Ubuntu USB Wireless Connection Help

**waterhead** · 12-30-2008

Well, I am no longer certain which driver it is that you are using. I thought that you couldn't get NDISwrapper to install, so you were using the native Linux driver.

Also, your original post said that you were using a rt2807 wireless. I see now that was a typo, and you meant rt 2870.

By checking the Ralink product list, I determined that your wireless is in the RT2800U family. I believe that this wireless uses a driver from the Linux Rt2x00 family. This driver may already be automatically loading. Post the output of this command, to show all loaded modules.

Code:

lsmod

Your problem does seem to mimic the same thing that happens when my Broadband wireless doesn't have the correct firmware installed. I found info that says this driver doesn't need firmware here, but a page at the Rt2x00 site here, seems to contradict that. Check for (and post) firmware messages with this command.

Code:

dmesg | grep firmware

The firmware page that I linked to lists a future driver named rt2800. I don'tknow anything about it, but it is possible that you need the latest driver for it. That can be found using the source pulled from the GIT repository.
Rt2x00 GIT instructions - Rt2x00Wiki

If you did succeed in installing NDISwrapper, then it is also likely that it is conflicting with the native driver (lsmod will show that). You will need to remove the native driver before NDISwrapper will work properly.

Edit: When I checked the GIT repository, the top entry was "rt2x00: Implement support for rt2800usb". it would seem that this is what you need. Be aware that it would be new, and possibly buggy. You may need to refer to the rt2x00 forum for more help with it.
rt2x00.serialmonkey.com • View topic - rt2800 testing

**Huntsman191** · 01-01-2009

Heres the output of lsmod:

Code:

Module                  Size  Used by
af_packet              25728  2 
rt2870sta             504788  1 
nls_iso8859_1          12032  1 
nls_cp437              13696  1 
vfat                   18816  1 
fat                    57376  1 vfat
ipv6                  263972  10 
binfmt_misc            16904  1 
sco                    18308  2 
rfcomm                 44432  0 
bridge                 56980  0 
stp                    10628  1 bridge
bnep                   20480  2 
l2cap                  30464  6 rfcomm,bnep
bluetooth              61924  6 sco,rfcomm,bnep,l2cap
ppdev                  15620  0 
speedstep_lib          12676  0 
cpufreq_stats          13188  0 
cpufreq_conservative    14600  0 
cpufreq_userspace      11396  0 
cpufreq_ondemand       14988  0 
freq_table             12672  2 cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand
cpufreq_powersave       9856  0 
wmi                    14504  0 
video                  25104  0 
output                 11008  1 video
pci_slot               12552  0 
container              11520  0 
sbs                    19464  0 
sbshc                  13440  1 sbs
battery                18436  0 
iptable_filter         10752  0 
ip_tables              19600  1 iptable_filter
x_tables               22916  1 ip_tables
ac                     12292  0 
sbp2                   29324  0 
lp                     17156  0 
snd_intel8x0           37532  3 
snd_ac97_codec        111652  1 snd_intel8x0
ac97_bus                9856  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss            46848  0 
snd_mixer_oss          22784  1 snd_pcm_oss
joydev                 18368  0 
snd_pcm                83204  3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
evdev                  17696  7 
snd_seq_dummy          10884  0 
snd_seq_oss            38528  0 
snd_seq_midi           14336  0 
parport_pc             39204  1 
parport                42604  3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
snd_rawmidi            29824  1 snd_seq_midi
psmouse                45200  0 
serio_raw              13444  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     15232  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                57776  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              29960  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device         15116  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    63268  16 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
button                 14224  0 
pcspkr                 10624  0 
soundcore              15328  1 snd
iTCO_wdt               18596  0 
snd_page_alloc         16136  2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
iTCO_vendor_support    11652  1 iTCO_wdt
shpchp                 37908  0 
pci_hotplug            35236  1 shpchp
intel_agp              33724  1 
agpgart                42184  1 intel_agp
ext3                  133256  1 
jbd                    55444  1 ext3
mbcache                16004  1 ext3
usb_storage            81728  1 
libusual               27156  1 usb_storage
sr_mod                 22212  0 
cdrom                  43168  1 sr_mod
sd_mod                 42264  5 
crc_t10dif              9984  1 sd_mod
sg                     39732  0 
usbhid                 35840  0 
hid                    50560  1 usbhid
ata_piix               24580  2 
pata_acpi              12160  0 
8139cp                 27520  0 
ehci_hcd               43276  0 
ata_generic            12932  0 
ohci1394               37936  0 
8139too                31616  0 
mii                    13440  2 8139cp,8139too
libata                177312  3 ata_piix,pata_acpi,ata_generic
uhci_hcd               30736  0 
ieee1394               96324  2 sbp2,ohci1394
scsi_mod              155212  6 sbp2,usb_storage,sr_mod,sd_mod,sg,libata
dock                   16656  1 libata
usbcore               148848  7 rt2870sta,usb_storage,libusual,usbhid,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd
thermal                23708  0 
processor              42156  1 thermal
fan                    12548  0 
fbcon                  47648  0 
tileblit               10880  1 fbcon
font                   16512  1 fbcon
bitblit                13824  1 fbcon
softcursor              9984  1 bitblit
fuse                   60828  3

dmesg | grep firmware just brought me to a new command opener and displayed no output.

