The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Wireless Ubuntu help

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by Telkwa, May 24, 2008.

  1. Telkwa

    Telkwa Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    68
    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Good morning!
    I'm visiting my Dad. My Acer 5920 (Centrino) works fine on his wireless network. The Acer sees his network and several neighbors' as well. It even prints to his HP C6180 wireless printer, something I can't figure out in Vista! I popped a known-good Ubuntu 8.04 LiveCD in his HP/Compaq A831NR notebook. It doesn't see his network or any other.
    lspci shows two "Ethernet Controller"s

    Atheros AR242X
    Realtek RTL - 8139/8139C/8139C+

    Is Atheros the wireless and Realtek the wired?
    He might even consider letting me dual-boot his new notebook. I don't want to begin that project unless I'm sure we can go online wireless. Can anyone tell me for sure that the wireless works? I assume the process would be partition, install, connect to router via Ethernet cable, download some version of some software that hopefully will work with stupid wireless card...

    The really annoying thing is, last time we visited, I steered him towards this laptop because it was a good price and I assumed I'd never talk him into trying Linux... :rolleyes:
     
    Telkwa, May 24, 2008
    #1
  2. Ayle

    Ayle Trailblazer

    Reputations:
    877
    Messages:
    3,707
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    106
    Even tough lspci shows the devices as Ethernet controller that doesn't mean it know how to use them. Does the wireless connection appears in the ubuntu "Network" app? You might have to use ndiswrapper.
     
    Ayle, May 24, 2008
    #2
  3. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

    Reputations:
    1,988
    Messages:
    5,253
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Try iwconfig instead of lspci.
    That shows the wireless ones only.
     
    Thomas, May 24, 2008
    #3
  4. Telkwa

    Telkwa Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    68
    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    iwconfig says "no wireless extensions" under lo or eth0.

    Ubuntu tried to apply hardware drivers for Atheros wireless so I guess that answers the question. Apparently the unsupported drivers didn't work.
     
    Telkwa, May 24, 2008
    #4