Blaze, thanks for all the help.
But it's still dead.
With 2.7.8
[ 26.682256] usb 1-1.2.1.1: USB disconnect, device number 8
[ 26.724674] ath9k_htc: Failed to initialize the device
[ 26.724717] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: USB layer deinitialized
[ 28.492467] usb 1-1.2.1.1: new high-speed USB device number 10 using ehci-pci
[ 28.694132] usb 1-1.2.1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=0cf3, idProduct=9271, bcdDevice= 1.08
[ 28.694137] usb 1-1.2.1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=16, Product=32, SerialNumber=48
[ 28.694141] usb 1-1.2.1.1: Product: USB2.0 WLAN
[ 28.694143] usb 1-1.2.1.1: Manufacturer: ATHEROS
[ 28.694145] usb 1-1.2.1.1: SerialNumber: 12345
[ 28.694902] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: Firmware ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.dev.0.fw requested
[ 28.987991] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.dev.0.fw, size: 51008
[ 29.239455] ath9k_htc 1-1.2.1.1:1.0: ath9k_htc: HTC initialized with 33 credits
[ 29.500469] ath: phy2: Invalid EEPROM magic (0xfffb).
[ 29.500474] ath: phy2: Unable to initialize hardware; initialization status: -22
[ 29.500476] ath: phy2: Unable to initialize hardware; initialization status: -22
[ 29.667706] ath9k_htc: Failed to initialize the device
[ 29.667876] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: USB layer deinitialized
With 5.6.18
[ 21.894270] usb 3-2: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[ 24.924243] usb 1-1.2.1.1: new high-speed USB device number 9 using ehci-pci
[ 25.125915] usb 1-1.2.1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=0cf3, idProduct=9271, bcdDevice= 1.08
[ 25.125921] usb 1-1.2.1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=16, Product=32, SerialNumber=48
[ 25.125924] usb 1-1.2.1.1: Product: USB2.0 WLAN
[ 25.125927] usb 1-1.2.1.1: Manufacturer: ATHEROS
[ 25.125929] usb 1-1.2.1.1: SerialNumber: 12345
[ 25.691344] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: Firmware ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.4.0.fw requested
[ 25.691587] usbcore: registered new interface driver ath9k_htc
[ 25.985086] usb 1-1.2.1.1: ath9k_htc: Transferred FW: ath9k_htc/htc_9271-1.4.0.fw, size: 51008
[ 26.237940] ath9k_htc 1-1.2.1.1:1.0: ath9k_htc: HTC initialized with 33 credits
[ 26.500144] ath9k_htc 1-1.2.1.1:1.0: ath9k_htc: FW Version: 1.4
[ 26.500149] ath9k_htc 1-1.2.1.1:1.0: FW RMW support: On
[ 26.500151] ath: EEPROM regdomain: 0x809c
[ 26.500153] ath: EEPROM indicates we should expect a country code
[ 26.500154] ath: doing EEPROM country->regdmn map search
[ 26.500155] ath: country maps to regdmn code: 0x52
[ 26.500157] ath: Country alpha2 being used: CN
[ 26.500177] ath: Regpair used: 0x52
[ 26.505209] ieee80211 phy1: Atheros AR9271 Rev:1
[ 35.684707] wlan1: authenticate with e0:88:5d:0b:bf:17
[ 35.907376] wlan1: send auth to e0:88:5d:0b:bf:17 (try 1/3)
[ 35.912600] wlan1: authenticated
[ 35.920177] wlan1: associate with e0:88:5d:0b:bf:17 (try 1/3)
[ 35.924821] wlan1: RX AssocResp from e0:88:5d:0b:bf:17 (capab=0x1411 status=0 aid=1)
[ 35.932174] wlan1: associated