STICKY: WiFi Dongle Issues ? Start here !

[revrsethecurse04]

I purchased the following WiFi Dongle:
http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-NET-DYN%C ... ds=net-dyn

The dongle shows up when the command lsusb is entered as Ralink Technology, Corp.

When ifconfig -a is entered wlan0 does not appear.
When sudo ifup wlan0 is entered it indicates that interface wlan0 already configured.
When sudo iwlist wlan0 scan is entered it notes that wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

The device does not show up as when wpa_gui is run.

Please advise how to move forward with this dongle.

Thanks,

Matt

It would appear that either there is no driver for it in the OS you are using, or the driver is included but does not include the USB ID for your wifi to activate it.

Please post the output of commands uname -a and lsusb so I can check the OS you are using and determine which driver it uses.


MrEngman

Requested information below, thanks for helping out!
uname-a:
Linux raspberrypi 3.18.11-v7+ #781 SMP PREEMPT Tue Apr 21 18:07:59 BST 2015 armv7l GNU/Linux

lsusb:
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0c40:8000
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 148f:7601 Ralink Technology, Corp.

[MrEngman]

Requested information below, thanks for helping out!
uname-a:
Linux raspberrypi 3.18.11-v7+ #781 SMP PREEMPT Tue Apr 21 18:07:59 BST 2015 armv7l GNU/Linux

lsusb:
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0c40:8000
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 148f:7601 Ralink Technology, Corp.

You need to install the driver for this wifi adapter.

You can do it with the following commands

Code: Select all

wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80256631/mt7601-3.18.11-v7-781.tar.gz
tar xzf mt7601-3.18.11-v7-781.tar.gz
./install.sh

The ./install.sh command will install the driver and a couple of other files it needs and then you will need to reboot to bring up the driver.


MrEngman

[PlanB]

Where do I find or what is PiWiFi? If you run command uname -a this will show the kernel build. It is the number with # at the beginning of it.

Thnx, that's a kind offer. uname -a yiedls 3.18.7-v7+ #755
PiWiFi was a typo, I meant Pi WiFi as in WiFi connectivity for the Pi. You obviously know your stuff so I'm hoping you might answer a few questions for a newbie pls?

1) Why is WiFi on the Pi so cranky? Even with Ralink 5370 dongles that work out of the box I daren't hot unplug one because there is no guarantee the OS will find it again when I plug it back in. I found that 'ifup wlan0' or 'ifdown wlan0' sometimes work but generally I have to reboot for the dongle to be re-discovered.
2) Why is WiFi on the Pi so variable? The 0bda:0179 dongle that I got working on a Pi2 won't even let a Pi B+ boot with the same SD card, it just hangs so I never get to run the 8188 script.
3) In windows if you plug in a new WiFi dongle the OS goes off & finds some drivers. On the Pi (which has the same internet connectivity) you have to rebuild the OS. Why is that?
4) Some of the dongles that won't run with the Pi came with driver CDs. If I copied driver files from the CD to a USB thumb drive could I get the Pi to find them there & then rebuild the kernel?

[MrEngman]

Where do I find or what is PiWiFi? If you run command uname -a this will show the kernel build. It is the number with # at the beginning of it.

Thnx, that's a kind offer. uname -a yiedls 3.18.7-v7+ #755
PiWiFi was a typo, I meant Pi WiFi as in WiFi connectivity for the Pi. You obviously know your stuff so I'm hoping you might answer a few questions for a newbie pls?

1) Why is WiFi on the Pi so cranky? Even with Ralink 5370 dongles that work out of the box I daren't hot unplug one because there is no guarantee the OS will find it again when I plug it back in. I found that 'ifup wlan0' or 'ifdown wlan0' sometimes work but generally I have to reboot for the dongle to be re-discovered.
2) Why is WiFi on the Pi so variable? The 0bda:0179 dongle that I got working on a Pi2 won't even let a Pi B+ boot with the same SD card, it just hangs so I never get to run the 8188 script.
3) In windows if you plug in a new WiFi dongle the OS goes off & finds some drivers. On the Pi (which has the same internet connectivity) you have to rebuild the OS. Why is that?
4) Some of the dongles that won't run with the Pi came with driver CDs. If I copied driver files from the CD to a USB thumb drive could I get the Pi to find them there & then rebuild the kernel?

