Ralink RT2561S WLAN card - No carrier?

listende-elg

I've installed a Ralink RT2561S MiniPCI WLAN adapter in my Alix board. It found a few WLAN adapters inside some of my abandoned hardware, but this was the only card to be recognized by my pfSense installation. I'm running pfSense 1.2.2 embedded by the way.
As mentioned the card is detected and I've added it to my adapters list - and only configured the basic valus (SSID, IP etc. - everything in bold), but the status is reported as "No carrier" in Status > Interfaces.

If the card is recognized, shouldn't it work in some form? Is there any way to get it working, or will I have to go out and buy a new miniPCI adapter? I would hate to have to spend more money on it :)

Here's a copy of my interfaces and DMESG dumps:

Interfaces
vr0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
options=280b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu>ether 00:0d:b9:18:be:58
inet 192.168.100.254 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.100.255
inet6 fe80::20d:b9ff:fe18:be58%vr0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex>)
status: active
vr1: flags=8802 <broadcast,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
options=280b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu>ether 00:0d:b9:18:be:59
media: Ethernet autoselect (none)
status: no carrier
vr2: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
options=280b <rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu>ether 00:0d:b9:18:be:5a
inet WAN.IP.ADDRESS netmask 0xfffffff8 broadcast 217.64.255.7
inet6 fe80::20d:b9ff:fe18:be5a%vr2 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x3
media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex>)
status: active
ral0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
ether 00:0e:2e:9b:d3:14
inet6 fe80::20e:2eff:fe9b:d314%ral0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x4
inet 192.168.100.1 netmask 0xffffffff broadcast 192.168.100.1
media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11b
status: no carrier
ssid SDEO2 channel 4 (2427 Mhz 11b)
authmode OPEN privacy OFF txpower 50 bmiss 7 scanvalid 60 bgscan
bgscanintvl 300 bgscanidle 250 roam:rssi11b 7 roam:rate11b 1
pfsync0: flags=41 <up,running>metric 0 mtu 1460
pfsync: syncdev: lo0 syncpeer: 224.0.0.240 maxupd: 128
pflog0: flags=100 <promisc>metric 0 mtu 33204
enc0: flags=0<> metric 0 mtu 1536
lo0: flags=8049 <up,loopback,running,multicast>metric 0 mtu 16384
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000
inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128
inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x8