Excuse the following questions. Thier very newbie. What is the GIT repository? and the files you link to, are they drivers? and how would i go about installing them if they are, download them to a directory and run make, make install?

Thanks for all the help.

**waterhead** · 01-02-2009

I had forgotten that you downloaded and compiled the driver from Ralink. I am looking at the instructions that came with it, and I am wondering if you completed this step:

Code:

Configuration File : RT2870STA.dat
---------------------------------------
# Copy this file to /etc/Wireless/RT2870STA/RT2870STA.dat
# This file is a binary file and will be read on loading rt.o module.
#
# Use "vi RT2870STA.dat" to modify settings according to your need.
# 
# 1.) set NetworkType to "Adhoc" for using Adhoc-mode, otherwise using Infrastructure
# 2.) set Channel to "0" for auto-select on Infrastructure mode
# 3.) set SSID for connecting to your Accss-point.
# 4.) AuthMode can be "WEPAUTO", "OPEN", "SHARED", "WPAPSK", "WPA2PSK", "WPANONE"
# 5.) EncrypType can be "NONE", "WEP", "TKIP", "AES"
# for more information refer to the Readme file.
# 
#The word of "Default" must not be removed
Default
CountryRegion=5
CountryRegionABand=7
CountryCode=
SSID=Dennis2860AP
NetworkType=Infra
WirelessMode=9
Channel=0
BeaconPeriod=100
TxPower=100
BGProtection=0
TxPreamble=0
RTSThreshold=2347
FragThreshold=2346
TxBurst=1
WmmCapable=0
AckPolicy=0;0;0;0
AuthMode=OPEN
EncrypType=NONE
WPAPSK=
DefaultKeyID=1
Key1Type=0
Key1Str=
Key2Type=0
Key2Str=
Key3Type=0
Key3Str=
Key4Type=0
Key4Str=
PSMode=CAM
FastRoaming=0
RoamThreshold=70
HT_RDG=1
HT_EXTCHA=0
HT_OpMode=1
HT_MpduDensity=4
HT_BW=1
HT_AutoBA=1
HT_BADecline=0
HT_AMSDU=0
HT_BAWinSize=64
HT_GI=1
HT_MCS=33
HT_MIMOPSMode=3
IEEE80211H=0
TGnWifiTest=0
WirelessEvent=0

The README file also has the options to put in that file.

As for the GIT repository, it is a special repository for developers. After installing the programs curl and cogito, you can download (clone) the latest version of a program or driver. These are source files, and compiled like any other source files.

You would have to remove the rt2870sta driver before you could use a different driver.

**Huntsman191** · 01-02-2009

Which do you think is should go for? the GIT repository? or try and get my current driver working?

Will it help setup if i have a wired connection, ive managed to TEMPORARILY obtain a wired connection, would this make setup easier? Thank you so much for all your help.

**waterhead** · 01-02-2009

If you are absolutely positive that you followed the install and setup instructions for the rt2870sta driver. And it still won't work. Then you may not have much choice. Before you install another driver, remove the rt2870sta. You have to remove the module, so that it won't load at boot.

If you installed the rt2870sta from the Ubuntu repositories, you may want to download and compile it yourself. If you did compile it yourself, you may want to look for the driver in this section.

System-->Administration-->Hardware Drivers

That would be the one from the Ubuntu repository, and a wired connection is needed to download and install it.

If none of this works, then follow the instructions or installing the git driver, on the link I posted previously.

**waterhead** · 01-02-2009

Read through this thread in the Ubuntu forums.

[ubuntu] HOWTO: Ralink rt2870 (Native) Kernel 2.6.24 - Page 6 - Ubuntu Forums

Remember to first remove any previous driver that you installed. If you installed it with the make install command, return to that same folder and issue this command.

Code:

make uninstall

Good luck. I hope the Ubuntu geeks can help you more than I could.

Edit: I see in that Ubuntu thread, some mention of wpa_supplicant. Maybe you need that installed and configured for this to work.

**Huntsman191** · 01-03-2009

QUick note, under System > Hardware Drivers it lists rt2870 wireless device and says device is working. Im working on the other info now.

**waterhead** · 01-03-2009

I don't remember how you originally installed the driver. Please refresh my memory, please.

**Huntsman191** · 01-04-2009

downloaded the source, and then ran make, make install.

**waterhead** · 01-04-2009

OK, thanks.

Since you manually installed the driver, the "Enabled" box in the Hardware Manager should have been unchecked. This is how it looks when I manually install the nVidia driver, anyway.

If it was checked, you do need to uncheck it. This means that it also had a automatically installed driver too.

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