These are for the Pi 2B. For the wifi with USB id 0bda:818b download and install the driver using commands

Code: Select all

wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80256631/8192eu-3.18.7-v7-755.tar.gz
tar xzf 8192eu-3.18.7-v7-755.tar.gz
./install.sh

For the other two you can download and install the driver with commands

Code: Select all

wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80256631/8188eu-3.18.7-v7-755.tar.gz
tar xzf 8188eu-3.18.7-v7-755.tar.gz
./install.sh

For other versions of the Pi if they are using the kernel 3.18.7+ #755 you can download and install the drivers using

Code: Select all

wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80256631/8192eu-3.18.7-755.tar.gz
tar xzf 8192eu-3.18.7-755.tar.gz
./install.sh

For the other two you can download and install the driver with commands

Code: Select all

wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80256631/8188eu-3.18.7-755.tar.gz
tar xzf 8188eu-3.18.7-755.tar.gz
./install.sh

1/ Many issues with the wifi are due to power supply issues. Hot-plugging wifi can cause the Pi to crash and reboot depending on the version of the Pi. Not such a problem with the B+ or 2B. I use command sudo ifup --force wlan0 or both sudo ifdown wlan0, sudo ifup wlan0 together to bring my wifi up if necessary.
2/ The kernel used by the Pi 2B is not the same as the one used by the B+. Both kernel versions are included in the latest images that run on the Pi 2B. To get the wifi to run on a 2B and B+ using the same SD card you need to install the drivers for both the B+ and the 2B.
3/ That's linux for you.
4/ You don't need to rebuild the kernel, just compile the driver for the particular kernel version.


MrEngman

[PlanB]

When you say compile the driver, you mean run that shell script? When I got the 0bda:0179 dongle working on the Pi2B I found I had to run the script every time I powered up the 2B, the new driver didn't seem to be available in perpetuity?

On the subject of power I'm running 5.1v 2A plugpacks with short, thick cables. But I do plug the dongles direct into the Pi USB not via a powered hub. I've got a USB inline current monitor, amazing how much juice different brands of wifi dongle draw! The 2B & B+ generally take 200-300mA and that can easily double with a dongle plugged in. Some of them dissipate close to a watt (assuming the extra current actually goes to the dongle) & yet they seem to run remarkably cool for such tiny devices size wise?

[PlanB]

Can someone please tell me where to find out what the difference between 'ifup --force wlan0' and 'ifup wlan0' is?

[TwoChinaMan]

Hi I'm in major trouble I just bought my Raspberry Pi Model B and It says I'm connected to the internet, but when I try it it still says I cant connect Please Help!

[MrEngman]

Can someone please tell me where to find out what the difference between 'ifup --force wlan0' and 'ifup wlan0' is?

For a start try man ifup and of course there is google

You can use sudo ifup --force wlan0 instead of having to use both sudo ifdown wlan0 and sudo ifup wlan0


MrEngman

[art.horne]

Help! I'm brand new with the Raspberry (and Linux) and am having very frustrating results. My number one problem is while I can get internet access with ethernet cable my wifi won't connect to the internet. If I go through all the different checks found on various tutorials my wifi network connects fine. If I click on the "signal" icon at the top right of the browser, to the left of the speaker symbol, it shows three networks and mine is checked. If I just hover over that icon it says wlan0 is Associated with "My network". I'm powered with a 2 amp 5v wallwort, my wifi dongle is only about 12 feet from my router. I've entered my password several times and everything says I'm connected to the router but I can't get connected to the internet.


Any solutions to this problem would make me very happy.
Thanks,
Art

[pheon42]

This is a really long thread which is hard to follow. I was wondering if there was some other resource that would give more guidance on how to troubleshoot WiFi issues.

