To get a WIFI dongle going I find its easier if you use the Pi’s GUI. To do so make sure the Pi is connected to a video monitor and your WIFI dongle is plugged into a USB port. Start your Pi and login.
– To start the Pi’s GUI type:
startx– Double click on the WIFI Config icon that is on the desktop. A status window will open.
– Click the Scan button to scan for wireless networks.
– Select the network you’d like to join and double click on its name. Another window will open.
– In the first field labeled SSID make sure that the network name is displayed correctly
– In the PSK field type in the network password
– That is all you need to edit. Click on the Add button on the bottom of the window. Then close the Scan window
– In the main window titled wpa_gui you’ll see the network status. If you successfully joined the network the Status field will say Completed
– Look at the last field titled IP address and make note of the IP address. You’ll need the IP address in order to login to the Pi remotely from your laptop.
Disable WIFI Power Saving
If you find that your wireless connection is spotty and unpredictable try disabling WIFI power saving.Do the following:
– Type
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/8192cu.conf to create a new config file
– Paste the following in to the file:
# Disable power saving
options 8192cu rtw_power_mgnt=0 rtw_enusbss=1 rtw_ips_mode=1- Save the file
- Type
sudo rebootto reboot your Pi
The following link provides more information on getting setup on a wired or WIFI network.