Ralink RT7x antenna/interface .. Baffled ! (1 Viewer)

[Jaws]

A bit embarrassing this, but after fitting the Ralink external WiFi modem some time ago I have never really had any joy with it..

Then it dawned on me to actually check what is going on

Sooo.. plug in the USB connector
First thing I realised after actually THINKING about it is that no new WiFi sources pop up apart from the unit its self.. And those that are already listed remain at the same level.

Ok.. quite obviously I am supposed to connect to the Ralink device.

Done !

Now then.. how the hell do I link FROM the device to a WiFi source ?

Doing a full network build up all I see is the laptop and the Ralink WiFi antenna/dongle

There is no internet connection nor even any line leading out from th ething with a cross on it.. It just seems to end !

Quite obviously I am missing something.. How can I tell the laptop to connect to the internet via the USB / Ralink thing ??

 

[hilldweller]

First thing I realised after actually THINKING about it is that no new WiFi sources pop up apart from the unit its self.

You see the Ralink in device manager ?

I'd be looking at drivers.

 

[chrisgreen]

yep needs a driver:thumb:
http://www.ralinktech.com/support.php

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[Jaws]

I can connect to it and it says it is working properly..
I just do not seem to be able to get it to connect to anything !

I shall have another go in a wee while though

 

[Jaws]

Ok drivers are def ok .. in hardware it says device is working properly

When I go to wireless connections it actually offers the modem as a strong wifi signal to connect to.

I can connect to it ok but thats it.. There does not seem to be any way to 'tell it' to connect to wifi hotspot

( Using the lappy to do this but have blagged my way on to a BT open zone somehow ! )

Here are a couple of screen shots..

 

[Mags52]

I've got one of these. I detect the wifi signal using the software but connect to it using the 'connect to network' on the laptop.
Obviously a lot of them are locked down do it's a case of looking for an open one, or in my case a FON.
Is that what you meant or am I stating the bleeding obvious?

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[Jaws]

the device comes up as a wifi source..
I can connect to it ok
The device, as far as I can figure, sees sod all !

The built in wifi is connection is ok as that is what I am currently using.. But plugging in the antenna thing only gives me its self to connect to !
What I need to know is how to tell it to connect to an external wifi hotspot .. In the same way as I can connect to an external wifi hotspot using the built in device

 

[hilldweller]

What I need to know is how to tell it to connect to an external wifi hotspot .. In the same way as I can connect to an external wifi hotspot using the built in device

Turn off your internal WiFi to get that out of the way then either settings/network or right click a try icon for network to get into the network manager. Then scan for signals and connect which should ask for a password.

Well, something like that

Loads of gotchas, I have an Android tablet that would only accept one encryption method, I had to alter my router to make it work.

It's a black art.

 

[Jaws]

Thats what I have just been doing Brian

Turn off all the built in gubbins and yep, get a big fat connection when I plug in the USB lead.

But it comes up as a wifi connection which, in theory as I have now turned off all the internal modem ability, should not happen

I can, again, connect to it but again it does not see past its self.. No incoming signals to it at all

But this raises a point

Am I doing it all wrong ?
Should I not be connecting to the thing as a wifi connection ?
Should I connect to it as a modem ?
But if I do that how can it be told what to connect to ?

In fact just thought of another tester to try..

Be back in a while

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[Jaws]

Ok,, that did not work out !

i THINK i NEED TO TRY TO EXPLAIN AGAIN WHAT IT IS DOING

( bugger.. caps lock ! )

Imagine you fire up your laptop
You search for a wifi point to connect to

You find said point and connect to it
You now have access to the internet ( if no passwords needed etc )

Now then,

when I search for wifi it finds the various usual ones, but also presents the Ralink as a wifi hotspot.

Apart from that there does not seem to be any other acknowledgement of its existence
So I connect to it..
And that is that.. It does not go anywhere,, there does not seem to be any way for the device, up on the roof, to be told to connect to a further hotspot..
It seems the only connection available is from the laptop TO the device.. no connection is available to me to go beyond that point

I have, as a trier, just downloaded and re-installed the software, with absolutely no change in play at all :Sad:

 

[Jaws]

Ok,, this is getting silly now !!!