I am a Raspberry Pi beginner. I have a new A+ and have spent a long time trying to work out how to get the WiFi working. Where I am now is that I get a the following errors when I "sudo ifup wlan0"

wpa_supplicant: /sbin/wpa_supplicant daemon failed to start
run_parts: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant exited with return code 1

So, I am guessing I have a problem with my network or wpa_supplicant configurations. I have searched here and there and find much conflicting advice. So, is there a resource that explains what these configuration files are, what all the options mean and how to set them up for the, what it seems is, a very wide range of possible configurations.

Yours Confused

pheon42

[mfraser]

I've been using the official Broadcom USB wi-fi adaptor with a Raspberry Pi 2 for a few months until I had to reboot at the weekend and ever since I have been unable to get the USB adaptor to work.

In /var/log/syslog, I am seeing:
kernel: [ 376.634894] usbcore: registered new interface driver brcmfmac
kernel: [ 376.637191] usb 1-1.4: Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43143.bin failed with error -2

locate brcmfmac43143
/lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac43143-sdio.bin

[uros09]

Hello,

I bought usb11n adapter device in believe that it will work out of the box with rpi2 which unfortunately is not true.

Kernel version is: Linux raspberrypi 3.18.11-v7+ #781 SMP PREEMPT Tue Apr 21 18:07:59 BST 2015 armv7l GNU/Linux

However I forced this 148f:7601 wifi usb11 n Adapter to work with Rpi 2 by doing these commands as root:

cd /tmp
wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/802 ... 781.tar.gz
tar xvf mt7601-3.18.11-v7-781.tar.gz
./install.sh

Then I did config changes in /etc/network interfaces and it is looking like this now:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet manual

allow-hotplug wlan0
auto wlan0

iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-ssid "mywirelessnetworkname"
wpa-psk "mypassword"

Then I reboot rpi2 and wi fi workes!

[AprilR]

Thank you for this troubleshooting thread....

@Richard, TX - You mentioned adding a step for scan, to ensure the dongle sees the network at all. If scan finds nothing at all, do you have a suggestion on what to check/change? Scanning on any typical consumer device in our home yields many networks, so I'm surprised it sees none (having cleared the above checklist items).

Thank you,
April

[patmicg]

Hello all,

I have been at this for weeks and have finally given in and come to the forum for help because i cant keep scratching my head.

I am using rpi 2 modoel bv1.1
noobs v1_4_1
OS= raspbian
wifi adapter Edimax EW-7811Un

lsusb looks like:
Bus 002 Device 005: ID 7392:7811 Edimax Technology Co., Ltd EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS]

lsmod: (i think i need the 8192cu or am i looking for rtl8192cu)
Module Size Used by
i2c_dev 4562 0
snd_bcm2835 12859 0
snd_pcm 60411 1 snd_bcm2835
snd_seq 44988 0
snd_timer 16257 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 4265 1 snd_seq
snd 41809 5 snd_bcm2835,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_seq_device
snd_page_alloc 3176 1 snd_pcm
spidev 4259 0
8192cu 458649 0
leds_gpio 1920 0
led_class 2329 1 leds_gpio
spi_bcm2708 3974 0
i2c_bcm2708 3108 0

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet manual
wpa-roam /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf


wpa-roam /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf looks like: (i have a WEP pw encryption on my router)

ctrl_interface=dir=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev

network={
ssid="my ssid"
key_mgmt=NON
wep_key0="my pw"
}

ifconfig wlan0:

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 74:da:38:41:1f:95
inet addr:169.254.191.41 Bcast:169.254.255.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:2 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:63 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:29693 (28.9 KiB)


So no matter what i seem to do i keep getting a 169.254 which i know is a no good ip address. I have tried to do a few searches but have had little luck. one thing i tried was changing my interfaces file to this:

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces:

auto wlan0
allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wep-ssid "my ssid"
wep-psk "my pw"

but again all that happens is i get the 169.254 again.

I can log into my router and i do not see the rpi connected in the device list and im having alot of trouble getting a clear answer how to set up a static ip. an attempt i made looked like:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet manual
wpa-roam /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

iface default inet static
address 10.1.1.2
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 10.1.1.1

Can someone please help? ive tried to do all the self help and i hope ive provided all the needed info.

thanks in advance!!!

