wireless rt73 wizard + new rt73 Kernelmodule

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MU
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wireless rt73 wizard + new rt73 Kernelmodule

#1 Post by MU »

I wrote a small wizard to deal with some oddities of my wireless USB-stick with the rt73 kernel-module.
see:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=15182
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=15057

Note:
In Puppy 2.12 to 2.14 you must install this newer Kernelmodule, as the old one is erratic :!: :!:
http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... 6.18.1.pup
With this new module also Puppys more sophisticated network wizard might work (not tested yet).


You can setup a configuration file to use DHCP or to enter things like a gateway adress manually.

I use it in an unencrypted network, but it should not be difficult to enhance it for encryption.
EDIT: yes, simple.
In the settings, replace the line:
MODE=Managed
with:
MODE="Managed enc 11223344556611223344556677"

Do not forget the quotes, and use your own key off course.

screenshot:
Image

http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... y-rt73.jpg


You see a yellow status-window at bottom.
In icewm it has no border.
In JWM, you might be able to add an option for no border in .jwmrc, don't know.

Download (Puppy 2) (15 kb)
http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... y-rt73.pup

If you use Puppy 3, please use this dotpup:
http://dotpups.de/puppy3/dotpups/Networ ... 3-P300.pup


If you want to see all informations during connection, run in a consolewindow:
cd /usr/local/Muppy-rt73/resource
./run-rt73 rxvt


Or edit the size of the yellow window in the settings.
You also could try to add these lines to /etc/rc.d/rc.local for automatic connection at startup, once you have set up the settings with the wizard.


Mark
Last edited by MU on Wed 23 Apr 2008, 02:00, edited 14 times in total.

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#2 Post by MU »

--
Last edited by MU on Sat 10 Feb 2007, 21:39, edited 1 time in total.

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#3 Post by MU »

ok, repaired it, and added a button to scan for networks :)
Mark

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rarsa
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#4 Post by rarsa »

Would you like to share with me what those oddities are?

I'll see how I can start including ad-hoc configurations for odd cards in the Network wizard.

Maybe even including them as "instalable modules extensions" to the network wizard. Those extensions could ideally be installed from the zdr as the drivers are.
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zigbert
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#5 Post by zigbert »

The rt73 has troubled from the very beginning. I'm one of those, who would be very happy with a simple way to get wifi to just work.

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MU
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#6 Post by MU »

one problem is, that it uses rausb0 instead of wlan.

So to activate it, you need
ifconfig rausb0 up
Not:
ifconfig wlan up

Running a command using "wlan" deactivates the network in your wizard (at least it might be such a command, I'm not shure).

The other oddity is, that dhcp worked great for some days, then I suddenly got no more inet adress in ifconfig, so dhcp could not be used any more.
ifconfig reported strange inet adresses like 0.0.35.1 instead of 192.168.2.169.
Now it does not report any inet adress any more :shock:
The last value 192.168.2.169 I had gotten before, when everything worked well.
I don't know, if the access point was modified in my hotel, but I think this is a result of running some of Puppys wireless wizards.
I could not sort that out yet.
The only way to get a connection now is without dhcp, by adding:
route add -net default gw $GATEWAY
(GATEWAY is 192.168.2.1 here).

In Win XP dhcp still works.

If we can not find out what caused these problems you might add the whole rt73 wizard to yours, it is GPL (did not add a license because of size).
Mark

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rarsa
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#7 Post by rarsa »

MU wrote:one problem is, that it uses rausb0 instead of wlan.
So the issue may not be the wizard, but how the module is loaded or the alias created.

The wizard uses whatever interface name it gets from "iwconfig". If it shows "ra0" or "rausb0" or "eth1" or whatever, it shows that one.

So maybe I should ask: How should the module be loaded or the alias created so it exposes the interface as rausb0?
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MU
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#8 Post by MU »

Hmm, your wizard does list rausb as interface.
But whenever dhcpcd is run, it is deactivated.
I had a closer look at your script now, but could not solve this.
Your script looks absolutely correct.

Seems to be a bug of the module itself, in winXP dhcd works fine.
I just wonder, why dhcp worked for me in Puppy for some days.

I tried it without pup_save.3fs now so simulate the situation I had when it worked, but no success either.

I'm puzzled :?

I only can connect by setting netmask and gateway manually.

Mark

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rarsa
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#9 Post by rarsa »

MU wrote:I only can connect by setting netmask and gateway manually.
Maybe the hotel stopped providing dhcp addresses or it limits them or requires an additional parameter for dhcp

For example, can you get DHCP if you pass the gateway as this?

