RaLink wireless USB

OK. You are not using airport with the USB adapter. Go back to Network Configurations and uncheck airport, turn it off and check ethernet adapter (en2), apply. Then, under Locations, Select ethernet adapter and apply now; You should see the IP address and Router info.
Also, did you set up the Profile in the Wireles Utility? This needs to be done to remember the settings.

Glad you're back up and running! This adapter is a great little device to have around even as a backup.
One more note:
If you have to restart your Macbook and the adapter doesn't connect automatically, just pull it out of the usb slot and re-insert.

Try this: (This is using Network Prefs in Tiger) May be a little different in Leopard, but should still work the same way.
Plug in USB Device. The Ralink Wireless Utility will open, in about 20 seconds it should detect the device: connected. You should also set up a profile in the utility. Just add and activate.

Then open Network Prefs, Network Port Configurations, and Hit Apply. A new port should show; Ethernet Adapter (en2).
Select SHOW in the Network Prefs and check Ethenet Apdapter (en2).
Hit APPLY. the TCP/IP info should show IP address/Subnet/Router connections.

Ron, you seem quite knowledgeable and I was hoping you could maybe offer some advice for my issue. Just today I purchased an iMac with OS X 10.6 (not sure if it's a more recent update or not), tried to plug in my trusty USB wireless adapter (an Encore that registers as a Ralink RT2870 so I've been successfully using the appropriate Ralink driver on my Quicksilver and Powerbook, both running OS 10.4.11), and nothing happened. The adapter's light didn't power on. When I installed the 10.6 driver, it mentioned an error, stating it couldn't install the extension. Since the adapter didn't respond in any of the USB ports, I tried installing the 10.5 driver. It loaded without trouble, but the adapter is still unresponsive. I see you have OS X 10.6 listed as part of your profile, and was wondering if you have the Ralink driver installed on Snow Leopard. Any thoughts?

I had used a wireless USB adapter on my macbook when it was running Tiger. According to Ralink's website:

"If you got install failed message, please re-install again until success.
Because it is a bug on Snow Leopard.
There is no install setting for OS 10.6 on install tool, so we use OS 10.5 to instead of it temporarily.
We will update it if Apple update as soon as possible."
Try downloading the other driver: USB(RT257X/RT2671/RT2500). After installing, pull out the adapter and reinsert. Also look on the system prefs and see if an en2 appears in configurations.

Wow, Ron, you're quite a popular guy on here. I have a similar problem, but different enough that I haven't found an answer yet in this forum. I have 10.5.8 leopard, and I installed the 10.5 usb driver from ralink's site, but after restarting I was no closer to knowing what to do. When I first opened the installer, it offers the advice that "after restarting, you'll still need to configure the device in the network section of system preferences," or something to that effect, but as they don't offer any configure instructions, I'm still in the dark. I messed around with the network panel for a while but didn't figure anything out, and when I insert the usb antenna in my 2.0 port there's no recognition at all. The light doesn't come on, nothing. I can pull it up in the system profiler, so I can see that the computer recognizes that it's an 802.11 b/g device, but nothing beyond that. You suggested to someone else that a search of ralink on the hd might pull up a "ralink wireless utility" and I haven't tried that yet. But I want to specify that this is just one of those small antennae, not a full-on router. Here's the product link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260571409144&ssPageName=ADME: X:AAQ:US:1123#ht2287wt941

Thanks for any advice.

Your device RT3070 chipset is supported by the Ralink driver, it should work. I had used a wireless USB adapter when I had Tiger. So, these instructions may be slightly different in Leopard (have not installed it using Leopard; installed new airport card). Look for the Ralink Utility.

Go to: http://www.ralinktech.com/support.php?s=3. Download and Install the driver: USB(RT2870 /RT2770 /RT307X /RT2070 /RT3572) If this one you doesn't work, try another driver. Plug in USB Device. The Ralink Wireless Utility will open, in about 20 seconds it should detect the device: connected. You should also set up a profile in the utility. Just add and activate.

