Ralink RT5370 USB wi-fi not working

[triugan]

New to Linux/Ubuntu.
* I have just spent 4+ hours trying to get a wi-fi adapter working without success.
* I was shocked the driver was not "double-click and off-you-go" like Windows.
* I've have gone from knowing zero to learning the basics fast, but I'm still way out of my element.

The details
lsusb nearly always doesn't show the attached wi-fi USB. When it did show it (just twice, randomly) it had this info in the ID field:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ID 148f:5370 Ralink Technology, Corp.


USB ports and wi-fi adapter both worked fine under XP; it's definitely not a hardware problem. So anyway, right now lsusb is not showing any adapter connected (and nearly always doesn't show the adapter connected to USB).

uname -r
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3.2.0-29-generic-pae
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Ralink RT5370 driver has been downloaded
http://www.ralinktech.com/en/04_supp...r=5016&sn=5016
...after agreeing to their terms here.

I have extracted it to the desktop and renamed the folder to RT5370. I have gone inside this folder:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Desktop/RT5370/os/linux



I have opened config.mk here and set two lines to y (yes):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAS_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y
HAS_NATIVE_WPA_SUPPLICANT_SUPPORT=y

If somebody can explain why the user has to do this in 2012, I'd appreciate it. WPA is not built-in or enabled...why? I've also followed some makefile instructions in another thread but I'm in way over my head and there are too many threads from years ago which I'm not sure are still relevant. Regardless, the wi-fi adapter still isn't working.

Please help me get this wireless adapter working.
I need very basic and deliberate instructions if possible. I'm not afraid to do what I have to do as long as it's explained clearly and/or assumes no prior knowledge.

Thanks so much for any hints.

[chili555]

If somebody can explain why the user has to do this in 2012, I'd appreciate it. WPA is not built-in or enabled...why?

Not managed by Network Manager, no. Because not every Linux distribution uses or includes NM, Ubuntu Server Edition for example. Not every user wants or needs NM, and especially NM to manage wpa_supplicant, even if it is included; my wife removes it immediately. She's a daredevil.

Any competent driver you download and compile from source is written to try to work with Suse, Mandriva, Ubuntu, LFS, Debian, CentOS, the wacky kids at Gentoo and many more. They do not all work exactly the same. Some customization, known in my part of the country as whittling, is required.

Let's get it installed. First, make sure the prerequisites are installed:

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-generic build-essential

Now, let's compile the driver:

cd Desktop/2011_0719_RT3070_RT3370_RT5370_RT5372_Linux_STA_V2.5.0.3_DPO  <--or wherever you downloaded and extracted the package
sudo su
make
make install
modprobe rt5370sta
exit

Your wireless should be working.

[triugan]

Hi Chili555
Thanks for responding.

Re: the first step.

The machine can't be connected to the net unfortunately. All I can do is transfer any important files to the machine manually (via another computer which is connected to the net).

Is there something I should be looking for?

Sidenote
I just totally re-installed Ubuntu 12.0.4 and what's really bizarre is the adapter is detected during setup and asks if I want to connect to local networks it sees (neighbours) but basically is not working after that initial stage. Truly odd...

Anyway, if I should be looking for some particular files I need, please let me know where I can find them. Thanks!

[chili555]

I just totally re-installed Ubuntu 12.0.4 and what's really bizarre is the adapter is detected during setup and asks if I want to connect to local networks it sees (neighbours) but basically is not working after that initial stage. Truly odd...

Odd, indeed! Can you please run the install CD live; that is, 'Try Ubuntu' and run this terminal command:

lshw -C network

You will see two listings, one for ethernet and one for wireless. Look under wireless and note the driver. Here is a sample from my computer:

*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
<snip> ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=iwl3945 driverversion=3.5.0-18-generic firmware=15.32.2.9 ip=192.168.1.8 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg
resources: irq:47 memory:edf00000-edf00fff

We are interested in what driver works live but not installed. We suspect rt2800usb.

[triugan]

double post

[triugan]

Chili555,
I did what you said (run the thing as a LiveCD) and it only seems to detect my onboard (non-wireless) nic (Realtek).

Did that command both with and without sudo preceding it. However, during normal setup it definitely detects the wireless adapter (the only one on this system).

Anyway, the results of the command:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo lshw -C network
  *-network               
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       physical id: 1
       bus info: pci@0000:05:01.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 10
       serial: (snipped)
       size: 10Mbit/s
       capacity: 100Mbit/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 duplex=half latency=64 link=no maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s
       resources: irq:21 ioport:2000(size=256) memory:d0000800-d00008ff

[chili555]

On your installed partition, please run:

modinfo rt2800usb | grep 5370

Hopefully, you will see something like this:

$ modinfo rt2800usb | grep 5370
alias: usb:v148Fp5370d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*

If so, that indicates that the already installed driver rt2800usb supports your device.

ID 148f:5370 Ralink Technology, Corp.

If that's the case, let's load it and see what happens:

sudo modprobe rt2800usb
iwconfig
sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

Thanks.

[triugan]

Thanks so much for your help.

usb:v148Fp5370d*dc*dsc*dp*ic*isc*ip*

Done. This is exactly what I get.

If so, that indicates that the already installed driver rt2800usb supports your device.

Great.

sudo modprobe rt2800usb

I'm asked to enter my password. I enter it. Then I am returned to the login prompt again, like usual. I assume something has been done in the background.

iwconfig

Here is what I get:

lo        no wireless extensions.

wlan1     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on
          
eth0      no wireless extensions.

rename3   IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=0 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on

It's Wlan1 instead of wlan0 because I since I last wrote I've been playing with another wi-fi adapter to see if it works. Apparently when it's disconnected it's been renamed to "rename3". I don't know why.

Anyway, I think those results show that the adapter is working judging form the tx-power. If that's the case, I found no easy way to scan for networks.

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

Interface doesn't support scanning.

Fair enough. I tried this instead:

sudo iwlist wlan1 scan

No scan results.

If I do:

sudo iwlist rename3 scan

I get:

Interface doesn't support scanning : Network is down

I assume that's because the other adapter has been unplugged with only the Ralink one connected to USB again.

At this point, if I go into Settings and then Network I see two Wireless instances in the white box on the left. If I click on one it says Disconnected. If I click on the other it says Unavailable.

Both are marked ON with the orange-background ON switch. Airplane mode is marked as OFF with the grey background.

There appears to be no easy way (or obvious way) to scan for networks in a GUI-type thing, too.

Thanks again for your help. I hope I can get this going.

[chili555]

Oh, my!! This is my most interesting thread so far this month. Fascinating.

It is clear to see that there are some conflicts going on here. Please decide which wireless device you want to try to coax to life and put the other in the drawer in the garage because we are going to try to restore sanity and order to your setup by deleting a number of settings. When you have decided and placed the non-starter far away, please insert your favorite and post:

lsusb
cat /etc/network/interfaces
cat /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules
dmesg | grep -e wlan -e rename -e rt2
cat /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Whew!

[triugan]

When you have decided and placed the non-starter far away, please insert your favorite and post:

Ralink 5370 nightmare is ready and waiting

Restarted computer since then. No wireless devices showing up under Settings > Network despite Ralink being plugged in.

lsusb

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

cat /etc/network/interfaces

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

dmesg | grep -e wlan -e rename -e rt2
When inputtting this I get returned to the prompt. I assume something is done in the background.


cat /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

[main]
plugins=ifupdown,keyfile
dns=dnsmasq

no-auto-default=00:00:00:00:00:00,

[ifupdown]
managed=false

Mac ID listed normally but blanked with zeroes here.
Thanks again for your help.