Linux Lite Forums

Hardware - Support => Network => Topic started by: dbrew4 on April 17, 2014, 12:58:02 PM

Title: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: dbrew4 on April 17, 2014, 12:58:02 PM
Running Lite 1.0.8. Yesterday I connected my notebook adapter (wifi card) a Linksys WPC54G ver.3. Yesterday I was able to connect after finding my network and entering my PW. All I had to do is double click the little network icon on the bottom menu bar next to the battery icon and my network showed up. Today after reboot .....notta. Linux recognizes my card and I already loaded the correct driver from my CD. I tried to reload the driver and Linux states that the driver is already loaded. I also deleted the driver and reloaded it...still notta. Any thoughts?...Linux Neebie...still learning here.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: gold_finger on April 18, 2014, 08:55:43 AM
Running Lite 1.0.8. Yesterday I connected my notebook adapter (wifi card) a Linksys WPC54G ver.3. Yesterday I was able to connect after finding my network and entering my PW. All I had to do is double click the little network icon on the bottom menu bar next to the battery icon and my network showed up.

If I understand correctly, initially the card was automatically recognized and used, you only needed to click network icon, find yours and connect.  Right?

Today after reboot .....notta.

Please expand on that statement.  I'm confused because the very next sentence you say: "Linux recognizes my card".  How do you know it recognizes the card if nothing is registering and wifi networks don't show anymore?

Also, what do you mean by this:  "I already loaded the correct driver from my CD"?

It's incredibly rare for any company to include Linux drivers on any CD for their product.  I highly doubt that your wireless adapter came with drivers meant for Linux on their installation CD.  What drivers are you talking about and what makes you believe you loaded them from a CD?  What steps did you go through to do that?

I tried to reload the driver and Linux states that the driver is already loaded. I also deleted the driver and reloaded it...still notta.
I'm genuinely puzzled and curious by the above.  Can you let me know exactly how you tried reloading the driver?  Also, how did you go about deleting and reloading it?


I'll tell you what "normally" happens with wireless.  If a wireless card/adapter is recognized by the Linux kernel, then the first time you try to use it you will click the network icon (as you did), select your wifi from the list, then enter your password to connect.  (That sounds like what you did initially.)  After the first time, you normally don't need to do any of that again.  Usually, the system saves the info and automatically connects to that wifi whenever it sees it again.  All you need to do is open your web browser and start surfing.  If yours didn't do that, I'm not sure why.  Did you plug in the wireless adapter before or after system startup?  Try both ways and see if one makes a difference and works.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: dbrew4 on April 18, 2014, 10:05:32 AM
Yes I did use several methods on start up....card in at start up...card out at start up. Nothing seemed to work. Here is what I did.

Inserted the card: power light on on the card

Systems>Windows Wireless Drivers...."Wireless Network Driver" window opens. Currently Installed Windows Drivers: Isbcmnds......Hardware Present: Yes (so I assume Linux recognizes my card)

Hit "+Install New Driver"....it asks me to select inf file: Location (the location of this file was on my Desktop which I copied from my install CD that came with the card. I found this file and installed it. (I then deleted the driver and re-installed it using this method)

Now when I click the "Network Connection" icon on the bottom right of the menu bar next to the battery icon it states "No network connection" ..."Wired Network disconnected".

I re-booted my router and I do have a wifi connection on my iPad so I don't think it's that.

You are correct about Linux remembering my card and the wireless connection but in my case it didn't.

I don't show any networks available and I show "Wired Network disconnected".

Prior to all of this I was having issues with my numlock key(s) and my password when using the terminal but my wifi connection worked all the time even after re-booting. I re-installed Linux Lite and the wifi issues began.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: gold_finger on April 18, 2014, 11:21:50 AM
Okay, now I understand and it makes more sense.  I've never used the "Windows Wireless Drivers" thing and forgot it even existed.

Strange that it was working fine before and now (after re-installing) it doesn't.  Is it possible that you accidentally disabled Wireless Networking -- either by a keyboard setting or by a physical switch somewhere along body of the computer?

If you right-click on the networking icon in lower-right of task bar, is wireless networking checked-off as being enabled?
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: dbrew4 on April 18, 2014, 11:37:35 AM
I'm re-loaded Linux Lite OS. It's possible I disabled the Wireless Networking somehow but I doubt it. Yes the networking was checked off. Is there any way to load the Windows driver other that using the .inf file off the software CD and using "NDISGTK"?
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: gold_finger on April 18, 2014, 11:51:29 AM
Is there any way to load the Windows driver other that using the .inf file off the software CD and using "NDISGTK"?

I really don't know -- have never had to use Windows drivers myself.  Sorry.  Hopefully someone else can better answer this for you.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: dbrew4 on April 18, 2014, 12:07:48 PM
Tks.....after my OS re-install I was able to establish my network connect....all was good...BUT after I rebooted I lost it and couldn't reconnect...same issue.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: N4RPS on April 22, 2014, 10:35:48 PM
Hello!

Valtam, forgive me if this is in the manual, but people keep asking, so I'll keep answering.

What's most important with wireless adapters is NOT who made the card, but what wireless chipset they used.
Linksys favors using Broadcom chipsets in their adapters. THAT is PROBABLY your problem, as the Linux drivers for these cards aren't supposed to be bundled on Live CDs because they are proprietary. That's why Linksys doesn't bundle Linux drivers with their cards, either.

Based on the make, model, and version number you provided, you probably use a Broadcom BCM4318 chipset, but we need to be sure.

In a terminal window (CTRL-ALT-T), run this command:

Code: [Select]
lspci | grep -i wireless
The '|' character is SHIFT-backslash (SHIFT-\).

and post the output here.

Here's mine:

03:03.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection (rev 05)

If this doesn't work, type just 'lspci', and post the part/parts that says/say 'Network controller' here. If you see something like this:

06:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce 54g] 802.11a/b/g PCI Express Transceiver (rev 02), cut-and-paste THIS, also. We'll proceed from there...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: Jerry on April 22, 2014, 11:16:43 PM
Moved to Network section.
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: gold_finger on April 23, 2014, 08:30:43 AM
dbrew4,

Don't know if you're still having problems or not.  I just stumbled upon something that might help.  Have no idea if this is your problem or not, but might be worth a try.

http://www.zoringroup.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4077 (http://www.zoringroup.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4077)
Title: Re: Wireless Connection Issues
Post by: ooseven on April 23, 2014, 04:27:39 PM
It may be that your driver from your CD is messing things up.
Go to add remove software and put   BCM4318 and use firmware-b43-installer
 
This package installs the firmware needed for usage of the b43 kernel
driver.

Supported chipsets:
 - BCM4306/3
 - BCM4311
 - BCM4318
 - BCM4321
 - BCM4322 (only 14e4:432b)