Choose wireless Network Card

[Ivan Diaz (PalBatey)]

Hi everyone. I need help choosing my USB wireless adapter when connecting to WiFi. When creating a new connection I only get the drop down option for the internal card but would like to connect through the external.
Below my configuration.

inxi -Fx
System:    Host: xps Kernel: 4.15.0-36-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
          Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 (Gtk 2.24.31) Distro: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS
Machine:  Device: portable System: Dell product: Dell System XPS L702X serial: N/A
          Mobo: Dell model: 0XN71K v: FAB1 serial: N/A
          UEFI [Legacy]: Dell v: A19 date: 09/07/2012
Battery    BAT0: charge: 0.0 Wh 0.0% condition: 33.1/93.2 Wh (36%)
          model: SANYO Dell status: N/A
CPU:      Quad core Intel Core i7-2720QM (-MT-MCP-)
          arch: Sandy Bridge rev.7 cache: 6144 KB
          flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 17560
          clock speeds: max: 3300 MHz 1: 798 MHz 2: 798 MHz 3: 798 MHz
          4: 798 MHz 5: 798 MHz 6: 798 MHz 7: 798 MHz 8: 798 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Integrated Graphics Controller
          bus-ID: 00:02.0
          Card-2: NVIDIA GF116M [GeForce GT 555M/635M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
          Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
          drivers: modesetting,nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
          Resolution: [email protected]
          OpenGL: renderer: GeForce GT 555M/PCIe/SSE2
          version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 390.77 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:    Card Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Def. Audio Controller
          driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
          Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-36-generic
Network:  Card-1: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 [Rainbow Peak]
          driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
          IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: 88:53:2e:0c:21:9b
          Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCIE Gigabit Ethernet Controller
          driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 2000 bus-ID: 0a:00.0
          IF: p5p1 state: down mac: 84:8f:69:bb:9f:af
          Card-3: Ralink MT7601U Wireless Adapter usb-ID: 002-125
          IF: null-if-id state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 160.0GB (46.1% used)
          ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST9160310AS size: 160.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 146G used: 69G (50%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:  System Temperatures: cpu: 54.0C mobo: 54.0C gpu: 0.0:53C
          Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 259 Uptime: 13:08 Memory: 2329.9/3838.4MB
          Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
          Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56


After doing a little research, I found this post on installing the drivers but I get an error at the end.
https://kenelm1985.wordpress.com/2015/05...-on-linux/

