Installing a USB Wifi device

[kerwie]

http://www.jaycar.com.au/ShowLargeph...Adaptor&IMAGE=Kubuntu 11.04 how the heck does someone install drivers for a usb wifi device and actually make the drivers work and have the device software installed.......i NEED some one to help me please..........
>Dell Optiplex 745
>80GB HDD
>Embedded Intel Graphics
>CPU Pentium 4 3.4GHZ
>RAM 1GB

[arochester]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

no wonder people don't like Linux.

... Strangely many people here do like Linux !

What precisely is the USB Wifi device? Make? Model?

[kerwie]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

Under Windows its shows a realtek driver cd that came with the device has linux drivers on it
Its a cheap generic device but works excellent under windows
its 802.11n

[dibl]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

Information on supported Realtek chips is here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ha...rdsRealTek#USB

I hope you don't have a Belkin n300 Micro (Product model: F7D2102), which appears in the lsusb output with address 050d 2103. The chip is a RTL8192CU, and the driver is r8192u_usb, but it's got a bug as of the last time I tried mine, and throws a "can't authenticate" error, even with no encryption on the router.

[Detonate]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

I have a Linksys WUSB100 which I purchases as refurbished for a very cheap price from TigerDirect. I researched the device to ascertain its Linux compatibility before purchasing. It uses the rt2800usb driver. So installing it was to simply plug it in to the USB port and start using it. That's what happens when you do your research first.

[kerwie]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

ok
but how do i actually install the drivers to get the device to work
I see that the Asus USB N13 is compatible with Linux and looks like it will auto detect and install on its own......

but i have no idea how to compile drivers or where they should install or what commands to use......yes i am a windows dipstick......

[dibl]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

If support for that device is in your running kernel (I don't actually know), then all you should need to do is plug it in, as Detonate says above. If the kernel module loads automatically, you can run

lsmod

and you should be able to see the applicable module in the list, probably near the bottom of the list. If it doesn't load automatically, then you can try a

sudo modprobe nameofthemodule

and that will load the module if it is available.

For some devices, it is necessary to install a firmware package, which provides the proprietary bits that the kernel module loads -- you need to research the instructions for your device, and find out if a firmware package is needed.

[woodsmoke]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

Hi

You "should" have a cd with the driver on it?

woodsmoke

[kerwie]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

================================================== ==================
Software Package - Component
================================================== ==================
1. ReleaseNotes.doc

2. document/

3. driver source code

3.1 Makefile - to build the modules

3.2 Script and configuration for DHCP:
"wlan0dhcp"
"ifcfg-wlan0"

3.3 Example of supplicant configuration file:
"wpa1.conf"

3.4 Script to run wpa_supplicant
"runwpa"

3.5 Script to clean relative modules
"clean"

4. wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant-0.6.9_wps_patch_20100201.zip
The tool help the wlan network to communicate under the
protection of WPAPSK mechanism (WPA/WPA2) and add WPS patch


================================================== ===================
User Guide(1) - connecting wireless networking using "Network Manager" GUI utility (For PC Linux)
================================================== ===================
(1) Network Manager is a utility attempts to make use of wireless networking easy.

(2) Notes: if you want to use the following command-line method to connect wireless networking,
please disable the "Network Manager", because "Network Manager" will conflict with method of command line .

================================================== ===================
User Guide(2) - Using the wpa_cli & wpa_supplicant tools (For embedded Linux)
================================================== ===================

Please refer to the document/wpa_cli_with_wpa_supplicant_20091227.doc

================================================== ===================
User Guide(3) - Set wireless lan MIBs in Command Line (Legacy command - Not recommend)
================================================== ===================
This driver uses Wireless Extension as an interface allowing you to set
Wireless LAN specific parameters.

Current driver supports "iwlist" to show the device status of nic
iwlist wlan0 [parameters]
where
parameter explaination [parameters]
----------------------- -------------
Show available chan and freq freq / channel
Show and Scan BSS and IBSS scan[ning]
Show supported bit-rate rate / bit[rate]

For example:
iwlist wlan0 channel
iwlist wlan0 scan
iwlist wlan0 rate

Driver also supports "iwconfig", manipulate driver private ioctls, to set
MIBs.

iwconfig wlan0 [parameters] [val]
where
parameter explaination [parameters] [val] constraints
----------------------- ------------- ------------------
Connect to AP by address ap [mac_addr]
Set the essid, join (I)BSS essid [essid]
Set operation mode mode {Managed|Ad-hoc}
Set keys and security mode key/enc[ryption] {N|open|restricted|off}

For example:
iwconfig wlan0 essid "ap_name"
iwconfig wlan0 ap XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
iwconfig wlan0 mode Ad-hoc
iwconfig wlan0 essid "name" mode Ad-hoc
iwconfig wlan0 key 0123456789 [2] open
iwconfig wlan0 key off
iwconfig wlan0 key restricted [3] 0123456789
Note: Better to set these MIBS without GUI such as NetworkManager and be sure that our
nic has been brought up before these settings. WEP key index 2-4 is not supportted by
NetworkManager.

================================================== ===================
Getting IP address (For User Guide(2) & User Guide(3))
================================================== ===================
After start up the nic and connect to AP successfully, the network needs to obtain an IP address
before transmit/receive data.
This can be done by setting the static IP via "ifconfig wlan0 IP_ADDRESS"
command, or using DHCP.

If using DHCP, setting steps is as below:
(1)check if the WiFi had connected to an AP via "iwconfig" command
$> iwconfig

(2)run the script which run the dhclient
$> ./wlan0dhcp
or
dhcpcd wlan0
(Some network admins require that you use the
hostname and domainname provided by the DHCP server.
In that case, use
dhcpcd -HD wlan0)


================================================== ===================
WPAPSK/WPA2PSK - using wpa_supplicant (For User Guide(3))
================================================== ===================

Wpa_supplicant helps to secure wireless connection with the protection of
WPAPSK/WPA2PSK mechanism. Please refer to the document/wpa_cli_with_wpa_supplicant_20091227.doc

================================================== ===================
WPS - PIN & PBC methods
================================================== ===================

(*) Please refer to the document/wpa_cli_with_wpa_supplicant_20091227.doc

================================================== ===================
Power Saving Mode
================================================== ===================

(1) in order to enter PS Mode, you need to add the parameter of "power_mgnt=1" when executing "insmod 8192cu.ko" :
$>insmod 8192cu.ko power_mgnt=1
or
$>insmod 8192cu.ko power_mgnt=2

(2) Notes:
power_mgnt=0 ;//default, disable PS
power_mgnt=1 ;//enable PS, MIN_PS Mode
power_mgnt=2 ;//enable PS, MAX_PS Mode

[ardvark71]

Re: Installing a USB Wifi device

Hi....

Do you know how to compile? From the top section of what you just posted, it looks like this is what you are going to have to do if your version of Kubuntu doesn't already have the drivers to use and if they're unavailable through Jockey (Hardware Drivers.) If you are able to connect to the internet through other means, download and install the "make" and "automake" packages using your choice of package manager.

Also, with your USB device plugged in, would you open a terminal and run:

lspci

and post the output?

Thanks

Regards...