The fix is trivial but will need testing. It is perfect for ClearOS 7.4 beta 1 and I'll push to get it on there since it is simple.

I've filed bug #16521, but please be aware that if it is not fixed in time for the 7.4 release, you may have to re-edit Iface.php when ClearOS updates. I believe it is just about to go into beta testing now but I don't know when the full release is expected.

gentlemen,
changed line wlan to wl and also tried wls(both work) in /usr/clearos/apps/network/libraries/Iface.php
added wls2 to ifcfg script and added wls2 in /etc/clearos/network.conf
installed app-wireless
added this line to /etc/rc,local: ifconfig wls2 up 10.0.8.5 netmask 255.255.255.0 then ran a chmod+x
--for some reason wifi card doesn't come up automatically on boot and I have this line in ifcfg-wls2 ONBOOT="yes"
Clearos named the wifi interface and I haven't change it.
At this point my wifi is now working. let me know if you like any more info to help fix this bug.

thank you again.

just in case you still wanted to see this file:
/run/udev/data/n*
E: DEVPATH=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.0/0000:0a:00.0/net/wls2
E: DEVTYPE=wlan
E:ID_BUS=pci
E:ID_MODEL_FROM_DATABASE=AR93xx Wireless Network Adapter
E:ID_MODEL_ID=0x0030
E:ID_NET_DRIVER=ath9k
E:ID_NET_NAME_MAC=wlxe8de27a1d265
E:ID_NET_NAME_PATH=wlp10s0
E:ID_NET_NAME_SLOT=wls2
E:ID_OUI_FROM_DATABASE=TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO.,LTD.
E:ID_PATH=pci-0000:0a:00.0
E:ID_PATH_TAG=pci-0000_0a_00_0
E:ID_PCI_CLASS_FROM_DATABASE=Network controller
E:ID_PCI_SUBCLASS_FROM_DATABASE=Network controller
E:ID_VENDOR_FROM_DATABASE=Qualcomm Atheros
E:ID_VENDOR_ID=0x168c
E:IFINDEX=10
E:INTERFACE=wls2
E:MAJOR=0
E:MINOR=0
E:SUBSYSTEM=net
E:SYSTEMD_ALIAS=/sys/subsystem/net/devices/wls2 /sys/subsystem/net/devices/wls2
E:TAGS=:systemd:
E:USEC_INITIALIZED=55925
G:systemd
I:154627
E:ID_NET_DRIVER=tun
E:SYSTEMD_ALIAS=/sys/subsystem/net/devices/tun0
G:systemd
I:52053

If the server sees your interface as wls2 then the line that needs to change to show up in the interface is in the file Nick said: Iface.php

|| preg_match('/^wlan/', $this->iface)

Change to:

|| preg_match('/^wl/', $this->iface)

Test with this and if it works, Nick can file a bug report to add more support for wireless interfaces by making this small change.

For testing purposes, make sure to add wls2 to the /etc/clearos/network.conf file in the appropriate firewall zone (ie. LANIF).

I'm thinking it's kernel/module issue. I installed 7.3 on a different pc and that one worked with ath10k. I'm going to try rebuilding a kernel. I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for your help.

I've been pointed in one direction. Valid interface names are found in /usr/clearos/apps/network/libraries/Iface.php around line 1363 and interfaces beginning wls are not understood. Have a look at the files /run/udev/data/n*. It is there where my interfaces get defined (nothing in n1). If you've magic'ed up a name, I suggest you change it. Alternatively you can edit the Iface.php and add a line for wls interfaces.

So far I've installed the zd1211rw driver and firmware and plugged in the dongle - no reboot. Loading the webconfig I immediately see a wlp0s18u1u4 Wireless interface. At this point I have not even installed app-wireless and its dependencies (including hostapd). At the same time I do not have an ifcfg-wlp0s18u1u4 file nor do I have any entry in /etc/clearos/network.conf so I don't know where the webconfig is getting its entry from. The only file containing wlp0s18u1u4 under /var, /usr or /etc is a udev file pointing to /sys/subsystem/net/devices/wlp0s18u1u4.

I have not been able to work out where the Webconfig is getting its information from. The web page looks like it is dynamically generated.

I don't have netify so I don't know what the netify-fwa script is objecting to but I'd guess that is not the fundamental problem.

Did you decide on the device name, wls2, yourself? Are there any errors in the dmesg log or if you run the command dmesg relating to the card?

The module is loaded.
ath9k 132377 0
ath9k_common 36236 1 ath9k
ath9k_hw 478163 2 ath9k_common,ath9k
ath 29006 3 ath9k_common,ath9k,ath9k_hw
mac80211 682454 1 ath9k
cfg80211 593832 4 ath,ath9k_common,ath9k,mac80211

0a:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Qualcomm Atheros AR93xx Wireless Network Adapter [168c:0030] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Qualcomm Atheros Device [168c:3112]
Kernel driver in use: ath9k
Kernel modules: ath9k
when I add the interface wls2 manually, restarting network service fails.
journalctl -xe error message=netify-fwa[981]: Error connecting to Netify node: Connection refused

systemctl status network.service:
network.service - LSB: Bring up/down networking
Loaded: loaded (/etc/rc.d/init.d/network; bad; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2017-08-15 08:56:41 MDT; 4min 45s ago
Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
Process: 6660 ExecStop=/etc/rc.d/init.d/network stop (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Process: 7199 ExecStart=/etc/rc.d/init.d/network start (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
CGroup: /system.slice/network.service
└─7460 /sbin/dhclient -H striker775server -1 -q -lf /var/lib/dhclient/dhclient-85c14e56-d818-4404-b359-ee605843d35e-enp2s0f0.lease -pf /var/run/dhclient-enp2s0f0.pid enp2s0f0

network[7199]: Bringing up interface enp3s0f1: [ OK ]
network[7199]: Bringing up interface enp15s0f0: [ OK ]
network[7199]: Bringing up interface enp15s0f1: [ OK ]
network[7199]: Bringing up interface enp16s0f0: [ OK ]
network[7199]: Bringing up interface enp16s0f1: [ OK ]
network[7199]: Bringing up interface wls2: [FAILED]
systemd[1]: network.service: control process exited, code=exited status=1
systemd[1]: Failed to start LSB: Bring up/down networking.
systemd[1]: Unit network.service entered failed state.
systemd[1]: network.service failed.

I wounder if this is a kernel or module issue

From memory, you should not have to do all that. ClearOS should create its own ifcfg file. I'll try to knock up a wireless set up with a USB dongle when I'm at home and see what I had to do.

Has the ath9k driver loaded:

lsmod | grep ath9k

lspci -knn | grep AR93 -A 3