Wireless network with Ubuntu

Silent Assasin · Sep 26, 2006

Recently my uncle gave me a spare 120gb hard drive, I didn't really have a use for it, so I decided to try out some Ubuntu. I installed it onto my current rig with specs in sig. Everything works great, except for the fact that I can't figure out how to get any wireless network card to work. First I tried a generic Wireless-G adapter that is new within a couple of months. After that not being detected by Ubuntu, I tried installing my older Linksys wireless-G card. Still doesn't get recognized.

Do I need to manually install drivers for the cards, if so, how do I go about doing that? I do have the driver discs for both cards, but Ubuntu doesn't seem to like .exe files...? I litterally know nothing about any linux based OS, so anything will be helpful.

As I Lay Dying · Sep 26, 2006

ok wow, I dont want to overwhelm you, but can you connect the computer via ethernet?
What is the encryption on your wireless network? WEP or WPA?
Ok from the gnome menu, go to system>administration>networking is your wireless card show in the network settings?

If you can see it in your network settings and you use wep or unencrypted then you should be able to use your wireless card. however if you cant connect via Ethernet, or its not listed, you are probably going to hate ubuntu and linux. Keep the discs you may have to to use ndiswrapper and the windows driver to get your wireless working.

Silent Assasin · Sep 26, 2006

Well, I guess I didn't mention it, but the card doesn't even show up in the network settings. It shows a modem which I don't even have, and my ethernet connection which works just fine. But the location of the computer isn't near the router, so it needs to be wireless. Currently the network is not encrypted because I recently fried my old Linksys, and haven't had a chance to screw around with anything, I justed needed it to work, and right away.

Also, I should mention, that both the cards are known to work fine in Windows, so it's not like it's faulty hardware.

As I Lay Dying · Sep 26, 2006

ok what version are you running 6.06, or Dapper is the latest stable version.

method 1: the easiest way imho
move the computer so it can reach a wired connection.
since you just installed ubuntu you are gonna probably need the extra repositories. So....open terminal (applications>accessories>terminal) and do the following.

Code:

sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list_backup
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

replace it with this

Code:

## Add comments (##) in front of any line to remove it from being checked.   
## Use the following sources.list at your own risk.  

deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper main restricted universe multiverse

## MAJOR BUG FIX UPDATES produced after the final release
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-updates main restricted universe multiverse

## UBUNTU SECURITY UPDATES
deb [url]http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-security main restricted universe multiverse

## BACKPORTS REPOSITORY (Unsupported.  May contain illegal packages.  Use at own risk.)
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## PLF REPOSITORY (Unsupported.  May contain illegal packages.  Use at own risk.)
deb [url]http://packages.freecontrib.org/plf[/url] dapper free non-free
deb-src [url]http://packages.freecontrib.org/plf[/url] dapper free non-free                                               
                                                                                                                                          
## CANONICAL COMMERCIAL REPOSITORY (Hosted on Canonical servers, not Ubuntu
## servers. RealPlayer10, Opera and more to come.) 
deb [url]http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-commercial main

please pay attention to the second and third last repos, if you are american they probably contain illegal packages, such as libdvdcss which is dvd play back libraries.

ok then in terminal

Code:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

reboot odds are you may of gotten a new kernel, see if the new kernel detects your wireless card. if not continue.

after that do this in terminal

Code:

sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-`uname -r`

not that its not a single quote but the character beside the 1/! key that shares the key with ~

head over here to get the latest version of ndiswrapper http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/
download the latest version. then in terminal make you way to the directory when saved the tar.gz for example; cd /home/username/Desktop

so lets say you save the tar file to desktop and from your divers disc you have the .inf file for you wireless card.

Code:

tar xvzf ndiswrapper*
cd ndiswrapper*
make
sudo make install

hopefully it compiles and is installed then you,

Code:

cd /the_dir_you_put_the_wlan_drivers_into/ 
sudo ndiswrapper -i wireless_driver.inf
sudo ndiswrapper -l

that last command will hopfully show you if the driver installed.

this will load the driver, the second command should show you your card, and the third the wireless networks around you

Code:

sudo modprobe ndiswrapper 
sudo dmesg  
sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

load it at boot up

Code:

sudo ndiswrapper -m

configures it.

Code:

sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid name_of_AP (the name you found by using iwlist wlan0 scan) 
iwconfig wlan0 enc <key> (fill out your WEP key (if you have one)) 
sudo dhclient wlan0 (gets a dynamic IP adress) 
sudo ping -c 3 [url]www.ubuntu-linux.nl[/url] (tests the connection)

also instead of the configuring I think you can try this,
[sudo apt-get install network-manager-gnome[/code]
restart x by, hitting ctrl+alt+backslash, login in and in your systray is the network manager just click it and see if ti works.

method 2:
open terminal, enter
uname -r

write down the output, mine looks like this 2.6.15-27-k7.
then boot into windows download ndiswrapper from where I showed you above, go here, http://packages.ubuntu.com/ and get .debs of the following packages;
build-essential
linux-headers-uname -r output ex for me it would be this; linux-headers-2.6.15-27-k7
network-manager-gnome
save to disk or something, then boot into ubuntu and copy over to say your home directory or desktop,
either way open terminal cd to the directory where all the files are, use this to install the debs.