[InsideJob]

I started with Raspbian 2-16 which doesn't have the new networking stuff that hates /etc/network/interfaces (anything listed in there it refuses to manage) just to eliminate the new software as a possibility. No issues from my Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS] with the default image and firmware. I then rpi-update one Pi from Notro's kernel 4 repo and the other from the official repository. The one using Notro's firmware and kernel still works fine. The one using the official stuff doesn't come up at boot. I have to unplug the dongle from the USB port and hotplug it back in to get WiFi working.

It's not just you.

[InsideJob]

I'd like to also add that while my WiPi continues to work normally after rpi-update from the official image (unlike the Edimax) it too stops working if you update from Notro's with the official firmware/kernel.

Add the new network manager that breaks if wlan0 is even mentioned in an old config file (why not just ignore the file instead of parsing it.. and if you're going to parse it why not use the IP config info already there? Just to be a pain in the ass?) and it's really no surprise there are so many problems.

[PlanB]

Are you there Mr. E? Just wondering if you could help me locate Model B+ drivers for;
148f:5370 Ralink Technology, Corp. RT5370 Wireless adapter. It shows rt2800 drivers with lsmod but won't work.
148f:7601 Ralink technology, Corp. It shows It also shows rt2800 drivers with lsmod but likewise won't run

[PlanB]

I tried
wget https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/802 ... 777.tar.gz
tar xzf mt7601-3.18.11-v7-777.tar.gz
./install.sh
with my uname -a values substituted, but its for an RPi2 & I need it for a B+

[PlanB]

It's OK I figured it out, leave out the v7 for piB+ all good. Nice they way it uses wlan0 instead of ra0 too!

[Devonian]

Hi,

I've tried following the instructions but I haven't been able to fix the problem for a number of reasons.

Step 1: I run lsusb and get the following:

Code: Select all

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 2109:2812
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 1c4f:0048 SiGma Micro
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 1c4f:0016 SiGma Micro
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc. AR9271 802.11n
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 2109:2812

I assume that device 006 is my wifi stick (it's a TP-LINK TL-WN721N), so I carry on to step 2.

Step 2: I get a lot of stuff come up when I type in lsmod, and I'm not sure what I'm looking for. However, three files start with ath9k_, which makes me think that the modules are loaded as the ath is like Atheros. There is a fourth file, simply named "ath". The three ath9k_ files are:

Code: Select all

ath9k_hcc
ath9k_common
ath9k_hw

Step 3: When I run ifconfig -a, I get similar to what is expected, except for an extra line, second from the top of the wlan0 paragraph:

Code: Select all

inet addr:(ip address) Bcast:(numbers) Mask:(numbers)

Step 4: My interfaces file may be the issue, however the Pi won't let me change it in any way. Here's the entire file:

Code: Select all

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet manual

auto wlan0
allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet manual
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

auto wlan1
allow-hotplug wlan1
iface wlan1 inet manual
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

I try to open wpa_supplicant.conf with leafpad, but it says "Permission Denied"


So I may be able to get around this if I had the permissions to edit interfaces and wpa_supplicant.conf. In all honesty, I'm virtually a total beginner to the Pi, Linux and all of this, and everything here is beyond me, so I'm totally helpless as it is. Tried my best. Can anyone see where the problem lies?

Thanks!

[MrEngman]

Hi,

I've tried following the instructions but I haven't been able to fix the problem for a number of reasons.

Step 1: I run lsusb and get the following:

Code: Select all

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9514 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 2109:2812
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 1c4f:0048 SiGma Micro
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 1c4f:0016 SiGma Micro
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0cf3:9271 Atheros Communications, Inc. AR9271 802.11n
Bus 001 Device 008: ID 2109:2812

I assume that device 006 is my wifi stick (it's a TP-LINK TL-WN721N), so I carry on to step 2.

