EDIMAX Wi-fi adapter in Linux Mint 16

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wolverine96

wolverine96

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Mar 26, 2014
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Alright, so I bought this adapter because it claims Linux support. And simply put, I can't get it to work in Linux Mint 16.

I am new to Linux, and a little lost and inexperienced, but I'm not a total noob, either. I installed the nVidia driver all by myself, after all, and I fixed Linux after I messed up the boot files and couldn't boot. Let's just say I have average knowledge of Linux.

At first, I thought that Linux would have a built-in driver that would work okay, and I would just install the proper driver later. I plugged in the adapter, and Mint told me "Wi-fi networks available." I went to Network Settings and hit "Connect to a hidden network" (the network is hidden) and selected WPA/WPA2. I entered the SSID and password 100% correctly. It tried to connect, but it would say "Out of range." Once, I got to a window that said "Authentication required" and asked for the password again. It just kept looping over this, and I know the password was correct.

I tried using the driver that comes on the included disc, but that didn't work. I downloaded the latest driver from Realtek, and that didn't work either. That second driver supports up to Linux kernel version 3.9, and when I run "uname -r" I get "3.11.0-12-generic".

I know for sure the adapter works. I tried it on a Windows machine and it worked perfectly. My computer is upstairs, so I thought that maybe the adapter was just cheap and was too weak to connect. I brought the Windows machine upstairs, and it worked fine. Obviously the problem is the Linux driver (or lack thereof).

Please help me get this adapter working! I do not want to switch to an older version of Mint or just wait around twiddling my big toes until Realtek releases a new driver. I'm guessing I will have to custom-compile the driver myself (I have a little experience with C++).
 
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Try typing this in the terminal:

Code: 
iwlist wlan0 scan essid YourNetworkSSID

I have had to do this with any adapter that I've used in Mint so I don't think it's a specific problem with your adapter. This has been the case since at least Mint 13. For me, once I've ran that command, it always connects automatically. If you re-configure your network then you will probably have to run it again...

edit: I've never had to do anything with wireless adapters regarding drivers, even if switching brands. I just plug it in, add my hidden network, type the above command in the terminal and I'm set... Hopefully it works the same for you.
 
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I tried what you said, and I got:
"wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning : Operation not permitted"
 
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Here is the driver for it. Try installing it and then running that command again.

If it still gives you fits, could you try making your SSID visible temporarily to see if it will connect?

I almost bought one of those a few days ago, I kind of wish I would have so I could see if I could get it to work. It was going to be for my Raspberry Pi.
 
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I'll just interject a little editorial here....

1. Hiding the SSID is not a valid security measure, it is trivial to uncover as it is broadcast in the clear in at least 4 places during handshaking (this cannot be prevented) and, if you have your client set to autoconnect, it is sprayed all over the place when out of range of the network.

2. The 802.11 RFC's require that the SSID be broadcast.

3. Equipment that adheres strictly to the standard will refuse to connect to a hidden network.

 
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Thanks dmroeder for the link. I had actually tried that one first thing, but I tried it again. I ran the install.sh script in the main folder. There were tons of errors. If you need to see them, let me know.

And thanks ex_bubblehead, I'll try unhiding the SSID.
 
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I didn't actually try unhiding the SSID, but now that I think about it, I don't think that's the problem. After all, the Windows machine connected to the hidden network just fine. The problem is the driver. I can't compile it.

If anyone has any ideas on how I can compile the code, I will greatly appreciate it.
 
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Edit: Please do not reply to this post! It will be HUGE!

I assume you mean show you the compile output from the terminal.

It printed out the names of all the source files, then printed the errors. I will only show you the errors because it was so long that the lines before the errors got cut off. At least I could see all the errors!

Here goes: (not for the light-hearted 😉)

http://pastie.org/private/swiiqaqsop2q7yhq436fvg
 
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Solution


Okay, thanks. I moved the console output to pastie.org (I had never heard of it before).
 
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