sudo make
make -C tools
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/tools'
gcc -g bin2h.c -o bin2h
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/tools'
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/tools/bin2h
chipset = mt7650u
chipset = mt7630u
chipset = mt7610u
cp -f os/linux/Makefile.6 /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/Makefile
make -C /lib/modules/4.15.0-36-generic/build SUBDIRS=/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux modules
make[1]: Entering directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic'
Makefile:975: "Cannot use CONFIG_STACK_VALIDATION=y, please install libelf-dev, libelf-devel or elfutils-libelf-devel"
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.o
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c: In function ‘announce_802_3_packet’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c:334:16: warning: unused variable ‘pAd’ [-Wunused-variable]
  RTMP_ADAPTER *pAd = (RTMP_ADAPTER *)pAdSrc;
                ^~~
In file included from /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/include/rtmp_os.h:44:0,
                from /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/include/rtmp_comm.h:75,
                from /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/include/rt_config.h:33,
                from /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c:28:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c: In function ‘STA_MonPktSend’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c:443:35: warning: format ‘%d’ expects argument of type ‘int’, but argument 3 has type ‘long unsigned int’ [-Wformat=]
        DBGPRINT(RT_DEBUG_ERROR, ("%s : Size is too large! (%d)\n", __FUNCTION__, pRxBlk->DataSize + sizeof(wlan_ng_prism2_header)));
                                  ^                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/include/os/rt_linux.h:660:16: note: in definition of macro ‘DBGPRINT_RAW’
        printk Fmt;              \
                ^~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../os/linux/rt_profile.c:443:9: note: in expansion of macro ‘DBGPRINT’
        DBGPRINT(RT_DEBUG_ERROR, ("%s : Size is too large! (%d)\n", __FUNCTION__, pRxBlk->DataSize + sizeof(wlan_ng_prism2_header)));
        ^~~~~~~~
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/assoc.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/auth.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/auth_rsp.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sync.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sanity.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/rtmp_data.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/connect.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/wpa.o
  CC [M]  /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.o
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c: In function ‘Set_EncrypType_Proc’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:789:5: warning: this ‘else’ clause does not guard... [-Wmisleading-indentation]
    else
    ^~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:792:2: note: ...this statement, but the latter is misleadingly indented as if it were guarded by the ‘else’
  if (pAd->StaCfg.BssType == BSS_ADHOC)
  ^~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c: In function ‘RTMPIoctlShow’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:5401:85: error: macro "__DATE__" might prevent reproducible builds [-Werror=date-time]
intf(extra, size, "Driver version-%s, %s %s\n", STA_DRIVER_VERSION, __DATE__, __TIME__ );
                                                                    ^~~~~~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:5401:95: error: macro "__TIME__" might prevent reproducible builds [-Werror=date-time]
, size, "Driver version-%s, %s %s\n", STA_DRIVER_VERSION, __DATE__, __TIME__ );
                                                                    ^~~~~~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c: In function ‘RtmpIoctl_rt_ioctl_siwfreq’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:5647:5: warning: this ‘else’ clause does not guard... [-Wmisleading-indentation]
    else
    ^~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:5650:2: note: ...this statement, but the latter is misleadingly indented as if it were guarded by the ‘else’
  return NDIS_STATUS_SUCCESS;
  ^~~~~~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c: In function ‘RtmpIoctl_rt_ioctl_giwrate’:
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:7518:5: warning: this ‘if’ clause does not guard... [-Wmisleading-indentation]
    if (rate_index >= rate_count)
    ^~
/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.c:7521:2: note: ...this statement, but the latter is misleadingly indented as if it were guarded by the ‘if’
  *(ULONG *)pData = ralinkrate[rate_index] * 500000;
  ^
cc1: some warnings being treated as errors
scripts/Makefile.build:332: recipe for target '/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.o' failed
make[2]: *** [/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux/../../sta/sta_cfg.o] Error 1
Makefile:1551: recipe for target '_module_/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux' failed
make[1]: *** [_module_/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory '/usr/src/linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic'
Makefile:393: recipe for target 'LINUX' failed
make: *** [LINUX] Error 2
idiaz  ~  Downloads  usb  sudo make install
make -C /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux -f Makefile.6 install
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux'
rm -rf /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA
mkdir /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA
cp /home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/conf/RT2860STA.dat /etc/Wireless/RT2860STA/.
install -d /lib/modules/4.15.0-36-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
install -m 644 -c mt7650u_sta.ko /lib/modules/4.15.0-36-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/
install: cannot stat 'mt7650u_sta.ko': No such file or directory
Makefile.6:454: recipe for target 'install' failed
make[1]: *** [install] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/idiaz/Downloads/usb/os/linux'
Makefile:489: recipe for target 'install' failed
make: *** [install] Error 2

[Valtam]

I wouldn't have followed that guide, for starters, it doesn't state what version it works for. That chipset is not worth pursuing if it were me, but if you're feeling brave, this claims to work - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sourc...omments/52 Otherwise $10 eBay linux compat. wireless USB. You also already have wireless (the Intel 6230), why do you need 2?

[Ivan Diaz (PalBatey)]

Thanks for the prompt reply Jerry. I will give it a go. I moved from the States to the Dominican Republic and resources here are limited, thus almost any hardware change I need I'd have to order from the US or elsewhere (long and a bit expensive proccess for such a cheap buy).
The reason for 2 wifi cards is that I have the external USB card out a window with an extension cable and want to create a Hotspot using the internal card on the laptop which will give me access inside the house.
I can accomplish this in Windows and it meets my needs but I'm slowly moving towards Linux.