Belkin N600 USB Wireless adapter on Ubuntu 14.10 problem?

Question

Brand new to Ubuntu (although I have upgraded to 14.10 from 14.04) and I am still reading the 'books' on how to work with Linux.

I am switching from a land line to wireless internet and my tower computer doesn't have a wi-fi adapter built in, so I bought a Belkin N300 adapter. (the crazy thing says N600 on the actual adapter though, so I am confused already) and the model number is F91101v2 and so far Ask Ubuntu and Wiki have no articles listing how to install or connect to the internet using this adapter AND Ubuntu 14.10.

I saw

• Belkin N600 USB Wireless adapter on Ubuntu 12.04
• How can I get a Belkin N600 DB (F9L1101v1) to work on Ubuntu 12.04 64-Bit

But I was not able to get the suggestions there to work.

Bus 002 Device 006: ID 03f0:2504 Hewlett-Packard DeskJet F4200 series
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 004: ID 045e:00d1 Microsoft Corp. Optical Mouse with Tilt Wheel
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 050d:110a Belkin Components 
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 003: ID 046d:c31c Logitech, Inc. Keyboard K120 for Business
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

What can I do?

Answer 1

Based on your device ID; Device 006: ID 050d:110a Belkin Components, it is driven by the relatively new driver 8192du. Please get a working internet connection and copy and paste these commands, each one at a time.

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-generic git
git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtl8192du.git
cd rtl8192du
make
sudo make install
sudo modprobe 8192du

You probably also need to load the firmware:

sudo cp ~/rtl8192du/rtl8192dufw*  /lib/firmware/rtlwifi
sudo depmod -a

It may take a reboot. Your wireless should now be working. Please let us know as we will have one additional step.

Answer 2

You mentioned that you had wired internet before, but when you got this wireless adapter, did you get a wireless router with it as well? If you know the name of your wireless network and the security key (if it applies), do you see an icon in the upper right that appears as a pie shape (that's the best way I can describe it)? That would be the wireless icon. If you click there, does the card list any networks around you at all? That'd be a good starting point, and indicate you at least have some type of connection with the USB stick, and that'd give us a step in the right direction.

I found some information that may be useful... I wouldn't consider it very user-friendly, but try the following, and let me know if it at least works for you.

I downloaded the driver package from here. Belkin doesn't make their own chip on the inside of that USB stick, but the actual chip is a Realtek RTL8192SU-GR. You'll see where it says Unix/Linux, download from one of the mirror links. The next thing you'll want to do is to extract it anywhere, perhaps the desktop, just so you can get to the folder. Next, open a terminal, and get to where that file is. There is an install script, but you'll have to make it run. At the command prompt, type in:

$ sudo -i

$ cd ~/desktop/ (where is that folder you saved to the desktop)

$ chmod 775 install.sh

$ sudo ./install.sh

It should follow the script and install itself, similar to how some things have to be installed in Windows. It should work I believe, from what I see here at least.

Let me know if you are still struggling.