Installing Wireless adapter Driver

[spank_my_toaster]

Hi All,
I have a wireless usb adapter for which the driver is on a cd. The cd has a README_STA file which gives Build Instructions but as a linux newbie i have no idea what to make of it. i tried the iwconfig and lsusb commands which both show that the adapter is being detected, i just have no idea how to install the driver for it. i also have no means to show the readme_sta file on this post as i'm writing from xp and the file wont open in windows. I have just installed Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala, and its working fine. Any thoughts on how to install the driver would be very helpful.

[reed9]

Howdy.

If the wireless interface is showing up with iwconfig, the driver module is likely loading. It is rare with linux that you need to install a driver from a third party source.

I assume you were unable to connect to your network from Ubuntu? Where you able to see wireless networks from the network manager?

[spank_my_toaster]

From the Ubuntu desktop, if i go to System>Preferences>Network Connections and then the Wireless tab, there is no wireless networks shown, on my xp i can detect about four different wlan networks including my own, but i can't find any in linux. Also i'm using Bt as my ISP, and I am using the Bt homehub to broadcast my network. I hope its not to do with my hub.

[bigvoo]

I don;t know about ubuntu, but in linux mint 7, I have gotten very old usb adapters to go straight online, just by typing in the wep key. and like reed said, I wouldn't think you need a 3rd party driver, and most of the stuff on those disks are for windows any how. at the bottom of your desktop, where it shows 2 computer screens, just left click that, and it should show all available networks...when i first installed mint, I was " right clicking, instead of left clicking that icon" for hours until i figured it out. I think you'll get it to work soon.

[reed9]

Post the output of

lspci -v
lsmod
iwconfig

[spank_my_toaster]

Firstly, the lspci -v

lspci -v

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 8

	Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-amd64

	Kernel modules: amd64-agp



00:00.1 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge
	
	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0



00:00.2 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0



00:00.3 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0



00:00.4 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0



00:00.7 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. K8M800 Host Bridge

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0



00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 PCI bridge [K8T800/K8T890 South]

	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0

	Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0

	Memory behind bridge: dc000000-ddffffff

	Prefetchable memory behind bridge: d8000000-dbffffff

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel modules: shpchp



00:0a.0 Modem: Smart Link Ltd. SmartLink SmartPCI562 56K Modem (rev 04)

	Subsystem: Aztech System Ltd Device 3052

	Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18

	Memory at de000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]

	I/O ports at 9000 [size=256]
	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: serial


00:0f.0 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VIA VT6420 SATA RAID Controller (rev 80) 

(prog-if 8f [Master SecP SecO PriP PriO])

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 20

	I/O ports at 9400 [size=8]

	I/O ports at 9800 [size=4]

	I/O ports at 9c00 [size=8]

	I/O ports at a000 [size=4]

	I/O ports at a400 [size=16]

	I/O ports at a800 [size=256]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: sata_via
	Kernel modules: sata_via



00:0f.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus 

Master IDE (rev 06) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 20
	[virtual] Memory at 000001f0 

(32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8]

	[virtual] Memory at 000003f0 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [size=1]

	[virtual] Memory at 00000170 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8]

	[virtual] Memory at 00000370 (type 3, non-prefetchable) [size=1]

	I/O ports at ac00 [size=16]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: pata_via



00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21
	I/O ports at b000 [size=32]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd



00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21

	I/O ports at b400 [size=32]
	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd



00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21

	I/O ports at b800 [size=32]

	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd



00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 81)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21

	I/O ports at bc00 [size=32]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd



00:10.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 86) (prog-if 20)
	Subsystem: 

Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21

	Memory at de001000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd



00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8237 ISA bridge [KT600/K8T800/K8T890 South]

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, stepping, medium devsel, latency 0

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel modules: i2c-viapro



00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio 

Controller (rev 60)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 22

	I/O ports at c000 [size=256]

	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel driver in use: VIA 82xx Audio

	Kernel modules: snd-via82xx



00:13.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 18

	I/O ports at c400 [size=256]
	Memory at de002000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) 

[size=256]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

	Kernel driver in use: 8139too
	Kernel modules: epl, 8139too, 8139cp

00:18.0 Host 

bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology 

Configuration

	Flags: fast devsel

	Capabilities: <access denied>



00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map

	Flags: fast devsel



00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller

	Flags: fast devsel



00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous 

Control

	Flags: fast devsel

	Kernel driver in use: k8temp

	Kernel modules: k8temp

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. 

