Fix for installing MediaTek USB(RT2870/RT2770/RT3X7X/RT537X) driver in OS X Mavericks

README.md

Fix for installing MediaTek USB(RT2870/RT2770/RT3X7X/RT537X) driver in OS X Mavericks

Absolutely no warranties! Proceed at your own risk!

Download driver from here: http://www.mediatek.com/_en/07_downloads/01_windows.php?sn=502

You will need Pacifist: http://www.charlessoft.com

0. Ensure your USB Wireless adapter is disconnected and reboot.
1. Mount RTUSB D2870-4.2.6.0 UI-4.0.8.0_2012_09_28-2.dmg
2. Run the USBWireless-Uninstall.pkg and reboot.
3. Open USBWireless-Install.pkg
4. Click "Package Contents" then select "Contents of rt2870resources.pkg".
5. Click Extract To.. and select your hard disk (which correlates to / ) and click "Choose".
6. Check "Use Administrator Privileges" and then click "Extract", entering your administrator password when prompted.
7. Open Terminal.app and type: cd /; sudo mv /USBWireless-Install\ Folder /RT2870Resources
8. Download the file below, "postinstall", to /RT2870Resources
9. In Terminal.app type: chmod a+x /RT2870Resources/postinstall sudo /RT2870Resources/postinstall
10. It will take a few minutes for the script to finish running.
11. When done shutdown, plug in your USB Wireless adapter, and start back up.
12. Your adapter should be active and the Ralink menu should now be in the tool bar and selection "Open Wireless Utility" should now work.
13. Configure and done.

Note: I have noticed that in Mavericks the Mountain Lion driver is a bit touchy. You should shutdown your computer before disconnecting from USB, otherwise a sudden kernel panic could follow.

postinstall

#!/bin/sh
#. /etc/rc.common

folder="Ralink Wireless Utility"
utility="WirelessUtility"

LeopardMajorVersion="9."
SnowLeopardMajorVersion="10"
LionMajorVersion="11"
MountainLionMajorVersion="12"
MavericksMajorVersion="13"     ## Adding version for Mavericks

ThisVersion=`uname -r`
echo ThisVersion=$ThisVersion

ThisMajorVersion=${ThisVersion:0:2}
echo ThisMajorVersion=$ThisMajorVersion

case $ThisMajorVersion in
	$LeopardMajorVersion)		OsName="Leopard";;
	$SnowLeopardMajorVersion)	OsName="SnowLeopard";;
	$LionMajorVersion)		OsName="Lion";;
	$MountainLionMajorVersion)		OsName="MountainLion";;
	$MavericksMajorVersion)		OsName="MountainLion";;     ## Adding case for Mavericks to use MountainLion
esac

###### Install Driver ######
sudo cp -R /RT2870Resources/Driver/$OsName/RT2870USBWirelessDriver.kext /System/Library/Extensions/RT2870USBWirelessDriver.kext

sudo chown -R root:wheel /System/Library/Extensions/RT2870USBWirelessDriver.kext
sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions/RT2870USBWirelessDriver.kext
#sudo kextload -v /System/Library/Extensions/RT2870USBWirelessDriver.kext
#sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions

if [ $ThisMajorVersion != $LeopardMajorVersion ]
then
sudo kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
sudo kextcache -system-caches
#sudo kextcache -v -1 -t -m /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup/Extensions.mkext /System/Library/Extensions
#else
#sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
fi

###### Install API ######
sudo cp -R /RT2870Resources/API/RaWLAPI.framework /Library/Frameworks/RaWLAPI.framework

sudo chown -R root:wheel /Library/Frameworks/RaWLAPI.framework
sudo chmod -R 755 /Library/Frameworks/RaWLAPI.framework

###### Install UI ######
sudo cp -R /RT2870Resources/UI/"$folder" /Applications/"$folder"

sudo chmod -R 777 /RT2870Resources/UI/"$folder" /Applications/"$folder"

###### Install CommandServer ######
sudo cp -R /RT2870Resources/Other/WiFiUtilityStartUp /System/Library/StartupItems/WiFiUtilityStartUp

sudo chown -R root:wheel /System/Library/StartupItems/WiFiUtilityStartUp
sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/StartupItems/WiFiUtilityStartUp

###### Modify LoginItem ######
/Applications/"$folder"/LoginItem -stringArg /Applications/"$folder"/$utility.app -boolArg YES

###### Remove install temp files ######
sudo rm -R /RT2870Resources

Further to my comments above, I have done Gmail using Google Chrome and with a weak WiFi signal - around 20% and without the periodic disconnection that we sometimes see at low levels. The MediaTek driver I'm using, as recommended above, is the version five, issued in 2015, and works where the version three and four drivers from Ralink haven't. MediaTek took over Ralink in 2011. I'm using the MT7601 USB dongles, with rubber-duck antennas, found online.