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#1
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use
my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. I overpaid for a generic adapter, and I coudl just take my loss and buy a new one, but I really reallly really want to learn from this. First the device plugs into USB, I get a message that says it's loading, and it shows up in Device Manager which says it's working properly. As one of 10 network adapters. It has no yellow. Does that mean I don't need the driver that is supposed to be on the mini-CD that came with it? Isn't there supposed to be a screen that shows the various wifi signals around me and allows me to pick the one I want? If I need more software, is there any source for generic software, to list available wifi signals and let me choose one. Is all that included in "driver" if I find a downloadable driver on the web???? The instructions give a download url at www.mediatek.com but there is no longer anything downloadable there. I thought I'd heard of that company and that it was a good one! Though everything looks new, even the bag the mini-CD was in, the CD cannot be fully read. It will show the high-level directory but the blue circle keeps spinning. And even then, though some file names look good, others have a row of ???? in them. Like abc?????.pdf !!! Once it stopped spinning but when I tried to look inside a subdirectory, again the spinning blue circle. I can't get the CD to display even that much anymore. I thought I heard water dripping, but eventually I realized it was the CD drive, every couple seconds, and when I opened it, the metal plate under the CD was hot, quite hot!! For a while my CD drive didn't work at all anymore, with another CD and a DVD. Now the CD works again but I can't play the DVD. Which is more likely. The drive brokee so it won't play the new CD, or the new CD caused the drive to overheat and broke it? (I'll try with more CDs and DVDs and replace the drive if need be. ) This new mini CD has a quarter inch "scratch" near the outer edge, but I thought the CD is written from the center out so any damage at the outer edge would be in a file. ? The top level directory has subs for Mac, Linux, and two kinds of Windows. Huh? Migdal and Amway, or some such names. What are they???? |
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#2
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
micky wrote:
At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. I overpaid for a generic adapter, and I coudl just take my loss and buy a new one, but I really reallly really want to learn from this. First the device plugs into USB, I get a message that says it's loading, and it shows up in Device Manager which says it's working properly. As one of 10 network adapters. It has no yellow. Does that mean I don't need the driver that is supposed to be on the mini-CD that came with it? Isn't there supposed to be a screen that shows the various wifi signals around me and allows me to pick the one I want? In Device Manager, if you do Properties on an item like that, there should be a driver file list. From the file names, you can get some idea whether just some portion of a composite device got loaded, or the entire device loaded. And drivers aren't the end of the story. There can be applications software or control panels, which don't come with the OS. The OS may have "Class drivers" for the generic lower parts of the stack. There are three blue buttons underneath the Download word here for example, and those contain ZIP files. The windows driver is 40MB compressed. (The Linux and Mac buttons are swapped.) A 40MB file is likely to be more than a driver. I don't have an unpacker for InstallShield (I have to do those using WINE in a Linux VM). There's no point in me unpacking anything, until you identify the exact device involved. https://www.mediatek.com/products/broadbandWifi/mt7612u IS_Setup_ICS_011916_1.5.39.173.zip (IS = evil InstallShield EXE) If I need more software, is there any source for generic software, to list available wifi signals and let me choose one. Is all that included in "driver" if I find a downloadable driver on the web???? The instructions give a download url at www.mediatek.com but there is no longer anything downloadable there. I thought I'd heard of that company and that it was a good one! MediaTek started out making chipsets for DVD drives as far as I know. They've branched out since then, because DVD drives are a declining business and not a growth area. They may have bought RALink Technology, which made Wifi chipsets. In the usb file, the item may be listed in that section. The 7601 started out as a RaLink Tech chip. Newer MediaTek chips may be listed in a MediaTek section. http://www.linux-usb.org/usb.ids 148f Ralink Technology, Corp. 7601 MT7601U Wireless Adapter In Device Manager, there will be a Propertiesetail item with HardwareID in the