Getting Wireless Network Cards to work in Linux

[TheKC1ML]

You know Quids, when you get the time, The issue is when I set it up everything connects ok and shows that it's connected but as soon as I disconnect the Ethernet cable the screen freezes. When I reboot without the ethernet cable, I don't even get to the desktop. The laptop is the Acer Aspire 5516. I'm not sure what's going on because it shows everything is working fine when I go into connections. I've used the terminal to update my card but still the same thing.

Cheers mate,

Cheers,

[quidsup]

@TheKC1ML Seems to be an issue only affecting that specific model mate. It appears to be a problem with the graphics driver, theres a possible solution in this thread.

ubuntuforums(dot)org/showthrea­d(dot)php?t=1754310

[TheKC1ML]

@quidsup Thanks Quids, I'll give a go.

Cheers,

[billycheeseburger]

Thanks man, been beatin my head against the wall with this today. Still dont have it working yet but now I at least know what to look for

[Ograws]

I still can't get my wireless to work because Additional Drivers doesn't open and Ethernet doesn't work either

[quidsup]

@Ograws I don't know what was up with your one mate, but Im sure its more to do with your ISP rather than the card.

[Ograws]

@quidsup My internet sucks too but I can watch videos without buffering and in HD for some reason..........

[quidsup]

@Ograws Can't be all that bad... well at least on speed its not bad.

I have to give Youtube HD1080 vids head start

[MrMika82]

great video mate

[quidsup]

@MrMika82 Cheers

[kingkong14957]

ok i know i need drivers but i keep finding diff drivers everywhere and where do i install them once i have them i have no wired connection so i would have to put them on a usb or view them somehow in ubuntu i have a ralink RT5390 and i think the chipset is RTL8101E/RTL8102E any help would be great a link to the drivers where to put them when i got them anything will help

[quidsup]

@kingkong14957 RT5390 drivers just missed the cutoff for Ubuntu 11.04 kernel. Should be fine in 11.10.

Download drivers from: ralinktech(dot)com/support(dot­)php?s=2

Follow instructions here: ubuntuforums(dot)org/showthrea­d(dot)php?t=1645716

[america0014]

I have used ndisgtk and it worked awesomely! Download the windows xp driver for the network card and open a terminal:

terminal: unzip -a "location of the driver where you downloaded it to"

look for the .inf file for the xp driver and move it to a safe location.

terminal:  gksudo ndisgtk

install the .inf you extracted from the driver. Then blacklist the already running driver that isn't working.

Then...

terminal: sudo reboot

and wahla...it should be working great!

[quidsup]

@america0014 Thanks thats useful to know. I haven't really heard much about how well ndiswrapper can work

[america0014]

@quidsup Well ndiswrapper is the cli version...which works awesome too. Ndisgtk is the gui version.  It's pretty easy to use and straight forward. I've used both but I wouldn't recommend the cli version to beginners. You'll surely have them going back to Windows lol. "Ndiswrapper (cli) is a little hard to grasp, but it's nowhere compared to trying to learn "iptables" (cli) !

[quidsup]

@america0014 Sorry I meant to say ndisgtk, for some reason I was thinking about the underlying program instead. lol yeah that would certainly send new users running back to Windows.

[blackpoolboots]

Had trouble with broadcom mini pci card in my netbook after installing Ubuntu 11.04. 3 days of messing about was easier to buy another card off ebay for £5 including postage. Worked first time :-)

[quidsup]

@blackpoolboots Cool wireless cards are even cheaper than I realised. £5 is nothing to get the system working that easily.

[OmenX13]

Great Tutorial - Thanks.

[quidsup]

@OmenX13 Cheers

[ComputerScientist01]

Oh man, oh man, it's nice that you make vids like this to help people but why are all Linux users in such extreme denial about their OS?. All 'distros' , all desktop environments are as buggy as a beehive.

It would be easier & less hassle to join a road gang doing hard manual labor digging the roads for a month than going thru the above procedure just to get a wifi card working for Gods sake. LOLLL.

[Mortesins]

@ComputerScientist01 What OS do you recommend? A part from Windows, which I think is crap, and Mac which is pretty good but too damn expensive I don't think there is nothing else out there.

[quidsup]

@ComputerScientist01 If there was an industry standard for Wireless network cards we wouldn't be in the mess of each manufacturer doing their own unique thing with only some offering Linux drivers

[Defstryker]

@tostodsy you weren't listening to him at all, this is a last resort, this would be pretty much the same if you were building a computer to run windows...

[tostoday]

Sure, as a Windows user, I compile these all the time...LOL.

[quidsup]

@tostoday lol

[chadkellycolorado]

For the broadcom drivers, try "help.ubuntu.com/community/Wif­iDocs/Driver/bcm43xx".

[quidsup]

@chadkellycolorado Thanks for clarifying