-1:1.0: ath9k_htc: Target is unresponsive
kernel: [  104.596328] Failed to initialize the device
kernel: [  104.605694] ath9k_htc: probe of 1-1:1.0 failed with error -22

Does any one know how this can be solved? Or any work around? Is this a bug in Virtualbox USB support code or in ath9k_htc?

[Zullwick]

Same issue using Virtualbox 4.1.10 r76836 with Host system Windows 7 x64 Ultimate and guest system Backtrack 5. Using TP-Link TL-WN722N USB adapter.

USB adapter works fine in Backtrack 5 when booted up from a USB stick but not in a virtual machine. Has same issue in Mint 12 x64.

Any fix on the way?

[   50.397906] usb 1-2: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: ar9271.fw, size: 51312
[   51.390246] ath9k_htc 1-2:1.0: ath9k_htc: Target is unresponsive
[   51.390251] Failed to initialize the device
[   51.401861] ath9k_htc: probe of 1-2:1.0 failed with error -22
[   51.401876] usbcore: registered new interface driver ath9k_htc

[Frank Mehnert]

USB is a very complex interface and there are always devices which will not properly work in VirtualBox guests. If you can, please don't pass that USB device into the guest but let it drive by the host and use the normal VirtualBox networking functions to access the network over the USB network card.