Wireless network conectivity

If your adaptor uses Broadcom chipset you may need to install a piece of firmware to make it work. I had a similar problem with my Linux netbook that had Ralink wifi. It booted up but said that there was no WiFi as no firmware was loaded! After much searching the solution is at http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43.

The B43 package installs the firmware needed to run the Broadcom chipset. As its not GPL it can't be released with any Linux package, but is able to be extracted from the Windows driver. This package is already to go, just install!

I required the firmware-b43-installer package. Not sure if it's in the RasPi repositories as I haven't got mine to play with yet... :-( But the above site it fairly comprehensive!

Hope it works.

i have had issues with broadcom on various laptops using different distro's of linux, this is the best solution i have found so far. i also cant confirm at the moment if the b43 firmware is in the repositories. i will check tonight and see if it is.

i cant actually try this on the R-Pi as i dont have a USB wifi adapter with the broadcom chipset.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=10527475&postcount=5

hope this helps.

Did a bit of research and found out that the RT2770F uses the same drivers as RT2780.  Also, I read the website that was posted by Neill but the RPi did not want to install firmware-b43-installer.

But,  From that website I think I discovered how to (attempt to) install the drivers that came with the device.  When I tried:

The following error messages came-up:

Can anyone shed-some-light on what is wrong?  Why can't I just use the supplied drivers?  Why won't firmware-b43 install?

Can someone please see what is wrong with the .tar.bz2 file that came with the device (and gave the above failures).  Can someone play around with these files and see if you can find the problem. I can not post the files here but you can download them from: here or here .

Can someone please see what is wrong with the .tar.bz2 file that came with the device (and gave the above failures).  Can someone play around with these files and see if you can find the problem. I can not post the files here but you can download them from: here or here .

I am reading the Makefile and the readme file that came with the device.  Can someone please explain what I have to do? (based on what the readme file is telling me.)

Extract from readme file:

1> $tar -xvzf RT2870_Linux_STA_x.x.x.x.tgz

    go to "./RT2870_Linux_STA_x.x.x.x" directory.

2> In Makefile

           set the "MODE = STA" in Makefile and chose the TARGET to Linux by set "TARGET = LINUX"

           define the linux kernel source include file path LINUX_SRC

           modify to meet your need.

3> In os/linux/config.mk

          define the GCC and LD of the target machine

          define the compiler flags CFLAGS

          modify to meet your need.

          ** Build for being controlled by NetworkManager or wpa_supplicant wext functions

             Please set 'HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y' and 'HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y'.

             => #>cd wpa_supplicant-x.x

             => #>./wpa_supplicant -Dwext -ira0 -c wpa_supplicant.conf -d

          ** Build for being controlled by WpaSupplicant with Ralink Driver

             Please set 'HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT=y' and 'HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=n'.

             => #>cd wpa_supplicant-0.5.7

             => #>./wpa_supplicant -Dralink -ira0 -c wpa_supplicant.conf -d

4> $make

          # compile driver source code

          # To fix "error: too few arguments to function ¡¥iwe_stream_add_event"

            => $patch -i os/linux/sta_ioctl.c.patch os/linux/sta_ioctl.c

5> $cp RT2870STA.dat  /etc/Wireless/RT2870STA/RT2870STA.dat

6> load driver, go to "os/linux/" directory.

    #[kernel 2.4]

    #    $/sbin/insmod rt2870sta.o

    #    $/sbin/ifconfig ra0 inet YOUR_IP up

    #[kernel 2.6]

    #    $/sbin/insmod rt2870sta.ko

    #    $/sbin/ifconfig ra0 inet YOUR_IP up

7> unload driver   

    $/sbin/ifconfig ra0 down

          $/sbin/rmmod rt2870sta

I don't understand the step that says: " define the linux kernel source include file path LINUX_SRC" .

Can someone help me please?

Found this: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1439103 but I don't know where the: "Linux kernel source code header files are installed "

Could someone please fill in the blanks from this post.  Which include: steps 2 and 3.

This would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advanced.

Hello Fergus,

Are you sure that it is a 2770 ? Looking at the smaller chip, it is a 2720 which brings up a lot more hits for me in Google regarding wireless cards.

I'm afraid I am not much of a Linux expert, but what you are posting above looks like you are compiling from source which is well above my head, perhaps someone else could comment on that.

Have a look at the following link, that may be some help: http://wiki.debian.org/rt2870sta

I know this may sound a little defeatist, and i'm happy to be told so, but at some point I would say you need to cut your losses and possibly think about buying a USB adaptor that is known to work with the Pi, rather than spending so much time trying to get your current one working ?

Steve

I think I will take your advice:

"      but at some point I would say you need to cut your losses and possibly think about buying a USB adaptor that is known to work with the Pi, rather  than spending so much time trying to get your current one working ?"

What do you think of this one: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=YN8309

Although it is not branded on the Jaycar website, I think that it is the EW-7811Un which is verified on the wiki [http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeripherals#USB_WiFi_Adapters ].

Also, I read on the wiki that someone has made a self-installer (so to speak) which should make it easy to impliment.

Any thoughs before I go -out and buy this wireless adapter?

PS: Should some add the other one to the problem adapter section. 

And as a side not, I think the problem may have been the confusion between the two chips (RT2770 + RT2720) somewhere in the software. or that the hub is not providing enough power and therefore this device is pulling power from the RPi.

Just a though.

The two chips in this device are: Ralink RT2780F chipset with RT2720L as transceiver.  Does this mean anything driver wise?

(I am still going to get a new adapter though)