Ubuntu, connecting to WLAN

I successfully installed Ubuntu onto my usb hard drive.

However, I'm not sure what the issue is with my internet. I'm not familiar enough with ubuntu to know whether this is a problem with recognizing my wireless card or with my internet, etc.

So I suppose my question is, how do I tell whether it's recognizing my wireless card? (Network manager isn't showing any wireless signals, though I wasn't sure if it was supposed to. )

And, if it's not working, how do I go about troubleshooting that issue?

Thanks!

user36614

Posted 2010-05-09T16:29:25.230

Reputation:

I know that it is disabled because when I ran the command to read whether it "saw" the card, it listed my device, but listed it as disabled. I have attempted to enable it through the network manager, but it was unsuccessful.

Also, I attempted to install the package listed, but unfortunately, that release is configured for dell, and I have a HP dv5 series laptop. – None – 2010-05-09T17:43:34.223

Hi, I took the liberty to correct your question title. That way it's a bit more general. – sleske – 2011-03-06T15:17:02.737

Answers

Go to Applications and open a Terminal.
type: sudo ifconfig (Then you should see a wlan0, ath0, etc besides your ethernet card. If you can see such entry, the system can see and use your wlan card).

Apache

Posted 2010-05-09T16:29:25.230

Reputation: 14 755

Apparently, my card is disabled. The help sends me in circles regarding this issue; I'm currently trying to figure out how to get the driver to my computer without being able to utilize the internet to download it.

[It's a broadcom 802.11b/g; I have found a few articles regarding the issue and am currently attempting to do as they suggest. ) – None – 2010-05-09T17:18:38.200

You have to fetch the packages BY HAND , transfer to the machine and install them. ('fockin' painful under linux, dont expect a Windows way). So what I found on the internet , you will need ndiswrapper. Its a tool which lets you use the WIndows driver. Next post.. – Apache – 2010-05-09T17:23:53.383

http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/ndiswrapper-utils-1.9 AND http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/ndiswrapper-common . Pick out the correct architecture, and put them into your pendrive, copy to your laptop. If you are lucky, you can install them by double click. (If not, open a terminal, cd to the place. Like "cd /home/fujishiro/Downloads/" and then type this: "sudo dpkg -i *.deb".) – Apache – 2010-05-09T17:25:04.707

Ok, I have actually attempted to install what is specified on this page https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/Ndiswrapper Installation went well, apparently, but it's still not working.

– None – 2010-05-10T01:21:40.870

You did all the steps? Where you got stuck? Which one fails? – Apache – 2010-05-10T15:45:18.203

How do you know it's disabled?

In the panel at the top of the screen to the left of the date/time there is a applet for the network. Does it say that your network is disabled?

bryan

Posted 2010-05-09T16:29:25.230

Reputation: 7 848

lshw -class Network

The text I got from that command stated something very similar to what I saw on this page: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=405622

– None – 2010-05-10T01:22:44.600