wireless networking

Forum: Networking
Topic: wireless networking
started by: Avinux

Posted by Avinux on Dec. 26 2005,04:01

Help me

I'm trying to connect to the internet with a built in network card but, it doesn't work.
I can't get internet on DSL, that is why I am writing this on windows

I have a built in to the computer network card.

In order to try solutions I have to turn off windows and boot up in DSL and then come back if it doesn't work.

Please help

Posted by larkl on Dec. 26 2005,13:01

Is it a wireless or wired card?

Posted by newOldUser on Dec. 26 2005,14:13

Avinux,

You should post some more information about your hardware. What's the make and model of you computer. What's the make and model of you network card. What version of DSL are you running? Are you booting directly from the CD or is it installed on you harddrive? During boot up do you see any messages about networking? After boot up go into a terminal and type 'dmesg', any network messages?

Use the System Stats program (Menu....System...System Stats) to view different areas of you system. Anything that might be network card related post here. The more information you post, the better the chance someone can help you.

Good luck

Posted by Avinux on Dec. 26 2005,23:16

It's an Acer Aspire 3000 notebook with built in network card (not sure of the make and model)

I'm running DSL 2.0 through a live cd

no messages about networking

one other thing, when I go to netcardconfig it recognizes the card and even shows the IP address of the base station, but it says that it can't connect.

Oh and the base station is configured that you have to sign on to AOL before you could get onto the internet, which I know may be a problem but I looked at the getting started guide and it says that if I have an ISP that requires me to sign in; to use the pon and poff switches.

I'll try what you said and I have another idea, so I'll get back to you hopefully using firefox on DSL.

Thanks

Posted by Avinux on Dec. 27 2005,00:15

My idea: try different base station

Results: didn't work

Your idea: dmesg in terminal

Results: didn't learn anything new

Posted by cbagger01 on Dec. 27 2005,20:10

Maybe it will work with NDISWRAPPER if you download the MSWindows driver files from the Acer website?

Posted by tempestuous on Dec. 27 2005,22:33

Your mainboard chipset is SiS M760GX so the LAN device is possibly SiS too, and the driver might be sis900.
You could help us determine this by running "lspci" in an xterminal, and listing output.
DSL may be be autodetecting this LAN device ... you should run "lsmod" to find out.

There is Linux setup advice for Acer Aspire 3002LCi here - < http://www.hoflink.com/~turajb/linux_acer3k2_fc4.htm >
Unfortunately they don't mention the LAN hardware or driver, but they do mention boot options to get it working ... this may help you, too -
dsl apm=off acpi=noirq ec_burst=1

Your wireless device is quoted as being "Acer InviLink", but Acer's website lists the Windows driver as being for Broadcom.
Again, you could help us determine this by running "lspci".
If it is Broadcom, then ndiswrapper should work.

Posted by Avinux on Dec. 27 2005,23:41

First

how do I download things to DSL when I can't get connected to the internet with it
If you have some way of downloading it through windows and then putting it onto the live cd where it will work correctly in DSL, be my guest (live cd is cd-r)

Second

I will try out lspci, but if it's broadcom than unless you can figure out answer to my first problem then it isn't going to help

my acer by is an aspire 3003WLCI (but it has an 80 gig hd and a dvd burner) not 3002LCI

hopes you can help me

Posted by hs7sv on Dec. 28 2005,01:48

Are you using built-in WLAN (Broadcom 802.11b/g)?
If yes, please copy bcmwl5.inf and bcmwl5.sys from Driver CD to /home/dsl, then run NDISWRAPPER, driver location: /home/dsl/bcmwl5.inf

Posted by sarah on Dec. 28 2005,07:31

hs7sv: Thank you for the tip, I think it might help solve a problem I've been having. :o)

Avinux:

Quote (Avinux @ Dec. 28 2005,07:41)

I'm learning, but I would think that if you download an extension into your root directory in Windows (most likely c:\ ), you could then run it from DSL using

Code Sample

dsl mydsl=hda1

and using whatever other boot options you need (assuming your laptop HDD is located at /dev/hda1 in Linux)
The MyDSL repository is located at:
< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/damnsmall/mydsl/ >
then you right click on the extension you want and choose your browser's equivalent of "save target as" or "save link as". I recommend reading the .dsl.info files (for warnings, versions or dependencies) and at least downloading the md5sums so you can check them before loading your new extension once you're in DSL (If you need instructions for how to check md5sums please ask, or check the web if you are in a hurry for the answer.
< http://www.google.com/linux >
is your friend.)

