If you have been looking for ways to update your Ralink RT5370 Driver, you can try using an automated tool like Driver Booster. It can detect and download the latest Ralink wireless LAN driver automatically.
Works OOTB in Raspbian 2012/09/18 Wheezy & OpenELEC; requires powered USB hub. Configuration is easy with Wind, a GUI network configuration tool available in LXDE.
1. Installation Process:
The rt5370 driver is included in the Linux kernel. This means that it is possible to run the device on a variety of operating systems, including Linux, Raspbian, and OpenELEC.
However, it is important to note that some devices require proprietary firmware for proper operation. This can be a problem with certain distributions (especially if the chip is not listed in the /etc/network/interfaces file).
The Micronet MS-811N and Tenda W311MI work OOTB on Raspian 2012/09/18 and later, and use the rt2800usb kernel module.
The older model with the Zydas ZD1211 chipset crashes randomly under heavy traffic and requires a powered hub (the Raspberry Pi boots with it plugged in, but will not continue to boot if it is still plugged in).
This issue may be fixed by installing the zd1211-firmware package from the Debian non-free repository. Similarly, the DWA-131 works with the driver and the wind GUI on LXDE. However, it does not support access points or ad-hoc mode.
3. Configuration Railink RT5370 Driver:
As Ralink has turned into MediaTek, you can now download Ralink wifi adapter drivers from the MediaTek website.
The driver depends on mac80211 and needs to be enabled in the Ubuntu kernel. Refer to this document to set up a development environment and build a kernel for the RIotboard. Once the SD card is set up, boot the board and plug in the RT5370 wifi dongle.
Tenda W311MI Wireless N Pico USB Adapter (USB ID 148f:5370) Works out of the box with Raspian 2012/09/18 or later with rt2800usb kernel module. Needs a powered hub to work.
TL-WN422G v2: Works with OpenELEC with zd1211-firmware. Works ootb with Debian squeezy/Wheezy with a firmware-Ralink package from the non-free repository. WG111v1: Prism54 chipset, needs powered hub. Also, see Micronet info — might require custom firmware.
4. Activation:
In a change from past policy, Ralink is sending patches to the upstream kernel driver for their new chipsets rather than simply dumping a stand-alone tarball driver on the Linux community. This is much appreciated and we should encourage them for this major shift in attitude.
Once the new rt5370sta module is loaded, you will see the interface name change from wlan0 to ra0 in lsmod. You can then use the ra0 interface to connect to wireless networks just like before.
You can confirm that the rt5370sta is loaded by running lsmod again. Once you are done, you can reboot your Riotboard and the ra0 interface should be active.