Code:

sudo dpkg -i <name of .deb file>

so it could be this,

sudo dpkg -i build-essential-0.454.deb
^^ note thats an example and not what you may have to put in, you could do,
sudo dpkg -i *.deb which will install all .deb files. I cannot gaurentee this will work you maybe missing dependencies. I really really really dont recommend this way.

then follow my nidswrapper methods above to install to get wireless lan working.

I know this is an ugly how to, but unfortunately hardware vendors just dont write linux drivers, and I think its nothing short of a miracle that ndiswrapper allows you to use windows drivers.

As I Lay Dying · Sep 26, 2006

plx anyone sees a mistake point it out, its late and I am very tired, forgive any grammer and spelling mistakes.

eeyrjmr · Sep 26, 2006

As I Lay Dying said:
plx anyone sees a mistake point it out, its late and I am very tired, forgive any grammer and spelling mistakes.

I can see one MASSIVE mistake... he has no network connection working so how is he suppose to apt-get from the internet?

BillLeeLee · Sep 26, 2006

I think it'd be nice to know what card you have before people start telling you to use NDISwrapper, there might be a better alternative.

Child of Wonder · Sep 26, 2006

Definitely..... what card are you using? Brand? Model?

Silent Assasin · Sep 26, 2006

Thanks for the help guys, I'll try to work on it some more after class and work today. But here's some more info you asked for.

The first card I tried is just a generic (made by Hiro) Wireless-G pci adapter, found here . That didn't work, so I threw in my old Linksys Wireless-G v1 card, the original Linksys G (I can't remember model number and I can't find it on the card.). The version of Ubuntu I installed is v5.04, I know it's old but I already had the CD that a friend gave to me last year, I'm guessing I should probably update?

And eeyrjmr, I can get an internet connection in Ubuntu, but that means moving my computer back down to the basement, which it looks like I might have to do. Or just do what I did last time by running a 50' cable up one set of stairs, connecting it to my switch, and running another 50 footer to my room, but that's definatly not a permenant setup.

Zwitterion · Sep 26, 2006

Don't be discouraged if you can't get it working right away, getting wireless to work in Linux is quite a task sometimes.

eeyrjmr · Sep 26, 2006

agreed.

You either have to do all the work before hand researching the different cards (and versions - they change chips between version) to find one that works, or you do all the hassle later on

Child of Wonder · Sep 26, 2006

Honestly, you should get your hands on Dapper 6.06 and install that. Those cards will work at the get go.

If that's not an option, ndiswrapper as described above is your best shot.

As I Lay Dying · Sep 26, 2006

eeyrjmr said:
I can see one MASSIVE mistake... he has no network connection working so how is he suppose to apt-get from the internet?

As I Lay Dying said:
method 1: the easiest way imho
move the computer so it can reach a wired connection.

notice how I said move the computer.....so it can have access to a wired connection.

Silent Assasin said:
Thanks for the help guys, I'll try to work on it some more after class and work today. But here's some more info you asked for.

The first card I tried is just a generic (made by Hiro) Wireless-G pci adapter, found here . That didn't work, so I threw in my old Linksys Wireless-G v1 card, the original Linksys G (I can't remember model number and I can't find it on the card.). The version of Ubuntu I installed is v5.04, I know it's old but I already had the CD that a friend gave to me last year, I'm guessing I should probably update?

And eeyrjmr, I can get an internet connection in Ubuntu, but that means moving my computer back down to the basement, which it looks like I might have to do. Or just do what I did last time by running a 50' cable up one set of stairs, connecting it to my switch, and running another 50 footer to my room, but that's definatly not a permenant setup.

Ok I really suggest you get a 6.06-1 desktop disk go here http://www.ubuntu.com/download and grab the appropriate one. The version you have is old, its about two releases behind. Hopefully if you grab the latest version it will detect your card and you wont have to use ndiswrapper.

I really don't suggest using the AMD64 if you have an AMD64 or intel cpu with 64 bit capability, 64 bit isn't really quite there, and and installing 32 bit apps in a 64 bit environment is a little more involved.

Silent Assasin · Sep 27, 2006

Ok, so I decided to try the newest version of Ubuntu (6.06). Burned the ISO and rebooted to the cd. I selected "Run or install Ubunut", the first choice. It started loading a bunch of crap and then started loading the actual OS and started playing some sound that sounds like a normal boot, such as the chimes that Windows plays. Then all the sudden it screeched and frooze. I rebooted and tried again to have the same thing happen, but this time it actually loaded to the desktop before freezing. It didn't ever actually give me the option to install the OS, it just ran the OS from the cd and frooze....

