# RaLink 2561T chipset doesnt connect to wireless  ...[SOLVED]

## w00ter

I've bought a Belkin f5d7000 v.6000df wireless network card which features the RaLink 2561T chipset. 

I've compiled the kernel with support for it. The module loads fine and I can get the card to search for networks in the neighbourhood (iwpriv wlan0 scan). 

I can set the SSID, I've set MTU to 1300, I've set the correct parameters in the /etc/Wireless/RT2561/rt61xx.dat file (I am using WPAPSK with TKIP)and in /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf. My linksys wireless router is setup to configure wireless cards via dhcp. My /etc/conf.d/net is set up with modules = ( "!wpa_supplicant" "). 

Whenever i do a dhclient wlan0  (after ifconfig wlan0 up) it just cannot connect to the router (messages with DHCPDISCOVER keep coming until it quits its efforts). I've tried manually configuring the IP with ifconfig.

What am I missing here? Beside the kernel 2.6.26 drivers I've tried the Ralink drivers from their homepage. The module will load fine but nothing more (I cant set things with the iwconfig command). Any ideas, or is this chipset just badly supported at this moment?Last edited by w00ter on Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## nephron

heyho

modules = ( "!wpa_supplicant" ") seem wrong to me...

musn't it be 

modules = ( "wpa_supplicant")

???

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## d2_racing

Hi,can you post this plz :

```

# cat /etc/conf.d/net

# cat /etc/wpa/wpa_supplicant.conf

```

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## pappy_mcfae

 *nephron wrote:*   

> heyho
> 
> modules = ( "!wpa_supplicant" ") seem wrong to me...
> 
> musn't it be 
> ...

 

If you want wpa_supplicant to work, yes the latter is correct.

Blessed be!

Pappy

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## w00ter

Ok I got my card to work with the following parameters:

wpa_supplicant.conf:

```
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant

ctrl_interface_group=users

update_config=1

ap_scan=1

fast_reauth=1

network={

        ssid="myssid"

        proto=WPA

        key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

        pairwise=TKIP

        group=TKIP

        psk="mypasswd"

        priority=1

}

```

/etc/conf.d/net:

```
modules=( "!iwconfig" "wpa_supplicant" )

# wpa_supplicant_wlan0="-Dwext"

config_wlan0=( "dhcp" )

iwconfig_wlan0=( "txpower on" )

```

I am using kernel 2.6.24-r8 and use the kernels Ralink drivers. I've tried Ralinks drivers but I cannot get them to work at all. I tried Serialmonkeys too, 1.1.0 beta2 but they wont compile on neither 2.6.24 nor a vanilla 2.6.26. 

Every 5 minutes or so, the connection is broken and I have to manually do a iwconfig wlan0 txpower off and then a iwconfig wlan0 txpower on. The link connection is reported to be around 90, sometimes dropping to 70. Is there anyway to make wlan0 automatically reconnect after a disconnect or even better: is there a way to stay connected forever?

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## pappy_mcfae

Trying to get a .24 kernel to work with ndiswrapper is a sure way to absolute frustration. Use a .22, .25 or .26 kernel (starting with .22), and retry.

Blessed be!

Pappy

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## w00ter

I'm confused: are you suggesting I should use ndiswrapper instead of native drivers?

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## pappy_mcfae

Yes, I am. If what you're using doesn't work, try something else. The .24 kernels suck in stereo when it comes to wireless support of any kind, period. Moving up or down in kernel versions can make worlds of difference when it comes to wireless. And whether the kernel devs want to say so or not, ndiswrapper works better because it allows you to use KNOWN FUNCTIONAL drivers. 

Wireless support has been and continues to be the bane of Linux. Getting it right isn't a cut and dried affair, and goddess help you when it's time to upgrade once you get things working right.

Blessed be!

Pappy

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## IvanMajhen

Don't use /etc/Wireless/RT2561/rt61xx.dat for configuration. This was for old serialmonkey drivers, kernel drivers don't need this.

Just use pure wpa_supplicant.conf and /etc/conf.d/net for settings with kernel drivers.

2.6.24 kernel is little buggy because this was first kernel with new wirelless drivers based on deviscape mac80211 stack. 

Go with 2.6.26. It works for me with 2561 chipset, without dropdowns. 

Also enable wext extension in net configuration. It is needed by wpa_supplicant.

Firmware is installed?

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## w00ter

I've copied the firmware files from the RaLink website to /lib/firmware so I take it they are loaded. But if there's anyway to check it (a specific line in dmesg for instance) I'd like to know. 

At the moment, I am using the kernel drivers in 2.6.26, however they arent really stable for me. I'll uncomment the wext line in my /etc/conf.d/net and see if there is any change...

I'll keep you updated.

***Update***

I installed ndiswrapper, removed the kernel driver modules and used the windows drivers provided on belkins own driver cd. Works like a charm, at the first go. Kwifimanager works better too, showing a meaningful graph of statistics rather than one with missing data and shows the networks in the neighbourhood (only commandline with kernel drivers). The signal seems to be worse though. I scored a 90 something average with the kernel driver against about 62 with the windows driver. Does it affect my download speed? Nope. So I dont care much about it really. Its  a desktop so it's not gonna move and it's fine now.

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