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wifi on BBG (MT7601)

njcnjc
in Problems and Issues
Has anyone gotten a wifi dongle to work on the BBG? I'm trying the MT7601 and it's not working. It looks like the drivers are installed but I do not get an interface. I have tried connmanctl but that gives errors also.

Thanks
Nick W1NJC

Comments

  • n6gnn6gn
    I've not been successful in compiling a WiFi module for the BBG. After trying for a little bit, I was little intimidated, I guess, so instead I just got a TPLink TLWR802N, set it for client mode and plugged it into the KiWi's RJ45. This works and it also freed me from one common mode current source (though not the worst) - the LAN.
    It also lets me test with a feedline-less system. With the wireless adaptor/client, 2 S LiPo battery (7 or 8V fully charged), a linear 5V regulator and a small active antenna (24" dipole into high-Z Opamp) I have created a completely portable "probe". In essence this lets me measure e-field signals and noise at locations and heights (it's light enough that a helium balloon or quadcopter can lift it all). The wireless solution does not seem to cause additional lines in the Kiwi, even though there is a LAN cable connection between the adaptor and the Kiwi.

    Perhaps more on my successes in greatly reducing common mode noise in a Kiwi system in another post.

    This particular adaptor is only slightly more expensive than one of the USB/WiFi dongles and seems to have solved the problem. However, I'm interested if anyone successfully builds and uses a dongle-WiFi with the Kiwi.

    Glenn n6gn
  • G8JNJG8JNJ
    I have used a Bridge VAP11G-300 Ethernet to WiFi adaptor with one KiWi so that I could connect to a 4G MiFi unit. I also had to use the KiWi reverse proxy service to get around the mobile network Carrier-grade NAT (CGN)

    Bit of a struggle to get it setup, but once configured it worked very well.

    Regards,

    Martin - G8JNJ
  • njcnjc
    So I got this working, but I'm not exactly sure what I did that got it working. I updated the dist to 4.4.155-ti-r151. That alone wasn't enough. I think it was this, despite it failing:

    sudo apt-get install firmware-ralink

    This gave a dependency error for firmware-misc-nonfree, so I installed that. Despite being installed, subsequent attempts to install firmware-ralink failed for the same dependency error. I was ready to give up and decided to do an ifconfig for the hell of it and to my surprise, there was wlan0!

    Sorry I can't provide a more definitive process. I did try installing some other drivers but they caused the OS to hang/crash so I removed them.
  • colin99colin99
    My new KiWi Websdr works like a charm - the only downside: My WiFi router is located on the 2nd floor of my house and the radio shack is in the basement 2 floors down -- and no ethernet cable between them.

    Question: Can one run a WiFi dongle off of the BeagleBone? If yes, are there any detailed instructions anywhere?

    Many thanks -

    Colin -
  • PowernumptyPowernumpty
    Easiest route is probably something like the TP-Link nano routers (E.G. Tl-wr802n), powered from 5V.
    It connects to the Kiwi/BB via ethernet cable.
    That set up is good because it offers more placement options for best WiFi link.
    I have used that one and it was easy to set up as the Kiwi is treated just like any other wired device connected to the nano router.
    WA2ZKDG0LUJ
  • njcnjc
    @colin99 I was able to get it working with the MT7601 chipset. Like I mentioned above, I tried a lot of things before it worked, so I'm unsure which step(s) were actually required. I believe it had a lot to do with installing firmware-ralink and its dependencies. Note that I also updated my dist to 4.4.155-ti-r151. If I was to do it all over again, I would try the firmware-ralink first, then the dist upgrade...

    Nick W1NJC
  • colin99colin99
    Very helpful stuff!

    I think my smartest option is to get a wireless extension unit - like this one TL-WR802N - (as described above...) https://tinyurl.com/kiwi-websdr-bridge As described above and not mess with the BeagleBone install...
  • G0LUJG0LUJ
    edited January 2019
    I'm using a TL-WR702N (predecessor of TL-WR802N), a 5 port 5V metal cased switch https://tinyurl.com/y88dtmgy to 3 KiwiSDRs. It's easy to setup and has proven reliable.
  • n6gnn6gn
    Charlesh3,
    "Glenn: You described your solution as a "small USB Wifi Adapter" but the TL-WR802 is a stand alone router that does not use USB except to power the router.
    Is that the correct model number?
    My hope is a USB dongle that plugs into the Beagle's USB."

    Good idea to check me on the model number but I think I got it correct. Yes, the WR802N is only powered from the USB. I plug it into the BB and the connect the network connections with another. Once set up in client mode (I think that's what they call it) it can be connected to the Kiwi or other network device and will let that connected device get all the necessary services - it's essentially a stand-alone wifi adaptor rather than a router in that mode.
    Here's an active antenna, kiwi, PS decoupling ant TL-WR802N(US) v4.0 (it says on the label!) at the bottom of a piece of styrafoam

    wires go off to one of the tiny 5V buck converters and a connector for a lityium polymer battery that that can run the whole thing for about an hour, if a quadcopter battery isn't being used
    This works fine and depending upon battrery chosen, weighs only a few hundred grams.
    But G0LUJ has provided another alternative which looks very attractive and is possibly a bit lighter. I appreciate the install detail, I started down that route but didn't have the success shown so am very interested.
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