Then open Network Prefs, Network Port Configurations, and Hit Apply. A new port should show; Ethernet Adapter (en2).
Select SHOW in the Network Prefs and check Ethenet Apdapter (en2).
Hit APPLY. the TCP/IP info should show IP address/Subnet/Router connections.

Thanks for the help. The latter part of your instructions is where I think the difference between tiger and leopard comes in. Mine shows up as ethernet usb (en3) or something to that effect, but there is no "network port configurations" or "show" in the network prefs, that I can see. I can get the device to detect local wifi networks when in the Ralink Utility, where I did create the profile as you suggest, but in the network preferences it shows the new port, ethernet usb (en3), along with the airport, firewire, modem, etc (all of which are off), but it says that the cable for the (en3) is not connected. I'm not sure how to get it to register as connected and on. Also, I've been getting a lot of emergency shut down notices since I installed the driver and started trying to use the antenna. The screen goes dim, and this block comes up telling me to shut down in about 5 different languages. It happens just about every time I try to use the device, at some point. Thanks for any help.

I installed the first usb driver based on the chipset advertised in the ebay description, and nothing at all happened. I then uninstalled that one, and installed the other usb driver, based also on the writing on the chip itself when I opened the device (pretty easy to pry the plastic pieces apart). With this driver, my computer actually recognized the device. Thanks if you have any other ideas. I'm stumped.

OK. I installed my USB device with Leopard. First, you have to install the Ralink driver for 10.5, since the 10.6 is not compatible yet. After installing, turn off airport. Then plug in your device. The RALINK UTILITY should appear in the dock. Open it. In the SITE SURVEY It should start locating routers. Choose yours and hit CONNECT. Enter your shared-key (password). Then go to SYSTEM PREFS and you should see 802.11 WLAN. Hit ADVANCED. It should automatically configure the IP, Subnet and Router. Return to the main Network screen. Your device should be activated (green dot).

Hi there,
Firstly I am using Mac OS 10.5.8
I recently got a RALINK rt 2870 to boost my signal. As I live nearby my university I hoped to use the USB atennae to boost my signal enough to pick up the university wifi (400m away in a free line of sight - also using a parabolic 'Wokfi' to help). Problem is - having installed drivers from various sources. The EW-7711Uxx_Driver-Utility-for-Mac that came off http://www.edimax.com/en/producedetail.php?pd_id=277&pl1_id=1&pl2id=44
That one got me no where. So I tried the driver off http://www.ralinktech.com/
I read these forums trying to read about what to do, but still having problems. Now I have a driver installed, as a folder called RAlink Wireless Utility came up in my Applications. In there is a Scutum something, a Scutum readme file, an AwakeRAlinkUI program and the Wireless Utility. When the dongle-bit is not connected the Utility stays open though you can't do anything in it as nothing's connected. When I connect the dongle it connects in Network Preferences with a USB Ethernet (en3) 2 as its name. But whenever I try to open the Wireless Utility it opens for about 4 seconds with 'No Device!!' showing before that changes to a BTFON or Openzone and closes itself. No chance to click or do anything else.

How can I stop this? I want to be able to choose what network I use as there are several other free networks I can use to grab my e-mails if the university building proves too far away. But I ideally want to be able to point my wokfi/antennae at the university building, use the Wireless Utility to look for its network and connect to that. But it gives me no chance.

Do I need to change drivers?
Is it worth upgrading to Snow Leopard? Would that solve the problem?
Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling several times likewise, but to no better result.

Yours

Will

Where did you get the driver? From the website, or from an accompanying CD? Please supply the link to the website if appropriate.

Also, it would help if you specified the device information. You can find this by starting System Profiler, and looking up the device. It should look as follows:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/40005757093ffb135e8o.gif

Copy and paste it in the thread here.