K8M800/K8N800/K8N800A [S3 UniChrome Pro] (rev 01)

	Subsystem: Packard Bell B.V. Device d007

	Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 16
	Memory at d8000000 

(32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]

	Memory at dc000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]

	[virtual] Expansion ROM at dd000000 [disabled] [size=64K]

	Capabilities: <access denied>

[spank_my_toaster]

next, the lsmod

lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

rt2870sta             488820  0 

arc4                    1660  2 

ecb                     2524  2 
rt2800usb              37372  0 

rt2x00usb              11548  1 rt2800usb

rt2x00lib              29756  2 rt2800usb,rt2x00usb

led_class               4096  1 rt2x00lib

input_polldev           3716  1 rt2x00lib

mac80211              181236  2 rt2x00usb,rt2x00lib

cfg80211               93052  2 rt2x00lib,mac80211

crc_ccitt               1852  1 rt2800usb

isofs                  31620  1 

udf                    80900  0 

crc_itu_t               1852  1 udf

via                    40192  2 
drm                   159584  3 via

binfmt_misc             8356  1 

snd_via82xx            23576  2 

gameport               11368  1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_codec        101216  1 snd_via82xx
ac97_bus                1532  1 snd_ac97_codec

snd_pcm_oss            37920  0 
snd_mixer_oss          16028  1 snd_pcm_oss

snd_pcm                75296  3 snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc        

  9156  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm

snd_mpu401_uart         6940  1 snd_via82xx

snd_seq_dummy           2656  0 

snd_seq_oss            28576  0 

snd_seq_midi            6432  0 

snd_rawmidi            22208  2 snd_mpu401_uart,snd_seq_midi

snd_seq_midi_event      6940  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi

snd_seq                50224  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              22276  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq

snd_seq_device          6920  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    59204  15 

snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_seq_oss,snd

_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device

ppdev                   6688  0 

lp                      8964  0 

psmouse                56180  0 

serio_raw               5280  0 

joydev                 10272  0 

i2c_viapro              7312  0 

k8temp                  4188  0 

parport_pc             31940  1 

iptable_filter          3100  0 

parport                35340  3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc

shpchp                 32272  0 

ip_tables              11692  1 iptable_filter

x_tables               16544  1 ip_tables

soundcore               7264  1 snd

8139too                22620  0 

8139cp                 19260  0 
amd64_agp               9796  1 

usbhid                 38208  0 

mii                     5212  2 8139too,8139cp

agpgart                34988  2 drm,amd64_agp

sata_via                9184  0

[spank_my_toaster]

lastly the iwconfig,

iwconfig

lo        no wireless extensions.



eth0      no wireless extensions.



wmaster0  no wireless extensions.



wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:""  

          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   

          Tx-Power=20 dBm   

          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off

          Power Management:on

          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0

          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

[spank_my_toaster]

yes, ive tried that as well, there it shows wired connection and wireless connection disconnected, separately, there is then VPN connections, and then it says connect to hidden wireless network, and create new wireless network. I've tried the "Create new wireless network" and added on my hub details, but to no avail.

[reed9]

Please enclose the output of commands in code tags. It makes it far more readable.

I also had some sort of cell death, I wanted the output of lsusb, not lspci.

Also give

dmesg | grep wlan
dmesg | grep rt28

You have a couple of modules loading

rt2870sta 488820 0 
rt2800usb 37372 0 
rt2x00usb 11548 1 rt2800usb
rt2x00lib 29756 2 rt2800usb,rt2x00usb

Usually, multiple modules loading will interfere with each other and neither work.

Try

sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo modprobe -r rt2870sta
sudo depmod -a
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

After, does the output of the following show wireless networks

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

If this works you want to blacklist the rt2870sta driver.

echo "blacklist rt2870sta" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf