Wireless Not Working

[leetuckert]

After upgrading to 11.04, my wireless has stopped working. I have a Dell Latitude E6500. I can toggle the enable / disable switch on the side of the notebook and the OS issues a system notification that the hardware has been enabled / disabled, but the wireless light never comes on. The light used to turn on and off when I toggled the switch.

Any ideas?

TIA

[oshunluvr]

Re: Wireless Not Working

Are you dual booting? If yes, boot into windows, turn the wifi card on and leave it on, then reboot into linux. Leave the switch alone until you get it working in linux.

Once linux is booted up, open a terminal and type

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

and reports the results

[leetuckert]

Re: Wireless Not Working

I am not dual booting; however, I executed the ifconfig wlan0 up which immediately turns the wireless light on. However, when I scan for networks using the network configuration tool, it does not report any available networks. I am in a hotel room that has several networks and I am using an older notebook with 11.04 installed which sees a network and connects. This is how I'm answering your post.

Okay, so I'm a step close thanks to you. Any other advice as to why the wireless does not see any networks?

Thanks...

[leetuckert]

Re: Wireless Not Working

Me thinks the driver is not loaded. Working on that now...

[oshunluvr]

Re: Wireless Not Working

Dells often use on of the broadcom modems and they're always a chore. Do some research into your exact model to determine which driver to use with which kernel verson.

lspci in a teminal should reveal your modem model.

[leetuckert]

Re: Wireless Not Working

On the E6500 lspci reveals the following:
Intel Corporation WiFi Link 5100

I don't know which driver to use for that.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Wireless Not Working

Driver should already be there. See this solution https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...2/comments/102

[GreyGeek]

Re: Wireless Not Working

On the E6500 lspci reveals the following:
Intel Corporation WiFi Link 5100

I don't know which driver to use for that.

That's the same as my modem. It uses the iwlagn.

Use
sudo modprobe iwlagn

to install the driver.

If that allows
iwlist scanning
to show existing access point then you can run
sudo depmod -A
to make iwlagn module load automatically.

[leetuckert]

Re: Wireless Not Working

I am on the edge of complete frustration with this. I am now convinced the correct driver is being loaded. If I issue the command 'ifconfig wlan0 up', the wireless light comes on but I get this message in syslog:
"May 19 18:04:11 Luther kernel: [2589.487792] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready" Although the wireless light comes on, there is not blinking indicating activity at all.

Getting a wireless card working should be this hard. This is not old, antiquated hardware, nor is it bleeding edge. Nonetheless, Any input anyone can is much appreciated. I am at the end of my wits on this one.

TIA...

[GreyGeek]

Re: Wireless Not Working

..... I am now convinced the correct driver is being loaded. If I issue the command 'ifconfig wlan0 up', the wireless light comes on but I get this message in syslog:
"May 19 18:04:11 Luther kernel: [2589.487792] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready" Although the wireless light comes on, there is not blinking indicating activity at all.
.....

Perhaps, but if it were the correct driver it should work. You say you have the Intel WifiLink 5100, and that driver is the iwlagn.

Does lsmod show that driver in the list of running modules?