Code: Select all

dhcpcd -G 192.168.2.1 rausb0
If it works maybe I could add an advanced DHCP option to the new wizard where people can specify extra parameters such as gateway.

You may also request the hotel IT person to assign you a static IP. After all, you are going to be around there for a while.
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#10 Post by rarsa »

MU wrote:But whenever dhcpcd is run, it is deactivated.
You mean that the "rausb0" button on the main window stops showing after a failed dhcpcd request?
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#11 Post by MU »

there is no rausb0 button :shock:

I found a way to stop that dhcpcd stops the interface using -o.
This does not send sigkill to the interface, if no IP could be assigned.

But of course I stll have no IP then.

Here is the text from the startscreen:

Code: Select all

not using PCMCIA

no module loaded
dhcpcd -o not running
wifi-beta not installed

rausb0 enabled
wireless ip: 192.168.2.158
access point acquired
no signal from access point

1 wireless network(s) detected
1 open network(s) detected

Connected to:
rausb0    RT73 WLAN  ESSID:"default"  
          Mode:Managed  Channel=6  Access Point: 00:19:5B:08:F8:FC   
          Encryption key:off
          Link Quality=43/100  Signal level:-76 dBm  Noise level:-111 dBm
oh wait, it shows an IP, because I ran my wizard with manual settings before.
Will reboot now and show "fresh" results.

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#12 Post by MU »

ok, rebooted.

Ran WAG-wizard (modified with dhcpcd -o):

Code: Select all

not using PCMCIA

no module loaded
dhcpcd -o not running
wifi-beta not installed

could not find interface in /proc/net/wireless
ap test failure

no wireless networks detected
error when scanning
Then I ran:
ifconfig rausb0 up

And WAG now shows:

Code: Select all

not using PCMCIA

no module loaded
dhcpcd -o not running
wifi-beta not installed

rausb0 enabled
no IP assigned to rausb0
access point acquired
no signal from access point

1 wireless network(s) detected
1 open network(s) detected

Connected to:
rausb0    RT73 WLAN  ESSID:"default"  
          Mode:Managed  Channel=6  Access Point: 00:19:5B:08:F8:FC   
          Encryption key:off
          Link Quality=45/100  Signal level:-76 dBm  Noise level:-115 dBm
Same result, if I click on "toggle dhcp".

It seems to be a bug with the rt73 Kernelmodule, this thread shows similar problems:

http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/phpBB2/v ... php?t=2738

It seems a new module solves it:
http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/phpBB2/v ... 8817#18817

I might try to recompile it in the next days from CVS, but have not yet installed the kernelsource on my notebook.

Mark

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#13 Post by MU »

yes yes yes the new kernelmodule solves the dhcp-problem :!:

Download see first message :D

Mark

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#14 Post by rarsa »

MU,

Why are you using WAG? That one is several versions outdated. I've advised Barry to remove it from the live CD as it only confuses users.

You should be using the network wizard. That's why you had me all confused.
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#15 Post by MU »

Oh... I still use Puppy 212 (Muppy 007).
do you mean the wireless network wizard?
In Puppy 212 it offers to launch ndiswrapper or WAG.

As I wanted to use a native module, I chose WAG.

Or do you mean the ethernet/network wizard?
Oh yes, it has a rausb0 btton.
Will test it tomorrow again, it had problems, too.

However, the error was the kernelmodule, so using it should fix issues with all the wizards :)

5 hours left to sleep :?

Good night :)
Mark

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#16 Post by rarsa »

MU wrote:do you mean the wireless network wizard?
In Puppy 212 it offers to launch ndiswrapper or WAG.
No, I mean the network wizard. The wireless network wizard has been outdated since long ago (I believe since 1.09CE).

Puppy should just have the Network Wizard and rutilt. The wizard has more functionality thatn rutilt, but its a matter of preference.
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#17 Post by MU »

the ethernet/networkwizard in Puppy 212 works too with the new kernelmodule, just checked it.

I also updated the rt73 wizard.
I still use it, as I have to click less buttons in it, and have a display of the signal strength.
The only change I made:
dhcpcd is not run in background (&).
Like this you must wait some seconds longer for a connection, but it seems to work more reliable.

Mark

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#18 Post by DavidMaas »

Thank you!
My rt73 (Sweex LW053) card didn't show up but after installing your kernell module it works perfectly!
Many Thanks :D

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#19 Post by Béèm »

Thanks Mark,
I did see the post, but as it was about a USB stick (mine is built-in) I didn't realize it could be applied to my situation.

Will try

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#20 Post by MU »

I just found out that it easily can be used with encrypted networks, see first message.
Mark

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