Installing EDUP EP-AC1605 on Ubuntu Linux (14.04 LTS)

I recently bought a few EDUP EP-AC1605 USB 3.0 AC1200M Dual Band WiFi Adapters for a project and then had a few problems getting them installed on Linux.

I got them from AliExpress.com here:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/EDUP-USB-3-0-Wireless-Wifi-Adapter-Dual-Band-2-4GHz-5GHz-1200Mbps-802-11AC-IEEE/32655418931.html?spm=2114.01010208.8.3.pkUTZH

The CD that came with them was pretty much useless for recent Linux distros.

The readme says:
Supporting Kernel:
===================
linux kernel 2.4 and 2.6 series.
Tested in Redhat 7.3 or later.

It turns out that the MediaTek chipset they use MT7612U <- the U=USB
has downloadable Linux driver src but it is the same as the CD version useless for anything with a more recent kernel than 2.6.

After a lot of searching I found a lot of people who gave up and returned the device.

After realising that Netgear used the same chipset in their A6210 I did some more searching and
I eventually found a solution here:  https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/3wtawx/netgear_ac1200_a6210_support_drivers/

# git clone https://github.com/jurobystricky/Netgear-A6210
# cd Netgear-A6210


Or from a browser use this online tool here:
http://kinolien.github.io/gitzip/
To get the GIT files from
https://github.com/jurobystricky/Netgear-A6210

Then expand the ZIP into your home folder on Linux.

Before you can compile and install you must first edit and add the EDUP product USB vendor/ID codes to a file called: ~/Netgear-A6210/common/rtusb_dev_id.c

# sudo gedit ~/Netgear-A6210/common/rtusb_dev_id.c

The codes can be checked with the USB device connected using:
# lsusb

Look for MediaTek or whatever mine was 
Bus 006 Device 003: ID 0e8d:7612 MediaTek Inc. 

So I added:

{USB_DEVICE(0x0e8d, 0x7612), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* MT7612U, EDUP EP-AC1605 from Aliexpress.com*/

as shown below

/****************************************************************************

 * Ralink Tech Inc.

 * 4F, No. 2 Technology 5th Rd.

 * Science-based Industrial Park

 * Hsin-chu, Taiwan, R.O.C.

 * (c) Copyright 2002, Ralink Technology, Inc.

 *

 * All rights reserved. Ralink's source code is an unpublished work and the

 * use of a copyright notice does not imply otherwise. This source code

 * contains confidential trade secret material of Ralink Tech. Any attemp

 * or participation in deciphering, decoding, reverse engineering or in any

 * way altering the source code is stricitly prohibited, unless the prior

 * written consent of Ralink Technology, Inc. is obtained.

 ****************************************************************************

    Module Name:

    rtusb_dev_id.c

 */

#define RTMP_MODULE_OS

#include "rtmp_comm.h"

#include "rt_os_util.h"

#include "rt_os_net.h"

/* module table */

USB_DEVICE_ID rtusb_dev_id[] = {

#ifdef MT76x2

{USB_DEVICE(0x0846, 0x9014), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* Netgear WNDA3100v3 */

{USB_DEVICE(0x0B05, 0x180B), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* ASUS USB-N53 */

{USB_DEVICE(0x0846, 0x9053), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* MT7612U, Netgear A6210 */

{USB_DEVICE(0x0B05, 0x17EB), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* 

ASUS USB-AC55 */

{USB_DEVICE(0x0e8d, 0x7612), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* MT7612U, EDUP EP-AC1605 from Aliexpress.com*/

{USB_DEVICE(0x045e, 0x02e6), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE}, /* Microsoft XBox One Wireless Adapter */

{USB_DEVICE(0x0E8D, 0x7612), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE},

{USB_DEVICE_AND_INTERFACE_INFO(0x0E8D, 0x7632, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE},

{USB_DEVICE_AND_INTERFACE_INFO(0x0E8D, 0x7662, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff), .driver_info = RLT_MAC_BASE},

#endif

{ }/* Terminating entry */

};

MODULE_DEVICE_TABLE(usb, rtusb_dev_id);

Now you can compile and install.
NOTE: # sudo make (defaults to leaves debug code in driver)

# sudo make release
# sudo make install

I then did a reboot to get the drivers loaded.

PROBLEM SOLVED!

However when kernel updates are applied then the kernel drivers need to be recompiled or they stop working, you can repeat above manually or...

This is where DKMS is used to do this automatically
Refer to https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DKMS

Install DKMS

# sudo apt-get install dkms

Configure DKMS for the adapter

# cd ~/Netgear-A6210
~/Netgear-A6210# touch dkms.conf #create dkms.conf file
~/Netgear-A6210# gedit dkms.conf


~/Netgear-A6210# find /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/ | grep mt7662
/lib/modules/4.4.0-47-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/mt7662u_sta.ko

Inside dkms.conf add the lines: 

MAKE[0]="make release"

CLEAN="make clean"

BUILT_MODULE_NAME[0]=mt7662u_sta

BUILT_MODULE_LOCATION[0]=/os/linux/

DEST_MODULE_LOCATION[0]=/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/

PACKAGE_NAME=Netgear-A6210

PACKAGE_VERSION=1.1

REMAKE_INITRD=no
AUTOINSTALL="yes"

# cd ~/Netgear-A6210

~/Netgear-A6210 # ls

ate         eeprom            mgmt              RT2870AP.dat

chips       History.txt       os                RT2870STACard.dat

common      include           phy               RT2870STA.dat

conf        iwpriv_usage.txt  rate_ctrl         sta

dkms.conf   mac               README.md         sta_ate_iwpriv_usage.txt

dkms.conf~  Makefile          README_STA_usb    tx_rx

doc         mcu               RT2870APCard.dat

~/Netgear-A6210# gedit Makefile

search for $(shell uname -r) and replace with ${kernelver} instead
....
MAKE = make

#LINUX_SRC = /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build #USE FOLLOWING FOR DKMS

LINUX_SRC = /lib/modules/${kernelver}/build
....

explained here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8925062/problems-adding-dkms-support-to-kernel-module

~/Netgear-A6210# sudo cp -R . /usr/src/Netgear-A6210-1.1

~/Netgear-A6210# sudo dkms add -m Netgear-A6210 -v 1.1

Creating symlink /var/lib/dkms/Netgear-A6210/1.1/source ->

                 /usr/src/Netgear-A6210-1.1

DKMS: add completed.

TO FORCE A DKMS BUILD DO THIS:

~/Netgear-A6210# sudo dkms build -m Netgear-A6210 -v 1.1

Kernel preparation unnecessary for this kernel.  Skipping...

Building module:

cleaning build area....

make KERNELRELEASE=4.4.0-47-generic.......................

If you get an error look in make.log

# sudo gedit /var/lib/dkms/Netgear-A6210/1.1/build/make.log

UPDATE: 10 DEC 2016

=================

Performance seems to be flakey especialy on 2.4 GHz band.

I think I will try this WiFi card instead....

2 of Alfa Long-Range Dual-Band AC1200 Wireless USB 3.0 Wi-Fi Adapter w/2x 5dBi External Antennas - 2.4GHz 300Mbps / 5Ghz 867Mbps - 802.11ac & A, B, G, N