RT73 Build

trashbird1240 · 12-04-2006, 11:03 AM

Dear Forum,

I'm using slackware 11.0. I've downloaded the rt73 wireless network adapter module from the Ralink-tech website (http://www.ralinktech.com/supp-1.htm) and followed the instructions, the only variation being instead of dos2unix, I use

fromdos <rt73sta.dat> /etc/Wireless/RT73STA/rt73sta.dat

No errors from make or ./configure.

after I load the module using

/sbin/insmod rt73.ko

I run "ifconfig rausb0 inet..." like the instructions say.

I get "no such device."

Am I missing something here? Do I need to reboot? ARe the instructions wrong?

Thanks,
Joel

Spinlock · 12-04-2006, 12:05 PM

It's possible that the instructions ARE wrong, yes. But maybe not...

Try this: ifconfig -a

That'll list all the interfaces detected by ifconfig. lo is your loopback device (aka localhost, aka 127.0.0.1...). eth0 is usually your wired ethernet card (should you have one.) Anything else there, is a valid candidate for being the missing adapter.

While I'm at it... you should check dmesg after running insmod, and see what messages come up about your hardware. Also, have you considered the rt2x00 driver instead? Ralink doesn't tend to put as much time in its drivers as the open-source community does.

Fluxx · 12-04-2006, 12:39 PM

You copied the firmware files to ... ?

Here I use two RaLink based wlan devices with RaLink drivers (rt73 and rt61). No problem in Slackware 11 up to kernel 2.6.18 (in 2.6.19 the drivers didn't compile). The drivers have WPA/WPA2 included and you do NOT need wpa_supplicant.

I start my rt73 wlan device in this way (I have no /etc/Wireless and do NOT use the rt73sta.dat):

Code:

#!/bin/bash
/sbin/ifconfig eth0 down
/sbin/iwconfig rausb0 mode managed
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set PSMode=FAST_PSP
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set NetworkType=Infra
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set AuthMode=WPA2PSK
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set EncrypType=AES
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set SSID="my_essid"
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set WPAPSK="my_secret_key"
/sbin/iwpriv rausb0 set SSID="my_essid"
/sbin/ifconfig rausb0 xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx up
/sbin/route add default gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
/sbin/iwconfig rausb0 rts 1401
/sbin/iwconfig rausb0 frag 1400

Fluxx.

trashbird1240 · 12-04-2006, 01:37 PM

I copied the firmware to /etc/Wireless/RT73STA/rt73sta.dat, where the instructions say to do so.

These are good suggestions.

Thanks! Anyone else?
Joel

trashbird1240 · 12-04-2006, 01:39 PM

Oh, and I have not tried the rt2500 driver because my card has an rt73 chipset...should I still try it?

Thanks,
Joel

Fluxx · 12-04-2006, 02:11 PM

The README says "cp rt73.bin /etc/Wireless/RT73STA/".

NOT TO rt73sta.dat, this is a configuration file.

You can copy rt73.bin also to /lib/firmware.

Fluxx.

trashbird1240 · 12-04-2006, 08:23 PM

Thanks Fluxx, I missed that every time. However, even when I did that I get errors.

I got errors after loading, then I recompiled and tried it again and I get an error during loading: unknown symbol in module.

The rausb device never comes up, and the light on the dongle never blinks like it does when it's working.

I'm trying the rt2500.

Joel

trashbird1240 · 12-04-2006, 09:13 PM

Yeah, that didn't work either.

Am I actually supposed to use "load"? I tried that, after editing -- it's the same stuff I would enter at the command line. I got the same errors.

I checked lsusb and the device is definitely detected. Is there some way I have to attach the driver to the device (it just finds it, right?)

Thanks,
Joel

Yogstr · 12-05-2006, 12:07 AM

Hi Joel, I found that in the process of setting up my wireless, somewhere along the way rc.itnet1.conf was modified, and overwrote (or tried to) the configuration set by rt73sta.dat (it's called rt61sta.dat in the rt61 driver). This resulted in breaking the driver configuration alltogether, and some pretty weird results reported by iwconfig. Check your rc.inet1.conf and make sure there is nothing in there that could overwrite the drivers config.

but.......

I would advise you to visit the serialmonkey website and try the rt73 legacy driver they have there.
The serialmonkey drivers are heavily patched, and are continuation of the ralink drivers, as ralink opensourced their drivers.
Success has been reported with their version of the drivers, and there is also a utility call RutilT that will graphically configure your drivers with WEP, WPA, WPAPSK/TKIP or AES encryption & profiles.
I also have slackware 11 (2.6.18) but use a rt61 based card, and can confirm that this works well for me

this is the link for the forum that is testing the just updated rutilt to include WPAPSK TKIP/AES RutilT.

http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/phpBB...?p=16926#16926

you have to be registered and logged in to be able to download rutilt (v0.14) just updated to the above forum. see spy84464 (Romain's posts)

Theres a user there who has successfully trialed this config (rt73 + rutilt) on ubuntoo. (apart from a few minor issues)

dont forget to remove the old driver before you do.

rm rt73.ko (in the installed directory)
depmod

Hope this helps..

Cheers Greg

trashbird1240 · 12-05-2006, 09:07 AM

Thanks Greg, I will try it.

This is the number one obstacle to making Slackware my full-on scientific installation.

Joel

Fluxx · 12-05-2006, 04:09 PM

I use two RaLink based WLAN devices (rt61 and rt73) with the RaLink drivers and their firmware up to kernel 2.6.18.

With kernel 2.6.19 the RaLink drivers do NOT compile, whether the rt61 nor the rt73. There is a problem with the new kernel.

With kernel 2.6.19 the drivers (CVS-daily for rt61 and rt73) from serialmonkey work fine. The firmware is the same (it is from RaLink).

Fluxx.

trashbird1240 · 12-05-2006, 07:41 PM

Good Evening Gentlemen,

All your base are belong to us.

I am writing to you from within my Slackware installation. The serialmonkey driver is working.

Thanks for all your help.

Joel

milkycow · 12-14-2006, 03:40 AM

Hey Fluxx, you just have the firmware in /lib/firmware and that's it, right?
I tried doing that iwpriv thing you have up there on my rt73 but it tells me

Code:

Interface doesn't accpet private ioctl...
set (8BE2): Invalid argument

Any ideas?