2013-05-07 Raspberry Pi WiFi

*Update**: Use `nmtui` instead.

*Summary**: Install `wicd-curses`. Run it. Press the right arrow on the wireless network you want to use. Check “automatically connect to this network”. Switch to “WPA 1/2 (Passphrase)” and provide your password. Hit F10 (or Command F10 on a Mac). Hit C to connect. You’ll see messages about it generating config files (`/etc/wicd/wireless-settings.conf`), validating authentication and obtaining an IP address (use `ifconfig` to verify that you have an “inet addr”).

Ignore the rest on this page.

☯

Reading Raspberry Pi: WLAN einrichten... I bought the Nano-WLAN-USB-Stick 150 Mbps by hama.

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 0424:9512 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0424:ec00 Standard Microsystems Corp.
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 0bda:8176 Realtek Semiconductor Corp. RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter
pi@raspberrypi ~ $ sudo apt-get install firmware-realtek
Paketlisten werden gelesen... Fertig
Abhängigkeitsbaum wird aufgebaut.
Statusinformationen werden eingelesen.... Fertig
firmware-realtek ist schon die neueste Version.
0 aktualisiert, 0 neu installiert, 0 zu entfernen und 0 nicht aktualisiert.

Apparently I installed it already. `iwlist wlan0 scan` results in a lot of output. Including the network I’m looking for:

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ iwlist wlan0 scan | grep Schroeder
                    ESSID:"Schroeder"

Set your network and password using `sudo nano /etc/wpa.conf`. This is what you want:

network={
 ssid="YOUR-SSID"
 proto=RSN
 key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
 pairwise=CCMP TKIP
 group=CCMP TKIP
 psk="WPA-PASSWORD"
}

Edit the list of interfaces using `sudo vi /etc/network/interfaces` and append the following:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-conf /etc/wpa.conf

I was astonished to find some stuff relating to `wlan0` in the file already. Anyway, I followed the instructions...

Restart and check:

pi@raspberrypi ~ $ ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  Hardware Adresse b8:27:eb:81:a6:af
          inet Adresse:192.168.2.3  Bcast:192.168.2.255  Maske:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metrik:1
          RX packets:114 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:94 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          Kollisionen:0 Sendewarteschlangenlänge:1000
          RX bytes:17450 (17.0 KiB)  TX bytes:14232 (13.8 KiB)

lo        Link encap:Lokale Schleife
          inet Adresse:127.0.0.1  Maske:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metrik:1
          RX packets:8 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:8 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          Kollisionen:0 Sendewarteschlangenlänge:0
          RX bytes:1104 (1.0 KiB)  TX bytes:1104 (1.0 KiB)

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  Hardware Adresse 80:1f:02:8f:91:26
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metrik:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          Kollisionen:0 Sendewarteschlangenlänge:1000
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

The last entry is shows that we didn’t get an IP number. Oops! It turns out that there is some other stuff in the `/etc/network/interfaces` file that might interfere. Commenting them out, I have:

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback
iface eth0 inet dhcp

1. allow-hotplug wlan0
1. iface wlan0 inet manual
1. wpa-roam /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
1. iface default inet dhcp

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wpa-conf /etc/wpa.conf

Still doesn’t work, however. I tried a few variants for the config files. Nothing seemed to work. This makes me so tired. I’m not sure I’m learning much. This is “fiddling with GNU/Linux” and frustrating. 😟

Then I read How to install Wifi on a Raspberry Pi which tells you to install *wicd-curses*.

How to install Wifi on a Raspberry Pi

That seemed to work! Suddenly `ifconfig` provided me with an IP number for `wlan0`. I removed the ethernet cable, rebootet, and was unable to connect. Did the IP number change? Is DHCP taking too long? Why is `bonjour` not working? *Patience!* It just takes forever to boot. After a minute—long enough to write this paragraph--it suddenly worked:

alex@Pyrobombus ~$ ssh pi@raspberrypi.local
pi@raspberrypi.local's password:
Linux raspberrypi 3.6.11+ #371 PREEMPT Thu Feb 7 16:31:35 GMT 2013 armv6l

Yay!

#Raspberry Pi

Comments

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⁂

If you start X, there is a GUI app on the desktop to set up the wifi 😄

– Radomir Dopieralski 2013-05-08 08:07 UTC

Radomir Dopieralski

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Hah. The problem there is how to provide keyboard, mouse and wifi all at the same time without a USB hub. I think I need a hub.

– Alex Schroeder 2013-05-08 10:17 UTC

Alex Schroeder

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If you get a powered hub, your Pi will take power from it too!

– Radomir Dopieralski 2013-05-16 18:15 UTC

Radomir Dopieralski