Tuesday, August 5, 2014
BeagleBone Black Ubuntu WiFi Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
There’s no doubt that installing a WiFi adapter on the BeagleBone Black is a great option for in a wide range of applications. However, the popularity of WiFi has led to a range of both legitimate and knock-off adapters being created for the BeagleBone. Add in the complications of multiple operating systems and WiFi installation has proven frustrating for many users.Step one is ensuring that the adapter you choose will work on the BeagleBone Black. The compact UWN100 and extended range UWN200 adapters from Logic Supply have been tested and verified to work with Linux UBUNTU on the BeagleBone Black. In this tutorial we’ll take you through the steps for installing and troubleshooting the MT7601 chipset which is found in both the UWN100 and UWN200.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
(1) Because WiFi adapters draw more current when operating (transmitting and receiving) the installation process will require a reliable power source. USB power alone may not be sufficient to power both the BeagleBone and the USB WiFi adapter. In some instances under-powering can cause a number of unpredictable issues. We highly recommend the use of a PW5V-2A high current ac-adapter.(2) The Ethernet (RJ45) network cable should be removed when using the USB WiFi adapter.
(3) This tutorial is for UBUNTU Linux distribution.
This distribution was used for the verification:
https://rcn-ee.net/deb/microsd/trusty/bone-ubuntu-14.04-console-armhf-2014-07-06-2gb.img.xz
To view your version:
uname -a
You can view the revision in the ID.txt file in the removable drive that appears when you connect to the BeagleBone.
What You Will Need
- BeagleBone Black (with Debian Linux)
- Power Adapter DC5V/2A, 10W (strongly recommended)
- BeagleBone expandable case Orange or Black (recommended)
- USB WiFi AdapterUWN100 (compact version) or
- USB Wifi Adapter UWN200 (with 4" Antenna)
- USB to TTL Debug Cable (optional)
- 6-pin Right-Angle Header adapter (optional)
- BeagleBone Black Ubuntu image
STEP 1 - Verify That The USB WiFi Adapter is detected
Power off the Beaglebone Black, insert the UWN100 or UWN200, Power On the BeagleBone Black.lsusb
STEP 2
ssh into the BeagleBone.Check that "/etc/rcn-ee.conf" exists.
ls /etc/rcn*
If it exists, edit the file (nano /etc/rcn-ee.conf) and add:
third_party_modules=enable
If not present
echo "distro=Ubuntu" > /tmp/rcn-ee.conf echo "deb_distribution=Ubuntu" >> /tmp/rcn-ee.conf echo "third_party_modules=enable" >> /tmp/rcn-ee.conf sudo mv /tmp/rcn-ee.con /etc/rcn-ee.conf
STEP 3
Make sure you have a network Ethernet connection (RJ45).Then run:wget http://rcn-ee.net/deb/trusty-armhf/v3.8.13-bone56/install-me.sh sudo /bin/bash/ install-me.sh
Reboot the BeagleBone
STEP 4 - Verify That the Interface is Present
ifconfig -a
STEP 5 - WPA2 Encrypted Access
To connect to a WPA protected wireless network, first encrypt the WPA passphrase:wpa_passphrase [SSID] [passphrase]
As an example:
ubuntu@arm:~$ wpa_passphrase myhome mysecretpsw
network={
ssid="myhome"
#psk="mysecretpsw"
psk=b8721a39d4e01b85a44c5ca932ce742f4a3da0bfb44712150116ff56da476cd1
}
Copy the output (psk=....), we will need it in a second.
Use nano to edit the Network Interface file.
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
and enter/add:
auto ra0 iface ra0 inet dhcp wpa-ssid mySSID wpa-psk YourEncryptedPassPhrase
NOTES:
1) Replace mySSID with your SSID name
2) Replace YourEncryptedPassPhrase with the encrypted output you saved from above.
3) Do not put your SSID in quotes, even if it contains spaces.
Exit and Save: (Ctrl-X), Y, (enter)
Reboot:
shutdown -r now
NOTE: Ethernet cable must be disconnected from the BeagleBone for the wifi to automatically connect.
Check that you have been assigned a connection:
ifconfig -ra0
Look for inet addr: XX.XX.X.XXX this is your dhcp assigned IP address.
Finally you can access the network.
(Ping test)
NOTE: This is a console Ubuntu distribution (without graphical desktop). Network access is active, but web browsing will require a desktop environment.