Step 2: I get a lot of stuff come up when I type in lsmod, and I'm not sure what I'm looking for. However, three files start with ath9k_, which makes me think that the modules are loaded as the ath is like Atheros. There is a fourth file, simply named "ath". The three ath9k_ files are:

Code: Select all

ath9k_hcc
ath9k_common
ath9k_hw

Step 3: When I run ifconfig -a, I get similar to what is expected, except for an extra line, second from the top of the wlan0 paragraph:

Code: Select all

inet addr:(ip address) Bcast:(numbers) Mask:(numbers)

Step 4: My interfaces file may be the issue, however the Pi won't let me change it in any way. Here's the entire file:

Code: Select all

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

auto eth0
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet manual

auto wlan0
allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet manual
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

auto wlan1
allow-hotplug wlan1
iface wlan1 inet manual
wpa-conf /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

I try to open wpa_supplicant.conf with leafpad, but it says "Permission Denied"


So I may be able to get around this if I had the permissions to edit interfaces and wpa_supplicant.conf. In all honesty, I'm virtually a total beginner to the Pi, Linux and all of this, and everything here is beyond me, so I'm totally helpless as it is. Tried my best. Can anyone see where the problem lies?

Thanks!

What problem? Might help if you tell us what it is.

To edit the files open a terminal window and use command

Code: Select all

sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

to edit the /etc/network/interfaces file or

Code: Select all

sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

to edit file /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf. The files need root (administrative) privileges to edit them and this is provided by adding sudo to the start of the command to edit the files, using the text editor nano in the examples.

Or shutdown the X gui and edit the files in the command line terminal instead, using the same commands above.

Your wifi adapter is being detected and the driver is loaded and it appears from what you say that it is connected to the wifi network as you appear to indicate an address has been allocated. Would help if you showed the output of commands hiding only the ssid and password instead of just the odd line here and there with local IP's blanked out so we can see if it has a valid IP.

Instead of editing file /etc/network/interfaces I would suggest editing /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf and adding the following to the file

Code: Select all

network={
	ssid="your-network-name"
	psk="your-network-password"
}

Save the file using keys, cntl-x, y, enter, and then reboot and when the Pi restarts hopefully you should find the wifi connected


MrEngman

[DougieLawson]

Have you got the Atheros firmware installed?
https://wiki.debian.org/ath9k_htc

[Devonian]

How remiss of me to not say the actual error, sorry!

There is a wifi symbol in the toolbar, showing that I'm connected to the wifi, and the interfaces and wpa_supplicant files were already as they should be and my atheros firmware was already up to date. When I go onto the browser and try to open Google, an error comes up which says "Cannot resolve hostname (http://www.google.co.uk)".

It seems as though I can connect to the wifi router but the internet isn't connecting, yet the internet is working as I type on my laptop in the same room. The wifi stick works perfectly on my desktop, too.

Which exact bits of information was it that I missed out that could be helpful?

Thanks

[MrEngman]

How remiss of me to not say the actual error, sorry!

There is a wifi symbol in the toolbar, showing that I'm connected to the wifi, and the interfaces and wpa_supplicant files were already as they should be and my atheros firmware was already up to date. When I go onto the browser and try to open Google, an error comes up which says "Cannot resolve hostname (http://www.google.co.uk)".

It seems as though I can connect to the wifi router but the internet isn't connecting, yet the internet is working as I type on my laptop in the same room. The wifi stick works perfectly on my desktop, too.

Which exact bits of information was it that I missed out that could be helpful?

Thanks

The output from ifconfig would be a start to check the IP assigned.

How did you configure your wifi connecton? Using the wifi icon on the toolbar, or manually editing one of the config files?


MrEngman

[MayaGF]

I've been trying to get connected to the internet using a Sabrent Wifi 802.11AC Dual Band USB Adapter without any luck.

When I run 'lsusb' in the terminal, I see the Pi recognizes the USB with the output "Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0e8d:7610 MediaTek Inc."

However, when I run 'lsmod' in the terminal, I do not get any output for the wifi USB adapter. I therefore believe I need to install the driver for this particular adapter, but I am not sure how to go about doing this. Any advice?