Am I doing something wrong here?

Silent Assasin · Sep 27, 2006

This really isn't cool now....

So I tried the option, "Check the CD" and it started scanning the cd for errors. It got stuck on ./casper/filesystem.squashfs and the status bar kept blinking between orange and brown. So I restarted and figured I'd give it one last try at the install. It got about half way through loading everything before the computer decided to just reboot. But this time, I noticed that durring the POST, it said my core speed was 1000MHz rather the the 2200MHz it should be at. Sure enough, when I got into Windows, I loaded up CPU-Z and it's saying my core voltage is only at 1.1v and the core speed is in fact 1004MHz.... It's also saying my multiplier is only at x5 rather then x10....

Did Ubuntu just change the voltage in the bios automaticly somehow, or is this something much worse that will screw me over in the end? Does anyone know what happened, or why that even happened?

Edit: I should probably also state that I didn't download the 64-bit version, just the standard Intel x86 OS.

As I Lay Dying · Sep 27, 2006

I have no idea why your settings changed, I have heard of problems with dell laptops, giving a clock error on boot up.

However I have the same problem on my 7800gt, when you pop the cd in, there should be a start ubuntu with fail-safe or graphics safe mode. Thats should work.

Silent Assasin · Oct 2, 2006

Ok, well I finally got around to doing some more work on the computer.

So I redownloaded Ubuntu 6.06, but this time using the .torrent file. Burned another copy and ran it. This time, it ran without a problem, it booted up into Live mode without a glitch, I browsed around, and sure enough my wireless card was found. I made sure everything was working right.

So then I installed Ubuntu onto my slave drive and restarted. Everytime that I boot into Ubuntu, it loads all the way up to the the login screen without a probelm, then it plays this drum type sound and locks up. Anyone have any sugestions as to what's goin on now?

As I Lay Dying · Oct 3, 2006

Silent Assasin said:
Ok, well I finally got around to doing some more work on the computer.

So I redownloaded Ubuntu 6.06, but this time using the .torrent file. Burned another copy and ran it. This time, it ran without a problem, it booted up into Live mode without a glitch, I browsed around, and sure enough my wireless card was found. I made sure everything was working right.

So then I installed Ubuntu onto my slave drive and restarted. Everytime that I boot into Ubuntu, it loads all the way up to the the login screen without a probelm, then it plays this drum type sound and locks up. Anyone have any sugestions as to what's goin on now?

I have this problem with my card, you need to install your video card drivers, I am not to sure how to do it with an ati card, ok this is how you are gonna have to do this. I am not sure if it is the gfx card drivers, but thats what happened to me.

Ok so when you boot into ubuntu, at the login, press ctrl+alt+F1, login in.
the do this

Code:

 sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/souces.list.original
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

replace teh contents of the file with this;

Code:

## Add comments (##) in front of any line to remove it from being checked.   
## Use the following sources.list at your own risk.  

deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper main restricted universe multiverse

## MAJOR BUG FIX UPDATES produced after the final release
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-updates main restricted universe multiverse

## UBUNTU SECURITY UPDATES
deb [url]http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-security main restricted universe multiverse

## BACKPORTS REPOSITORY (Unsupported.  May contain illegal packages.  Use at own risk.)
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## PLF REPOSITORY (Unsupported.  May contain illegal packages.  Use at own risk.)
deb [url]http://packages.freecontrib.org/plf[/url] dapper free non-free
deb-src [url]http://packages.freecontrib.org/plf[/url] dapper free non-free                                               
                                                                                                                                          
## CANONICAL COMMERCIAL REPOSITORY (Hosted on Canonical servers, not Ubuntu
## servers. RealPlayer10, Opera and more to come.) 
deb [url]http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu[/url] dapper-commercial main

if you dunno and dont wanna risk installing illegal packages do not add the PLF and backport repositories.

save and exit...

Code:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install linux-restricted-modules-$(uname -r) #Okay if it is already installed
sudo apt-get install xorg-driver-fglrx
sudo depmod -a
sudo aticonfig --initial
sudo aticonfig --overlay-type=Xv

this is where I got the info, hope it helps.
http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Dapper_Installation_Guide

Wireless network with Ubuntu

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

As I Lay Dying

Gawd

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

As I Lay Dying

Gawd

As I Lay Dying

Gawd

eeyrjmr

[H]ardness Supreme

BillLeeLee

[H]F Junkie

Child of Wonder

2[H]4U

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

Zwitterion

Gawd

eeyrjmr

[H]ardness Supreme

Child of Wonder

2[H]4U

As I Lay Dying

Gawd

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

As I Lay Dying

Gawd

Silent Assasin

[H]ard|Gawd

As I Lay Dying

Gawd