help on getting a wireless adapter to work in slackware 13.1
 

So I recently installed Slackware 13.1 and now want to get my D-Link DWA-140 to work with it. However I'm quite an amateur at Linux and can't seem to figure out how to. After following many different how-tos and tutorials this is where I am:
I got 2010_0709_RT2870_Linux_STA_v2.4.0.1 (supposedly USB driver)package and rt2870.bin (supposedly firmware) in my root catalog.
What I have already done with them:
make & make install in 2010_0709~
blacklisting modules 2x00usb, 2x00lib, 2800usb
modprobe rt2870sta
copying rt2870.bin to /lib/firmware

Regardless of everything, my adapter still is not active.. and how can I make the OS load the module at startup?

I've had good luck using wicd to establish a wireless connection. The wicd program is located in /extra.

thanks for the suggestion. installed it, but it's not going to be of much use if my adapter does not work.

Hi! Have you tried AlienBOB's how-to here? Worked great for me (infinite thanks to AlienBOB). Might save you some time to read it all the way through before fiddling with any files (and make a backup of the original rc file before hacking away at it), wish I had instead of the old 'when all else fails, read the instructions' method. ;)

Hope this helps, good luck!

I use Dink wireless router and Dink wireless pci adaptors and have never had wicd fail to hook-up.
You do have to set-up your password in wicd to match your router.
After installing wicd reboot your system.
Wicd works perfect on a stock (un-screwed with) system.
good luck & hope this helps.

Why?

Perhaps to get the wicd daemon running? As root, 'sh /etc/rc.d/rc.wicd start' would also work.

Because that was the only way I could get it to work the first time I installed wicd. Been doing that way ever since.

But now, allend has taught me a new trick.
'sh /etc/rc.d/rc.wicd start'
Thanks allend!

thank you for all the help and hints. but my current problem is not related with connecting to a network, but with getting my adapter to work.

Are you sure that these are the drivers that you need? Have a look on the CD that came with it for the drivers. Should be a .INF file giving the info you need. Knowing how often wireless hardware changes, even across same model No's, it could be that you are trying the wrong drivers.

You might consider using ndiswrapper to get it going using the windows drivers.

Hi,

RT2870 is supported (CONFIG_RT2870=m) by the kernel so you will need to get the firmware in place.
:hattip:

EDIT: The firmware should be in '/lib/firmware' and is originally 'rt2870.bin'

I think that the OP has been following a guide like this. http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-...s-adapter.html

Slackware 13.1 (with the 2.6.33.4 kernel, later than that cited in the above guide) already has support for the RT2870.

It might be better to revert to a default install, get the adaptor working using WEP initially and then try WPA2. If there is still a problem with WPA2, then look again at installing the proprietary driver.

PS - If the device works as well as the www.ralink.com website at the moment then you are SOL!

@vdemuth
I'm quite sure I have the right drivers but I'll give the windows ones a try.

@onebuck
Backed up the original rt2870.bin and replaced with the one from ralinktech.com (btw what does rt2870.bin* (green color) mean?) / anything special you mean by (CONFIG_RT2870=m)?

@allend
that is the guide i've mostly tried to follow. at the moment I don't think the security protocols really matter, I am just trying to get the adapter start (meaning I need to see the light blink on the adapter). thanks for the suggestions though, might turn out to be useful later.


so currently the adapter is detected (I can see it in lsusb), but no blinking lights or network interfaces related to it.

What's the output from lsusb? There are 2 revisions of this wireless adapter, and drivers are available from d-links website for both.

I'm showing you that the module is available with Slackware kernel as firmware (rt2870.bin)& module is (CONFIG_RT2870=m) .

It sounds like you don't have the device configured.

What does 'ifconfig -a' show for original? What does 'lspci -vv' show for the original driver & show 'lsmod'?
:hattip: