I discovered the solution!! Ive got internet working like a charm.(i'm typing off windows 7 atm)
Heres the easy solution:
(taken from another forum post)
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So followed the instructions here more or less and it worked like a charm!! A couple things have changed though. Ralink Support site for windows is now at:
Ralink Technology: Windows
And the download you want is the second from the bottom in the Windows section. Title of it is: PCI/mPCI/CB(RT256x/RT266x) from 10/26/07. In the version column it lists support for Vista: RT61:2.1.0.0 and RT2500: 3.2.0.0 which jives with the "RT61+RT2500" listed above, it just took me a bit to figure out it was really the same driver set. (I fully admit that could be a chair/keyboard interface issue!)
Anyway, installed the RALink software, but didn't get a prompt for drivers, so went through reboot/restart process to bring up new hardware found messages, pointed to the linksys drivers folder I had already unzipped into a Linksys folder on the hard drive, and was connecting to my wireless router without a hitch!!
So my order of operations were as follows:
1. Unzip linksys driver .exe into the C:\linksys folders (default location)
2. Run the RALink install executable
3. Restart the computer
4. When prompted for drivers for new hardware found, choose the "other options" selection and browse to the Linksys folder and make sure the "Include subfolders" option is checked and let it install the drivers.
5. Select my network from the list of available wireless networks, enter my encryption code and voila, internet access up and running!
http://tredosoft.com/node/26"
Pretty much, just go to the link, download second to bottom for windows, run it on windows 7, reboot the system, then go to your section where you select drivers, for wireless internet go to find driver, browse, select lynksis files, and it works.