DMESG
Copyright 1992-2008 The FreeBSD Project.
Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
FreeBSD is a registered trademark of The FreeBSD Foundation.
FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE-p8 #0: Thu Jan 8 23:06:42 EST 2009
sullrich@freebsd7-releng_1_2_1.pfsense.org:/usr/obj.pfSense/usr/src/sys/pfSense_wrap.7
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
CPU: Geode(TM) Integrated Processor by AMD PCS (498.05-MHz 586-class CPU)
Origin = "AuthenticAMD" Id = 0x5a2 Stepping = 2
Features=0x88a93d <fpu,de,pse,tsc,msr,cx8,sep,pge,cmov,clflush,mmx>AMD Features=0xc0400000 <mmx+,3dnow!+,3dnow!>real memory = 268435456 (256 MB)
avail memory = 252841984 (241 MB)
pnpbios: Bad PnP BIOS data checksum
wlan: mac acl policy registered
K6-family MTRR support enabled (2 registers)
ath_hal: 0.9.20.3 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
cryptosoft0: <software crypto="">on motherboard
cpu0 on motherboard
pcib0: <host to="" pci="" bridge="">pcibus 0 on motherboard
pci0: <pci bus="">on pcib0
MFGPT bar: f00100006200
pci0: <encrypt decrypt,="" entertainment="" crypto="">at device 1.2 (no driver attached)
vr0: <via 10="" vt6105m="" rhine="" iii="" 100basetx="">port 0x1000-0x10ff mem 0xe0000000-0xe00000ff irq 10 at device 9.0 on pci0
vr0: Quirks: 0x6
vr0: Revision: 0x96
miibus0: <mii bus="">on vr0
ukphy0: <generic ieee="" 802.3u="" media="" interface="">PHY 1 on miibus0
ukphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
vr0: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:18:be:58
vr0: [ITHREAD]
vr1: <via 10="" vt6105m="" rhine="" iii="" 100basetx="">port 0x1400-0x14ff mem 0xe0040000-0xe00400ff irq 11 at device 10.0 on pci0
vr1: Quirks: 0x6
vr1: Revision: 0x96
miibus1: <mii bus="">on vr1
ukphy1: <generic ieee="" 802.3u="" media="" interface="">PHY 1 on miibus1
ukphy1: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
vr1: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:18:be:59
vr1: [ITHREAD]
vr2: <via 10="" vt6105m="" rhine="" iii="" 100basetx="">port 0x1800-0x18ff mem 0xe0080000-0xe00800ff irq 15 at device 11.0 on pci0
vr2: Quirks: 0x6
vr2: Revision: 0x96
miibus2: <mii bus="">on vr2
ukphy2: <generic ieee="" 802.3u="" media="" interface="">PHY 1 on miibus2
ukphy2: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto
vr2: Ethernet address: 00:0d:b9:18:be:5a
vr2: [ITHREAD]
ral0: <ralink technology="" rt2561s="">mem 0xe00c0000-0xe00c7fff irq 9 at device 12.0 on pci0
ral0: MAC/BBP RT2561C, RF RT2527
ral0: Ethernet address: 00:0e:2e:9b:d3:14
ral0: [ITHREAD]
isab0: <pci-isa bridge="">port 0x6000-0x6007,0x6100-0x61ff,0x6200-0x623f,0x9d00-0x9d7f,0x9c00-0x9c3f at device 15.0 on pci0
isa0: <isa bus="">on isab0
atapci0: <amd cs5536="" udma100="" controller="">port 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6,0x170-0x177,0x376,0xff00-0xff0f at device 15.2 on pci0
ata0: <ata 0="" channel="">on atapci0
ata0: [ITHREAD]
ata1: <ata 1="" channel="">on atapci0
ata1: [ITHREAD]
ohci0: <ohci (generic)="" usb="" controller="">mem 0xefffe000-0xefffefff irq 12 at device 15.4 on pci0
ohci0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
ohci0: [ITHREAD]
usb0: OHCI version 1.0, legacy support
usb0: <ohci (generic)="" usb="" controller="">on ohci0
usb0: USB revision 1.0
uhub0: <amd 1="" 9="" ohci="" root="" hub,="" class="" 0,="" rev="" 1.00="" 1.00,="" addr="">on usb0
uhub0: 4 ports with 4 removable, self powered
ehci0: <ehci (generic)="" usb="" 2.0="" controller="">mem 0xefffd000-0xefffdfff irq 12 at device 15.5 on pci0
ehci0: [GIANT-LOCKED]
ehci0: [ITHREAD]
usb1: EHCI version 1.0
usb1: companion controller, 4 ports each: usb0
usb1: <ehci (generic)="" usb="" 2.0="" controller="">on ehci0
usb1: USB revision 2.0
uhub1: <amd 1="" 9="" ehci="" root="" hub,="" class="" 0,="" rev="" 2.00="" 1.00,="" addr="">on usb1
uhub1: 4 ports with 4 removable, self powered
orm0: <isa option="" rom="">at iomem 0xe0000-0xea7ff pnpid ORM0000 on isa0
ppc0: parallel port not found.
sio0 at port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 flags 0x30 on isa0
sio0: type 16550A, console
sio0: [FILTER]
sio1 at port 0x2f8-0x2ff irq 3 on isa0
sio1: type 16550A
sio1: [FILTER]
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 498053984 Hz quality 800
Timecounters tick every 10.000 msec
Fast IPsec: Initialized Security Association Processing.
ad0: 1935MB < 20071116> at ata0-master PIO4
GEOM_LABEL: Label for provider ad0a is ufs/pfSense.
GEOM_LABEL: Label for provider ad0d is ufs/pfSenseCfg.
Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ufs/pfSense

