[opensuse] New 10.3 install, can't get wireless to work
I've searched messages on this list, and haven't seen a solution to this yet. I've got a Dell lnspiron 8500, with the Dell TrueMobile 1300 wireless card. Under Win XP, and Suse 10.1 or 10.2 a long time ago using ndiswrapper, the wireless card works. My wireless network uses WPA2-Personal, AES. I've just installed openSuse 10.3 (32-bit). Following the install, the wireless would not connect. I saw in the install notes that if the network uses a non-broadcast ESSID, I may need to remove the intel wireless driver installed by default, and the other will install automatically. n my system neither of those intel drivers was installed by default. As my wireless card is Broadcom, not Intel, I guessed that was why neither was installed, and also guessed neither will work for me. Nevertheless, I tried each, one at a time, and neither one worked. After that, I removed those drivers (so far, all through YAST), and then added Ndiswrapper, again through Yast. Following the directions on the openSuse Ndiswrapper page, I tried installing the Win XP drivers for the Dell wireless card, to be used by Ndiswrapper. First, I tried using the driver found at the Ndiswrapper compatibility page. When that failed to work, I removed it (ndiswrapper -e), and tried using the driver supplied on Dell's webpage. (ndiswrapper -i) So far, I've still got no network connection. No errors, but no connection either. I've been following the instructions on a couple of pages: * http://en.opensuse.org/Ndiswrapper * http://www.opensuse.computerlanguages.org/ndiswrapper.php As an aside, I now have a few more options on the boot menu than I did before I started this attempt to get the wireless working. The various options are which kernel to boot in to, is that correct? My list includes: * XEN -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.5-31 * XEN -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.5-31 * openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.5-31 * Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.5-31 * openSUSE 10.3 * openSUSE 10.3 (Failsafe) "openSUSE 10.3" is the default selection. I'm curious about the various choices, what distinguishes them, etc... - I suspect this is a separate question and should have it's own thread, but the various choices only appeared after I started performing the actions in the previously mentioned webpages, trying to get the wireless to work, so I thought there might be relevance to the main question. Thanks, Steve -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sat, 2007-10-13 at 20:49 -0400, Steve Jacobs wrote:
I've searched messages on this list, and haven't seen a solution to this yet.
I've got a Dell lnspiron 8500, with the Dell TrueMobile 1300 wireless card.
Under Win XP, and Suse 10.1 or 10.2 a long time ago using ndiswrapper, the wireless card works.
My wireless network uses WPA2-Personal, AES.
I've just installed openSuse 10.3 (32-bit). Following the install, the wireless would not connect. I saw in the install notes that if the network uses a non-broadcast ESSID, I may need to remove the intel wireless driver installed by default, and the other will install automatically. n my system neither of those intel drivers was installed by default.
As my wireless card is Broadcom, not Intel, I guessed that was why neither was installed, and also guessed neither will work for me.
Do you know which broadcom chip it uses? Some will work without using ndiswrapper. Mine uses the bcm43xx and I needed to use bcm43xx-fwcutter to extract the firmware to /lib/firmware and I also had to turn on SSID broadcast. -- Ken Schneider UNIX since 1989, linux since 1994, SuSE since 1998 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
I *think* it is the bcm4306. I read about the fwcutter bit, but
thought that since I saw a line for bcm43xx in modprobe -l, I didn't
need to pursue that.
Obviously I don't completely understand modprobe, or how these pieces
all tie together. I always thought firmware referred to code inside a
chip on a piece of hardware (flash-rom). Are the .ko files displayed
when I do a 'modprobe -l' the installed device drivers? If bcm43xx.ko
& ndiswrapper.ko are listed, than that means the drivers I need are
present, right?
I'll try fwcutter and see what happens.
Thanks,
Steve
On 10/13/07, Kenneth Schneider
On Sat, 2007-10-13 at 20:49 -0400, Steve Jacobs wrote:
I've searched messages on this list, and haven't seen a solution to this yet.
I've got a Dell lnspiron 8500, with the Dell TrueMobile 1300 wireless card.
Under Win XP, and Suse 10.1 or 10.2 a long time ago using ndiswrapper, the wireless card works.
My wireless network uses WPA2-Personal, AES.
I've just installed openSuse 10.3 (32-bit). Following the install, the wireless would not connect. I saw in the install notes that if the network uses a non-broadcast ESSID, I may need to remove the intel wireless driver installed by default, and the other will install automatically. n my system neither of those intel drivers was installed by default.
As my wireless card is Broadcom, not Intel, I guessed that was why neither was installed, and also guessed neither will work for me.
Do you know which broadcom chip it uses? Some will work without using ndiswrapper. Mine uses the bcm43xx and I needed to use bcm43xx-fwcutter to extract the firmware to /lib/firmware and I also had to turn on SSID broadcast.
-- Ken Schneider UNIX since 1989, linux since 1994, SuSE since 1998
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 10/14/2007 09:39 PM, Steve Jacobs wrote:
I *think* it is the bcm4306. I read about the fwcutter bit, but thought that since I saw a line for bcm43xx in modprobe -l, I didn't need to pursue that.
Wrong (and please do not top post). The driver (even in Windows) dynamically uploads firmware code to allow it to work. The linux driver does the same, as the firmware is proprietary and specific to models, revisions, etc.
Obviously I don't completely understand modprobe, or how these pieces all tie together. Modprobe loads a kernel module into the running kernel, so its code works. I always thought firmware referred to code inside a chip on a piece of hardware (flash-rom). It is hardware specific code. Are the .ko files displayed when I do a 'modprobe -l' the installed device drivers? Not exactly. man modprobe gives more info. It should basically list all kernel modules in a certain directory. To see what modules are loaded (and therefore able to run) use lsmod. If bcm43xx.ko & ndiswrapper.ko are listed, than that means the drivers I need are present, right?
They are compiled modules you could use, but they could contradict each other. Ndiswrapper loads the windows sys file, which contains the firmware the manufacturers write to control the hardware. bcm43xx loads the firmware and allows a more native way for broadcom 43xx adapters to interface with the kernel.
I'll try fwcutter and see what happens.
It will make a big difference. -- Joe Morris Registered Linux user 231871 running openSUSE 10.3 x86_64 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (3)
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Joe Morris (NTM)
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Kenneth Schneider
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Steve Jacobs