wireless - does anything work?

[kbunt]

Could anyone suggest usb adapters or even pci cards (I prefer usb adapters though because I might have a motherboard with only 2 or 3 pci slots) that work out of the box or have a concise 'how to' tutorial that has enough people confirming it works?

I'm frustrated with my current usb adapter and I read on the Ubuntu forums of people having problems with the same adapter. I thought it would be compatible with Linux but I'm not sure if it'll work. Even if it does, it involves a lot of work and although I don't mind learning, it is not my favourite experience. I just wanted to confirm of something working so that I can at least be rest assured that with tweaking or the right instructions, it will work. The three computer-related concerns I have with Linux are these:

1) wireless
2) graphics card used (I will be shopping for one, too...uh-oh!)
3) sound (sound card compatibility)

I discovered that the in-board sound will not be a problem with the motherboards I'm considering but the wireless and graphics card are both concerns. I'll worry about a sound card (and how compatible it will be with Linux) later.

I've read the pages on Ubuntu and they don't convince me so I'd rather have 'word-of-mouth' confirmations. The 3 manufacturers I was wondering about is Linksys, Netgear and D-Link but I'll consider another if it's not too hard to find. This will be for a desktop and I prefer USB to save the PCI slots.

If anyone suggests anything, do you think you could include the entire description including version number and chipset if you have it? At least, if the version number is included and any other identifying description, I can google for the chipset and any info that might be available describing the setup and people's experiences with it. Thanks to anyone posting any recommendations or suggestions!!!!!!!

[eriefisher]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Wireless:- I have two-1-Netgear WG111 v2- Works out of the box with Feisty. No luck with Mepis, Sabayon, Xandros or madriva

2-D-Link WDA-2320-Has an Atheros chipset. This should work just about anywhere. Tested on Kubuntu 7.04 and Mepis

Graphics Card-Just about any Nvidia product has pretty good support.

Sound cards--Don't know. I use my on board via 8237, works great.

eriefisher

[kbunt]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

I have reason to believe no usb wireless adapters work out of the box in Linux. Well, nothing recent. I have researched this. I've googled all over the place. I can find several instances of people using a Netgear WG111 v.2 and they don't have it working. Ndiswrapper is needed. Same with the D-Link you listed. So frustrating. I guess I should learn how to use ndiswrapper.

[eriefisher]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

No both adaptors work out of the box with 7.04. The Netgear Wg111 v2(usb) is listed in the Ubuntu doc as functioning with no problems.

The D-Link WDA-2320 uses the Atheros chipset(not sure which one) and they are well support in Linux in general.

At the moment I am wired but I have used both of these for a long time. I have never used NDISwrapper, wouldn't know how.

eriefisher

[kbunt]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Yes, I read that it is listed in the Ubuntu docs. Did the author who input that google that same device, version and chipset and Linux? I was considering that device but went with a Belkin. For my second computer, I was leaning towards that Netgear but read countless web pages about problems and issues people were having. It it works out of the box, why so many issues? If it was a few people having problems making mistakes and what not, one could understand. But, some of the owners seem to know what they're doing and talking about and have experienced Linux users talking them through it to no avail. I am now wary of claims something worked out of the box especially if it's from only one or two sources.

If it worked for you, perhaps you could message me what you did (since you are also using Kubuntu). Did you use a router, WEP or WPA, dhcp or static IP etc.?

As for the D-Link, I was interested in the WUA-2320 version but again, the USB adapter problem.

I would like an 'out of the box' usb wireless device since there are other things I want to get going (i.e. learning) in Linux although I accept I might eventually have to use ndiswrapper or build a module or something for this Belkin.

[Mike54]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Late last year, I set up a LinkSys wireless router with a WUSB54GS adapter. And it was the most dodgy set-up I had ever seen. And this was running in Window$ and using the Window$ installation software. One minute it would work and the next it wouldn't.

I tried it in Kubuntu a few days back and there was no hope. I logged this box back into Window$, as my son wanted Internet access. And still, there was no hope. It wouldn't even detect the router in the next room. I made another half-hearted attempt to get it up and working over the weekend, but it simply would not respond to anything I tried.

This morning, I saw this thread on the Ubuntu forums, with the recommendation to use a Buffalo Technology Wireless Ethernet Converter. I also saw this post with detailed instructions on how to set the converter up.

I printed the instructions and purchased one of the converters on my way home.

When I got home, I laid the instructions down and came across the room to the computer. I unplugged the LinkSys adapter, plugged in the converter's ethernet cable, plugged the converter into the wall socket and walked back across the room to grab the instructions. When I sat down here, Kubuntu was telling me there were updates available for download. Right, I figured just as soon as I could get this converter configured I would grab the updates.

Then I got to thinking (which is a rarity). How does Kubuntu know about those updates? I clicked the prompt and started downloading.

How much easier could it have been? It took me less than 5 minutes to unpack and hook this converter up. Give everything a look and see what you think.

[eriefisher]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Great stuff. I never thought about this. If you look around you can find routers pretty cheap and most of them can be converted to a bridge or just a switch.

Perfect solution, absolutely OS independent.

eriefisher

[lingenfr]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Late last year, I set up a LinkSys wireless router with a WUSB54GS adapter. And it was the most dodgy set-up I had ever seen. And this was running in Window$ and using the Window$ installation software. One minute it would work and the next it wouldn't.

Not arguing with you, but I have two of these. They worked fine in Dapper and continue to work fine in Feisty.

[Mike54]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Not arguing with you, but I have two of these. They worked fine in Dapper and continue to work fine in Feisty.

You are one of the few I've found that could make them work properly. I fought mine from the day I purchased it, to use in the Window$ environment. And I was pulling my hair out, trying to make Kubuntu recognize it.

Different strokes for different folks, right?

[lingenfr]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Agreed. They are fiddly as are all the Broadcom cards, I guess that I have so many of them I have had a lot of practice. It would be very helpful if they would include ndiswrapper in the default install.

[kbunt]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

I could be totally wrong about this one but as far as a KDE-oriented distro goes or using KDE as a desktop, maybe a *Buffalo Technology Wireless Ethernet Converter* or something similar is the way to go.

I know that it is probably possible to configure in Kubuntu or a KDE distro using the command line but as far as KDE apps go, I will go out on a limb and say it's way too complicated. At least, for this newbie it is.

What I am getting at is that I was able to easily (relatively speaking) configure wireless in Ubuntu (Gnome here) and Fedora. I did use LiveCds, though. But, could I reasonably assume an installed system would work similarly? However, note that this is only applicable to my USB adapter hardware:
Belkin F5D7050 ver. 4000, zydas zd1211b chipset with zd1211rw driver (already pre-compiled in the kernel) using:
Ubuntu 7.04 or Fedora 8 (theory is: using any Gnome apps or Gnome-oriented distro)

I don't know why this is but this is just my theory, FWIW. I could not, for the life of me, get this same device working in: *Kubuntu or *Debian (testing - was updated from Etch).

I'm just a newbie but I thought this might be an interesting circumstance to look at. I did read several instances of people having problems with the same device/chipset in other KDE desktop distros so I didn't think I was making an unreasonable guess here.

It might be something to keep in mind and think about or I could be totally missing something?

Btw, AFAIK, the zydas chipset and drivers are supposed to be one of the few ones supported in Linux and therefore, are quite common and bought for the sole purpose of hopefully having a relatively problem-free configuration in Linux (USB ones, that is).

I can't speak for other chipsets so my theory is 100% applicable to the mentioned chipset and Gnome apps.

If you have a USB adapter with the zydas zd1211b chipset and can't get it working in Kubuntu or a KDE-based desktop (distro), try a Gnome desktop or Gnome desktop distro. It might work with only slight tinkering (i.e. typing in your ESSID settings and passwords). The point is, this may be an issue for KDE developers to look at?

Edit:

Works out of the box with Feisty. No luck with Mepis, Sabayon, Xandros or madriva

Btw, all of those except for Feisty (I assume you mean Ubuntu?) are KDE.

[jayson.rowe]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

I have a Dlink dwg122G rev D1 that works fine in Kubuntu using the windows drivers in ndiswrapper...

I've been using it in my thinkpad R40 since my mini-pci wireless adapter decided to give up the ghost on me...

[eriefisher]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Quote
Works out of the box with Feisty. No luck with Mepis, Sabayon, Xandros or madriva
Btw, all of those except for Feisty (I assume you mean Ubuntu?) are KDE.

Yes they are all KDE. Feisty is Kubuntu. I'm not real fond of Gnome, never really stuck with it though.

eriefisher

[kbunt]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

Yes they are all KDE. Feisty is Kubuntu. I'm not real fond of Gnome, never really stuck with it though.

I agree but that was not my point. I was suggesting there is a discrepancy when it comes to how wireless networking works on Gnome compared to KDE. I am even more convinced when it comes to certain chipsets and drivers, for e.g., the Zydas project or more specifically, the zd1211b chipset and zd1211rw drivers. I have a thread in which I am having major problems trying to get my device to work in Kubuntu but for an experiment, I burned a LiveCD of Ubuntu 7.04 and it worked without much trouble at all.

I was so frustrated reading of people getting that device working 'out of the box' and a lot of people having problems with it and not getting it to work. "How can that be?!?" I'm thinking... well, now I suggest much of it has to do with how the app works. I suggest that the people getting it to work (without configuring using the command line) are using a Gnome distro whereas those using a KDE-based distro are having extra difficulties. I'm not sure how that is but that is my hypothesis. I even went to the KDE website to inquire about this and suggest my theory but I couldn't find anywhere to present this. I could be wrong, too, so I didn't want to post to a mailing list.

A lot of this is applicable to usb devices since I haven't been able to try the same experiement using a card device.

[cantab]

Re: wireless - does anything work?

I have a CNET USB adapter that uses the rt73 drivers. On Dapper they took quite some effort to get working and were never very stable - if the interface didn't connect at boot it would then hang when I tried.

In PCLinuxOS 2007 it worked out-of-the-box.

My advice is threefold
1) If you can use a wire, do so
2) Get an adapter that's known to work
3) Try different distributions