name, giving a way to get the 148f:7601 numbers. SUBSYS field gives the exact instance (hardware design by OEM). The CC stands for Class Code, for things that have Class drivers. Though everything looks new, even the bag the mini-CD was in, the CD cannot be fully read. It will show the high-level directory but the blue circle keeps spinning. And even then, though some file names look good, others have a row of ???? in them. Like abc?????.pdf !!! Foreign language Unicode ? Try ripping the CD with Imgburn and make an ISO file from it. See if Imgburn can acquire an error free ISO, then after that, you can work on your filename problem. Windows 10 can mount the captured ISO9660 from Imgburn as a virtual optical drive, and then you can inspect the newly captured goods without worrying about scratches. This only works if the scratch doesn't affect anything important, and Imgburn agrees that the disc was acquired cleanly. http://www.oldversion.com/windows/imgburn/ ImgBurn 2.5.0.0 Jul 26, 2009 2.07 MB CRC32: 39CD6FC6 MD5: F3791CFACDAC03B9E676E44AA2630243 SHA-1: E07BCC23B495D0A966BAE359EA9E0E3A11888454 If it pesters you to do updates, just say "No". 2.5.0.0 is a clean version without adware. Once it stopped spinning but when I tried to look inside a subdirectory, again the spinning blue circle. I can't get the CD to display even that much anymore. I thought I heard water dripping, but eventually I realized it was the CD drive, every couple seconds, and when I opened it, the metal plate under the CD was hot, quite hot!! For a while my CD drive didn't work at all anymore, with another CD and a DVD. Now the CD works again but I can't play the DVD. Which is more likely. The drive brokee so it won't play the new CD, or the new CD caused the drive to overheat and broke it? (I'll try with more CDs and DVDs and replace the drive if need be. ) This new mini CD has a quarter inch "scratch" near the outer edge, but I thought the CD is written from the center out so any damage at the outer edge would be in a file. ? The top level directory has subs for Mac, Linux, and two kinds of Windows. Huh? Migdal and Amway, or some such names. What are they???? Worry about that later, after the mini-disc is converted to an ISO file. And the ISO file is mounted as a virtual drive in Windows 10, and the mini-disc can be put back in its sleeve. Paul |
#3
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In article , micky
wrote: At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. hotspot functionality is already built into android and ios phones. no adapter needed. enable hotspot mode (unless it's automatic), connect to the hotspot and you're online. |
#4
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
On Sun, 29 Jul 2018 04:10:05 -0400, micky
wrote: At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. I overpaid for a generic adapter, and I coudl just take my loss and buy a new one, but I really reallly really want to learn from this. You've been burned at hamfests before. I'd think the lesson to be learned is obvious. ;-) I'm kidding, but only partially. If you purchase from a reputable retailer such as Amazon, Newegg, and tons of others, you're more likely to get something that's complete, current, and working. If it falls short in any of those areas, you have easy returns or exchanges at your fingertips. I know, the hamfest approach is more fun because it's more of a gamble, but gambling has risks. Not explicitly stated, but I assume you bought that WiFi adapter for a PC that doesn't already have WiFi capabilities. If you have an unused WiFi router that can operate in client mode (versus AP mode), you can also use that as your WiFi adapter. Connect to it via Ethernet cable, and have it connect to your phone's hotspot. One advantage is that the single 'adapter' can provide WiFi connectivity to multiple PCs. |
#5
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
On 7/29/2018 4:10 AM, micky wrote:
At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. I overpaid for a generic adapter, and I coudl just take my loss and buy a new one, but I really reallly really want to learn from this. First the device plugs into USB, I get a message that says it's loading, and it shows up in Device Manager which says it's working properly. As one of 10 network adapters. It has no yellow. Does that mean I don't need the driver that is supposed to be on the mini-CD that came with it? Isn't there supposed to be a screen that shows the various wifi signals around me and allows me to pick the one I want? If I need more software, is there any source for generic software, to list available wifi signals and let me choose one. Is all that included in "driver" if I find a downloadable driver on the web???? The instructions give a download url at www.mediatek.com but there is no longer anything downloadable there. I thought I'd heard of that company and that it was a good one! Though everything