USB WiFi Adapter on x86 7.2.1…not working

[xtreemsurf]

I have two PCs, both running 7.2.1. The PC with the internal WiFi adapter works great. On the other PC, I’ve tried 4 different USB WiFi adapters, including the Cudy adapter that is listed as being compatible. Still no luck.

The password doesn’t have any special characters, and I’ve tried all the “fixes” I could find in the forum…turn WiFi on/off, etc.

Is there a process to actually install the USB WiFi adapter drivers, or does Recalbox do that automatically? Any help here would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks!

[Zing]

@xtreemsurf What is your version of Recalbox (say version, don't say "latest")?
Did you build your Recalbox yourself, or download a ready-made image from the internet, or did you buy it installed?
Did you do a clean install, or did you update your system?
Never worked, or stopped working?
What is the exact model of the wifi dongle?
Does the dongle work on this computer on another operating system?

Is there a process to actually install the USB WiFi adapter drivers

It is not possible to install any drivers in Recalbox, and if you have compatible hardware, it is not necessary either.

I’ve tried all the “fixes”

Sorry, but if you want help, you need to be clearer, you need to detail exactly what you've tried, otherwise we won't really know if you've tried everything or not, if you've tried it right or not (let's face it, if you've tried all the fixes and it doesn't work, so there's nothing else to do, if you're looking for help, and because you imagine you might not have done all yet...).

[xtreemsurf]

@zing
I appreciate your reply. I downloaded the 7.2.1 x86 64 bit image right from recalbox.com. It is a clean install. All of the USB WiFi adapters I've tried work fine on a Windows 10 computer, but none of them seem to be recognized by Recalbox. None of the USB WiFi adapters have ever worked for me through Recalbox.

The latest adapter I'm trying to use is the Cudy WU650. On the other PC with an internal WiFi adapter, I can do WPS and it finds the router no problem. On the computer without the internal adapter, where I'm trying to use USB WiFi adapter, The WPS times out right away, and doesn't seem to see any WiFi networks.

I've tried resetting to factory settings. I've also tried the WiFi On/Off suggestion. I've tried using different USB ports, both 2.0 & 3.0. What are some of the other things I should try, before giving up and running a 75 ft Ethernet cable to the router? Haha

Thanks again for all your hard work on Recalbox. I've been a big fan & user of Recalbox for several years now.

[Zing]

@xtreemsurf

All of the USB WiFi adapters I've tried work fine on a Windows 10 computer
Does the dongle work on this computer on another operating system?

Sorry, I don't mean to be boring, but to avoid comprehension problems and try to rule out all possibilities, I need more accurate information:
I want to know if this dongle ever worked ON THIS computer with another OS, and you claimed it works on ONE computer (doesn't make it clear that it's the same computer). We need to rule out a problem in THIS computer's BIOS, and/or some kind of specific conflict with this model, testing on another computer won't rule out this possibility, you know?

Cudy WU650

I don't know what the technical difference is or if there is a difference between drivers, but the version that is listed as compatible is the Cudy WU650S:
https://recalbox.gitbook.io/documentation/hardware-compatibility/compatible-devices/dongle

What are some of the other things I should try, before giving up and running a 75 ft Ethernet cable to the router?

Have you checked that there is no configuration to be done in the computer's BIOS?

[xtreemsurf]

@zing
I just updated Recalbox to 7.2.2 and the USB WiFi adapter is working! Hopefully this will help someone else who is having the same issue. Thanks for your help!