Using WiFi USB Adapter with Ralink RT5370 at Raspberry Pi maybe has a different approach like other WiFi adapter. This article is ease your mind when using this type of wifi adaptor.

Using in OpenELEC XBMC.

Setting up the USB is very easy because the module is already there. What give us a headache is sometimes XBMC not detect the network interface.

In order to get the wifi network interface works, make sure wifi USB adapter is connected properly. Then, at the XBMC setting, (refer above screenshot), change network interface between wlan1 to wlan0 or vice-versa that work for it.

Simple, right.

 

Using in Debian Whezzy.

Once the wifi USB adapter attached to Raspi, type command "lsusb". Linux should detect the USB and detect as,

Bus 001 Device 005: ID 148f:5370 Ralink Technology Corp. RT5370 Wireless Adaptor


If there is no result as above, please check your USB.

And also, if you type "lsmod", Linux will produce this result.

rt2800usb              14940  0 

rt2800lib              55351  1 rt2800usb

rt2x00usb              11215  1 rt2800usb

rt2x00lib              42335  3 rt2x00usb,rt2800lib,rt2800usb

mac80211              273413  3 rt2x00lib,rt2x00usb,rt2800lib

cfg80211              184163  2 mac80211,rt2x00lib

crc_ccitt               1522  1 rt2800lib

After that, we set the wifi setting by editing wpa_supplicant.conf file.

#sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

And edit the file like above screenshot. Remember, ssid and pask (key) is depend on your wifi network.

If you confident, you can restart the raspi.

If not, you can restart network interface manually and check the network properties.

Type this to stop wifi network interface.

#sudo wpa_action wlan0 stop


Type this to start wifi network interface.

#sudo ifup wlan0

Type this to check wifi network interface and it properties.

#sudo wpa_cli status

Working network will produce result as below.

bssid=bc:f6:85:12:dd:18

ssid=adlan1984

id=0

mode=station

pairwise_cipher=CCMP

group_cipher=TKIP

key_mgmt=WPA2-PSK

wpa_state=COMPLETED

ip_address=192.168.0.2

address=00:0f:54:14:0f:c9