Been at it for hours and have got somewhere.. just not sure where and how !

After countless experiments this is where I am at:

( For the sake of simplicity I shall call the ralink antenna thing a dongle )

With the dongle unplugged I can 'see' 7 to 10 wifi points..
They range in strength from 2 bars up to 5 bars

With the dongle plugged in, I see upwards of 14+ wifi points

So it MUST be working ?

Or is it ...

Because making a careful note of all the signal strengths of the connections I can see without the dongle plugged and then the same points with the dongle plugged in, I see NO change in signal strength at all

I started off this afternoon baffled.

Am now baffled, confused and thinking of reverting / regressing to tin cans and string !!

 

[JJ]

Crumbs John!

If you are having trouble what chance would lesser mortals like me have?

JJ :Cool:

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[Scotties]

Er John, told you my Hawking detector amplifier was the way to go, now on eBay 99p

 

[Douglas]

Mine works perfectly, best thing since sliced bread!

Doug...

 

[hilldweller]

With the dongle unplugged I can 'see' 7 to 10 wifi points..

Why ?

I thought you turned off the internal WiFi receiver. There's no point in getting confused with two running, there's no telling which the network software will choose to connect to.

The other day I wondered why my link to laptop was slow. I had it plugged in to network -- then I saw the WiFi indicator, it had chosen the slower WiFi over the hard wired LAN.

I have had confusion with my Hawking USB WiFi. It has it's own wireless software and turns windoze off, this gave a message "windows cannot control this device". There was a setting in windows networking to make windows take back control.

The Hawking mini-Jodral Bank works a treat by the way.

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[Jaygee32]

To Scotties

does this Hawking thingy really work. I've never been able to find WiFi hotspots to BT fon or openzone. I should get free access as this was included in my recent BT package deal. Seen a Hawking booster on Ebay for 99p plus £4.50 postage.




joan

 

[lunarman]

What is the name of the device that is using the Ralink chipset? I sounds as though it is a wifi source in its own right rather than a high gain antenna.

Lunarman

 

[Jaws]

Ok.. sussed it out in the end

Yes, I disabled the hardware in the device manager list but it did not actually turn the internal modem off !

mate came round and I mentioned it to him

Told him what I had done and tried

Ok. lets go take a look

Disabled same as I did

Then.. THEN... just switched the internal modem off using the physical switch on the front of the lappy !!

Bingo !

It was the TX of the internal unit that was making the external unit a bit deaf.. Simply swamping it out

Suddenly all is now well


Massive thanks to one and all for the inputs esp Chris and Brian who sort of made go look at the drivers, which in turn made me update them from those supplied

user interface on driver software SO much better to use !!

And yes, to answer LM, it is effectively a WiFi source as well as an antenna as it can be switched to AP mode

To answer Joan, yes, they DO work very very well.. Since sorting this out yesterday I have been driving around checking and have got in to countless open zones .. also managed to score off of a Macy D site from about 100 yards away

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[hilldweller]

Massive thanks to one and all for the inputs esp Chris and Brian who sort of made go look at the drivers, which in turn made me update them from those supplied

And told you 17 weeks ago to turn off the internal WiFi.

Pearls before swine !

 

[Jaws]

oarite oarite..

I DID disable it.. just forgot about the daft little hidden switch to dump the hardware oh:

being stunningly brilliant and clever all the time does mean I tend to forget the more mundane on occasion you know !

 

[hilldweller]

I tend to forget the more mundane on occasion you know !

In other words you're knocking on a bit, like most of us.

Wouldn't think so when we see you tarearsing around on your Kart round the meets.

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[Jaws]

Good grief man !
Knocking on a bit ! ???

Absolutely NO chance ...
I am, and will remain, 17 years old

 

[Judge Mental]

downloaded new ralink RT307X drivers. but does anyone know if it works with 8.1. as I cant get it to open/run worked ok on old laptop