___
/ f \
/ p \/ Sense
\/ \
\/

Welcome to pfSense 1.2.2 on the 'embedded' platform…

Setting up embedded specific environment...
done.
Mounting filesystems...
done.
Creating symlinks...
.
.
.
done.
Launching PHP init system...
done.
Initializing...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
done.
Starting device manager (devd)...
done.
Loading configuration...
.
.
.
done.
Updating configuration...
done.
Cleaning backup cache...
done.
Setting up extended sysctls...
done.
Syncing user passwords...
done.
Starting Secure Shell Services...
done.
Setting timezone...
done.
Starting syslog...
done.
Configuring LAN interface...
vr0: link state changed to UP
done.
Configuring WAN interface...
vr2: link state changed to UP
done.
Configuring OPT interfaces...
done.
vr1: link state changed to DOWN
Configuring CARP interfaces...
done.
Starting OpenNTP time client...
done.
pflog0: promiscuous mode enabled
Configuring firewall...
.
.
.
done.
Starting webConfigurator...
done.
Starting DHCP service...
done.
Starting DNS forwarder...
done.
Configuring PPTP VPN service...
done
Setting up microcode and tx/rx offloading...
done.
Starting FTP helpers...
done.
Final filter pass...
.
.
.
done.
Generating RRD graphs...
done.
Starting DHCP service...
done.
Starting CRON...
done.
Executing rc.d items...
Starting /usr/local/etc/rc.d/*.sh...
done.
appending output to nohup.out
Bootup complete

FreeBSD/i386 (sdeofw1.southdenmark.local) (console)

*** Welcome to pfSense 1.2.2-embedded on sdeofw1 ***

LAN* -> vr0 -> 192.168.100.254

OPT1(OPT1) -> vr1 -> NONE

WAN* -> vr2 -> WAN.IP.ADDRESS

OPT2(WLAN) -> ral0 -> 192.168.100.1

pfSense console setup

0) Logout (SSH only)
1) Assign Interfaces
2) Set LAN IP address
3) Reset webConfigurator password
4) Reset to factory defaults
5) Reboot system
6) Halt system
7) Ping host
8) Shell
9) PFtop
10) Filter Logs
11) Restart webConfigurator
12) pfSense PHP shell
13) Upgrade from console
14) Disable Secure Shell (sshd)

Enter an option:
arp: 192.168.100.1 is on lo0 but got reply from 00:15:17:6b:56:b8 on vr2
arp: 192.168.100.1 is on lo0 but got reply from 00:15:17:6b:56:b8 on vr0</isa></amd></ehci></ehci></amd></ohci></ohci></ata></ata></amd></isa></pci-isa></ralink></generic></mii></via></generic></mii></via></generic></mii></via></encrypt></pci></host></software></mmx+,3dnow!+,3dnow!></fpu,de,pse,tsc,msr,cx8,sep,pge,cmov,clflush,mmx></up,loopback,running,multicast></promisc></up,running></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></full-duplex></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu></broadcast,simplex,multicast></full-duplex></rxcsum,txcsum,vlan_mtu></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

KrPacMan

I had the same problem yesterday, also just bought a Ralink 250xx-based WLAN-NIC. Go to interface name under the "Interfaces" tab, and then under the "General configuration", set the Type to "Static", and add the IP-information below. I'm not 100% sure, but i think that's what solved the "no carrier" problem.

listende-elg

Thanks, but the IP was already set to static… Hmm, I guess I'll just have to find another NIC.

Best regards,

Kasper

wallabybob

I noticed the pfSense you are running is based on what is now a fairly old version of FreeBSD. It might be worth trying a recent 1.2.3 snapshot build.