Difference between revisions of "USB to WiFi adapter"

Revision as of 17:01, 26 September 2012

How-to use USB to Wi-Fi adapters on your APF boards.

Prerequesities

Note: You have to be sure that Wireless Tools are installed on your rootfs before going further.

• To use USB dongles with APF9328, you'll need an APF9328DevFull development board, with USB Host configured. See this page to know how to do that.

Tested hardware

Ralink RT2571WF

The RT2571WF Wi-Fi chipset can be found in the following devices:

• D-Link DWL-G122 (not rev E1 !)
• D-Link WPA-110

Drivers are included in Linux kernel > 2.6.29, but firmware must be downloaded from serialmonkey website at this address.

Kernel configuration

• If not already done, Wireless network must be configured by selecting these options in make linux-menuconfig:

 [*] Networking support  --->
    Wireless  --->
        <*> Generic IEEE 802.11 Networking Stack (mac80211)

• then, select the chipset :

 Device Drivers  --->
    [*] Network device support  --->
        Wireless LAN  --->
            [*] Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11)
            <M> Ralink driver support
            <M> Ralink rt2501/rt73 (USB) support

Wi-Fi configuration

First mount the module:

# modprobe rt73usb

Then copy the firmware named rt73.bin (found in Module directory of rt73-cvs archive) in apf /lib/firmware directory. If /lib/firmware doesn't exist create it.

 mkdir -p /lib/firmware
 tftp -g -r rt73.bin <yourIP>
 mv rt73.bin /lib/firmware

Your Wi-Fi module driver is ready, you can now connect the dongle and after go further with the Wi-Fi configuration.

Ralink RT2870

• Activate the driver in Linux configuration (if not already done):

$ make linux-menuconfig

• Load driver

# modprobe rt2800_usb

• Be sure to have rt2870.bin in /lib/firmware

ZyDas zd1212 chipset

• Tested with SMC WUSB-G (which is in the compatibility list).
  • Go here to buy this device in France (LDLC)
  • Other ways to get it ?

Configure Linux

 $ make linux26-menuconfig

 [*] Networking support  --->
    Wireless  --->
        <*> Generic IEEE 802.11 Networking Stack (mac80211)

 Device Drivers  --->
     [*] Network device support  --->
         Wireless LAN  --->
             [*] Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11)
             ...
             <M> ZyDAS ZD1211/ZD1211B USB-wireless support
             [*]   ZyDAS ZD1211 debugging

 $ make linux26 && make

Reinstall your system.

Get firmware

• http://zd1211.ath.cx/get-firmware
• copy the archive to your TFTP export directory

Install firmware on your APF

 # mkdir -p /lib/firmware/
 # cd /lib/firmware/
 # tftp -g -r zd1211-firmware-1.4.tar.bz2 192.168.0.17
 # bunzip2 zd1211-firmware-1.4.tar.bz2
 # tar xf zd1211-firmware-1.4.tar
 # mv zd1211-firmware zd1211

Connect your USB adapter

usb 1-1: new high speed USB device using mxc-ehci and address 2
usb 1-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=083a, idProduct=4505
usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=16, Product=32, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-1: Product: USB2.0 WLAN
usb 1-1: Manufacturer: SMC

Launch driver

 # modprobe zd1211rw
 usb 1-1: reset high speed USB device using mxc-ehci and address 2
 zd1211rw 1-1:1.0: phy0
 usbcore: registered new interface driver zd1211rw
 
 # ifconfig wlan0 up
 firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_ub
 firmware: requesting zd1211/zd1211b_uphr

Realtek rtl8187

Compatibility list
Tested devices:

• Netgear WG111v3

Configure Linux

 $ make linux26-menuconfig

 Device Drivers  --->
     [*] Network device support  --->
         Wireless LAN  --->
             [*] Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11)
             ...
             <M>   Realtek 8187 and 8187B USB support

 $ make linux26 && make

Launch driver

# modprobe rtl8187
cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
ieee80211 phy0: hwaddr 00:22:3f:df:2c:04, RTL8187BvE V0 + rtl8225z2, rfkill mask 2
rtl8187: wireless switch is on
usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8187

# ifconfig wlan0 up
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready

To go further

• Configure your Wi-Fi network interface
• Browse the net (in text mode) from your terminal

Links

• zd1211 driver on linuxwireless.org