looks new, even the bag the mini-CD was in, the CD cannot be fully read. It will show the high-level directory but the blue circle keeps spinning. And even then, though some file names look good, others have a row of ???? in them. Like abc?????.pdf !!! Once it stopped spinning but when I tried to look inside a subdirectory, again the spinning blue circle. I can't get the CD to display even that much anymore. I thought I heard water dripping, but eventually I realized it was the CD drive, every couple seconds, and when I opened it, the metal plate under the CD was hot, quite hot!! For a while my CD drive didn't work at all anymore, with another CD and a DVD. Now the CD works again but I can't play the DVD. Which is more likely. The drive brokee so it won't play the new CD, or the new CD caused the drive to overheat and broke it? (I'll try with more CDs and DVDs and replace the drive if need be. ) This new mini CD has a quarter inch "scratch" near the outer edge, but I thought the CD is written from the center out so any damage at the outer edge would be in a file. ? The top level directory has subs for Mac, Linux, and two kinds of Windows. Huh? Migdal and Amway, or some such names. What are they???? https://www.mediatek.com/products/co...broadband-wifi Ben |
#6
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
nospam wrote:
hotspot functionality is already built into android and ios phones. no adapter needed. I think he wants the wifi dingle to let the PC use the phone's hotspot feature ... |
#7
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In article , Andy Burns
wrote: hotspot functionality is already built into android and ios phones. no adapter needed. I think he wants the wifi dingle to let the PC use the phone's hotspot feature ... just about every pc these days has wifi already built in. it's not exactly a new technology nor is it esoteric. nevertheless, in the event the computer is old and does not, the best solution would be a dual-wan router which will automatically switch to a tethered phone or a 3g/4g data stick whenever the main link fails (or even another broadband provider). alternately, just connect the phone when needed. http://kmpic.asus.com/images/2015/04...7-9ddb-5433bf3 c929f.png the next best solution would be a travel router to bridge the phone's wifi to ethernet. many travel routers directly support tethered phones and 3g/4g dongles in addition to wifi, making it even easier, and a few even have vpn built in. another option is an ethernet adapter for the phone, however, not all phones may support it. one such adapter is this (there are others): https://plugable.com/products/usb2-otge100/ |
#8
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
nospam wrote:
just about every pc these days has wifi already built in. laptops yes, "gaming" motherboards maybe, but bog standard PCs no. |
#9
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In article , Andy Burns
wrote: just about every pc these days has wifi already built in. laptops yes, "gaming" motherboards maybe, but bog standard PCs no. bog standard pcs yes. not all of them (some are junk), but it's more common than not. without wifi, a desktop (or laptop) will be unable to directly transfer content to/from a mobile device. even a $10 raspberry pi has wifi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/ |
#10
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
On Sun, 29 Jul 2018 14:59:10 -0400, nospam
wrote: In article , Andy Burns wrote: just about every pc these days has wifi already built in. laptops yes, "gaming" motherboards maybe, but bog standard PCs no. bog standard pcs yes. Andy was exactly right. not all of them (some are junk) A desktop PC without WiFi is junk? Hardly. but it's more common than not. On low end and midrange desktop PCs, WiFi isn't common at all. Why would it be? without wifi, a desktop (or laptop) will be unable to directly transfer content to/from a mobile device. USB is even easier, and every PC has that. even a $10 raspberry pi has wifi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/ That's not what people think of when they think of a desktop PC. |
#11
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In article , Char Jackson