You may also find some of the following documents useful:
< http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....pdfdocs >
(I'm thinking of the MyDSLhowto.pdf in particular.)

Quote

hopes you can help me

And I hope you get a solution and return to let us know what worked... :o)
Cheers and beers,
Sarah

Posted by tempestuous on Dec. 28 2005,13:09

As hs7sv suggested, it's not crucial to download anything.

Regarding (wired) LAN - DSL already contains the sis900 driver.
DSLpanel > Netcardconfig can automate setup.

Regarding wifi - DSL already contains ndiswrapper. You just need to access your Windows wifi driver from CD.
DSLpanel > Ndiswrapper can automate setup.

Your hardware details remain uncertain. Solving this mystery would be worth your effort.

Posted by cbagger01 on Dec. 28 2005,19:47

I am assuming that because the post title mentions wireless networking that he is talking about his wireless interface and not his wired connection.

If so, ndiswrapper + the MSWindows driver files is the direction that may lead to success.

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 01 2006,07:22

yes, I'm talking about wireless networking hence the title of the the topic

since I'm a bit of a newbie with linux, could you help me with something

how do I do I get the correct drivers in lamence terms (remember I'm booting off cd so I can't put in another cd)

and I'm a bit embarassed about this question, but what driver cd

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 01 2006,08:10

by the way, installed an imbedded version to help me diagnose problems quicker and found out a few things

1. internet works (hmm...)
2. can't access my hard drive (to install drivers)
and some other interesting stuff that may have no importance (or you may already know)

remember the imbedded version is just for testing I'm sticking with the cd version

Posted by hs7sv on Jan. 01 2006,16:05

Avinux, I'm using Acer Aspire 3003NLCi. It came with an M$ Windows Resource CD, Aspire 3000/5000 Series. I think you have it also.

Please use boot option: dsl toram
Using emelFM for copying: Menu --> Apps --> Tools --> emelFM --> emelFM
Put Resource CD in ... mount /dev/cdrom
Check in directory: Drivers/802BG ... looking for *.inf and *.sys ... maybe bcmwl5.inf and bcmwl5.sys
Copy inf and sys files to /home/dsl
Run NDISWRAPPER with inf file: /home/dsl/bcmwl5.inf ... if connected, then run Netcardconfig ... good luck

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 02 2006,17:31

Quote (hs7sv @ Jan. 01 2006,11:05)

Avinux, I'm using Acer Aspire 3003NLCi...

Put Resource CD in ... mount /dev/cdrom...

good luck

I'm using an acer apire 3003MLMI and it it didin't come with any software other than a windows restore cd

you mean I have to put a cd into the drive while one is already inside it

luck isn't something I usually have

Posted by hs7sv on Jan. 03 2006,05:04

You can download drivers from < this website >. You need 2 files for WLAN: bcmwl5.inf and bcmwl5.sys
If you use option: dsl toram, image files will be copied to RAM. After booting, you can take DSL CD out and put whatever CD in.

Posted by ivansv on Jan. 04 2006,23:02

first u should try and find the chip set in ur wireless, you can do this with the lspci command at the terminal. just because you buy a dlink or whatever doesn't mean anything, chipset's the thing.
google ndiswrapper and u'll get a sourceforge url that has a good write up on wireless- that is if u have a laptop. they also have drivers for many cards. good luck.

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 06 2006,07:40

Quote (hs7sv @ Jan. 03 2006,00:04)

If you use option: dsl toram, image files will be copied to RAM. After booting, you can take DSL CD out and put whatever CD in.

thanks you have been a great help

and I never knew about copying image files into ram, really interesting

I will keep you up to date on what happens

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 06 2006,09:53

ok so I got the driver files, now

I put them into "home/dsl/" while DSL was running on my ram

I saved it to the filetool and then I thought something

I need to get these files saved onto DSL running on the cd not on my ram where they will be deleted

so when I ran DSL from the cd and then mounted my hardrive and tried to copy the files using emelfm; on my mounted hardrive they had a value (kb), but when I copied them over they had no value (0 kb) (is it possible that it doesn't want to let me copy it because DSL was running on a cd-r)

so that isn't really helping me

plus even when I had it running on ram the ndiswrapper said that I couldn't connect (it may have been because of my "sign on to aol before you can use the internet" wireless router)

any help would be great (including the small details that I gave you in parehntecies after each paragraph like this one LOL)
smilie)

thanks

Posted by Avinux on Jan. 16 2006,04:54

help me please

I have tried everything you guys have mentioned

Posted by hs7sv on Jan. 16 2006,08:41

Please provide more detail of your steps, messages on screen, LED response, etc.