wrote: just about every pc these days has wifi already built in. laptops yes, "gaming" motherboards maybe, but bog standard PCs no. bog standard pcs yes. Andy was exactly right. not all of them (some are junk) A desktop PC without WiFi is junk? Hardly. but it's more common than not. On low end and midrange desktop PCs, WiFi isn't common at all. Why would it be? because houses are not normally wired for ethernet and consumers might want to have a computer in a room other than where the cable modem comes in without running unsightly ethernet cables between rooms and floors. also because wifi is widely used for many other things than just the internet, such as connecting to mobile devices, cameras, iot devices and many other things. not having wifi is a significant drawback. corporate issued pcs might not have wifi, but that's a very different scenario and the pc in question isn't one. they may also be locked down in all sorts of ways, such as disallowing installing apps and/or having existing ports blocked. without wifi, a desktop (or laptop) will be unable to directly transfer content to/from a mobile device. USB is even easier, and every PC has that. nowhere near as easy as wireless. not only is there no need to fuss with cables, but p2p wifi will auto-configure itself without any user interaction or the need for a separate base station. even a $10 raspberry pi has wifi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/ That's not what people think of when they think of a desktop PC. the point is that if something that sells for just $10 has wifi, then something that sells for 10x that and certainly 100x that absolutely should. |
#12
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
nospam wrote: if something that sells for just $10 has wifi, then something that sells for 10x that and certainly 100x that absolutely should. So you've climbed down from "does" to "should"? |
#13
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
Char Jackson wrote:
On Sun, 29 Jul 2018 14:59:10 -0400, nospam wrote: even a $10 raspberry pi has wifi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/ That's not what people think of when they think of a desktop PC. Not every Raspberry PI had Wifi. That's why all those Edimax 802.11N dongles were sold to RPi users. Some of the kits used to bundle those. https://www.amazon.ca/Raspberry-Mode.../dp/B00DEKZJJ0 Paul |
#14
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In article , Paul
wrote: even a $10 raspberry pi has wifi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero-w/ That's not what people think of when they think of a desktop PC. Not every Raspberry PI had Wifi. the $5 one doesn't. the $10 one does. thus the w in its name. |
#15
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Need software or something for 11AC USB Wireless Adapter
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Sun, 29 Jul 2018 10:27:47 -0500, Char
Jackson wrote: On Sun, 29 Jul 2018 04:10:05 -0400, micky wrote: At a hamfest today, I bought a 11AC USB Wireless Adapter, so I could use my phone as a hotspot if my home internet goes out again. I overpaid for a generic adapter, and I coudl just take my loss and buy a new one, but I really reallly really want to learn from this. You've been burned at hamfests before. I'd think the lesson to be learned is obvious. ;-) I can only remember once in 30 years. A phone modem that was broken physically. Maybe there was a second time. (If so, maybe I'll think of it in my sleep tonight.) And there was a router just like my router that I bought as a spare without noticing it had no wifi. But that wasn't the vendor's doing. The router was complete and in its original box. (I ended up using its power supply when my original power supply failed, and then its power supply failed too a year or two later. D-Link. For the last few years I've been using a universal power supply with voltage settings and multiple plugs at the end of the wire. it appears to be more reliable than the original ones. ) Plus, I see this vendor all the time, and I can probably return it, But, I'd rather learn from the experience and maybe get it working. I'm kidding, but only partially. If you purchase from a reputable retailer such as Amazon, Newegg, and tons of others, you're more likely to get something that's complete, current, and working. If it falls Of course, but this was right in front of me, just 48 hours after I had trouble with my net connection. short in any of those areas, you have easy returns or exchanges at your fingertips. I find mailing things back to be a real pain in the neck. I know, the hamfest approach is more fun because it's more of a gamble, but gambling has risks. Not explicitly stated, but I assume you bought that WiFi adapter for a PC that doesn't already have WiFi capabilities. Right If you have an unused WiFi router that can operate in client mode (versus AP mode), you can also use that as your WiFi adapter. Connect to it via Ethernet cable, and have it connect to your phone's hotspot. I've never used the router to receive wifi. I didn't even know it could do it! Well that's sort of stupid to say. If a laptop is connected to the router, wrt the laptop, the router trnansmits when I'm downloading and receives when I'm uploading. But I never thought about that before. I'll start on this in a few minutes. thanks. One advantage is that the single 'adapter' can provide WiFi connectivity to multiple PCs. So it could receive wifi from the phone and retransmit it to a laptop at the same time? Almost like a phone does when acting like a hotspot. |
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