my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

[ayush]

I just installed kubuntu 10.04 LTS using Wubi.
My wifi isn't working.
When I do $lshw -C network , it says my wireless card is disbaled.
How can I fix this? Pls help, I'm a newbie.

[Chopstick]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

I'm assuming you have a laptop?

You probably have some kind of hotkey or key combination to toggle WiFi on and off; it is possible that this is hard-wired and not controlled by KDE. Try switching it on using this hotkey (if you have).
(Usually you can install some patch to get these hotkeys under KDE control, but that depends on your laptop model.)

If Knetwork Manager is giving you problems you may also try WICD, it seems to be very reliable.

Hope that helps,
Chopstick

[GreyGeek]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

Ayush, we need more information.
The make and model of your PC.
The output of "lspci"

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=4216.0
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3080379.0

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

ayush@ubuntu:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Memory Controller Hub (rev 07)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB UHCI Controller #6 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 93)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation ICH9M LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation ICH9M/M-E SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 02)
05:00.0 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. SD/MMC Host Controller
05:00.2 SD Host controller: JMicron Technology Corp. Standard SD Host Controller
05:00.3 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. MS Host Controller
05:00.4 System peripheral: JMicron Technology Corp. xD Host Controller
ayush@ubuntu:~$

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

First of all, thanks for replying.

I'm using a HP pavilion dv4 laptop. There is a button to enable wifi. Its supposed to go from red to blue when you move a finger over it, but that isn't happening.
I did not face this problem with Ubuntu.
I can connect to the internet using a cable though.

Any help would be appreciated.

[dibl]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

So it's a Broadcom BCM4312.

Two points:

1. In BIOS, if there is a "enable wireless", you need to have it checked.

2. You need to download and install the firmware for the broadcom chip.

details:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1079111

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112634.0

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112697.0

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=2533847

http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

[wizard10000]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

So it's a Broadcom BCM4312.

Two points:

1. In BIOS, if there is a "enable wireless", you need to have it checked.

2. You need to download and install the firmware for the broadcom chip.

details:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1079111

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112634.0

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112697.0

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=2533847

http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

I have the same wireless chipset and restricted driver manager just picked it up and installed the firmware automatically.

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

So it's a Broadcom BCM4312.

Two points:

1. In BIOS, if there is a "enable wireless", you need to have it checked.

2. You need to download and install the firmware for the broadcom chip.

details:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1079111

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112634.0

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3112697.0

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=2533847

http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

But I don't need to do anything with ubuntu. Ubuntu automatically detects and enables my wireless card. Everything works fine. Then why do I need to install the firmware manually with kubuntu?

[dibl]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

Did you try KMenu > System > Hardware Drivers? Does it find your wireless chip?

[Chopstick]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

I don't know how old your Laptop is, but as far as I know support for some wireless chips was discontinued in recent Kernel releases; the Kernel should be the same in kubuntu and ubuntu, provided it is the same version.

So under which version of ubuntu did you wireless chip work?

[GreyGeek]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

.....
But I don't need to do anything with ubuntu. Ubuntu automatically detects and enables my wireless card. Everything works fine. Then why do I need to install the firmware manually with kubuntu?

Kubuntu != Ubuntu. Ubuntu apparently includes the BCM4312 driver and Kubuntu used that space for something else. There are probably other older machines with different wireless chips which Ubuntu doesn't include the drivers for on its CD. There is only so much room on a CD. That's why some distro create DVD sized iso files, which I think is overkill unless one doesn't have an Internet connection.

Plug in your ethernet cable and then do what dibl recommended:

KMenu > System > Hardware Drivers

That command will use your cable connection to download the bcm4312 firmware. Then your KNetworkManager will see your chip and when you left click on it you will be presented with a dialog showing AP in your area. Find yours, click on the "Properties" button and on that dialog enter your wireless password. Click "Ok", then on the AP list dialog click on your AP's "Connect" button.

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

Did you try KMenu > System > Hardware Drivers? Does it find your wireless chip?

I can't find "Hardware Drivers" in system settings.

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

Okay I just learned something new.

Previously, I had updated to Ubuntu 10.04 from Jaunty Jacklope (don't know the version). When I had installed Jaunty Jacklope (through Wubi), I could use wifi to connect withouy any problems. And I could even after updating to 10.04 LTS.

I uninstalled ubuntu because I wanted to install Kubuntu. But I thought my wifi problem had something to do with Kubuntu, so I decided to go back to Ubuntu. I downloaded the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS 64 bit iso and installed it through wubi. Guess what! No wifi this time even on ubuntu.
So this is obviously a 10.04 issue. Since it isn't working on ubuntu either, I've decided to stick with Kubuntu.

I downloaded the 64 Bit iso for both Kubuntu and Ubuntu. I remember the one I used to for Jaunty Jacklope (the version in which my wifi worked fine) was a 32 bit iso. This couldn't be the cause of the problem, could it?
I have a HP Pavillion dv4 laptop which has a 64 bit processor but its an Intel processor, not an AMD. Its a relatively new laptop. It has a core 2 duo processor with 4 GB RAM.

Please help.

[ayush]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

I don't know how old your Laptop is, but as far as I know support for some wireless chips was discontinued in recent Kernel releases; the Kernel should be the same in kubuntu and ubuntu, provided it is the same version.

So under which version of ubuntu did you wireless chip work?

Jaunty Jacklope. I think it was ubuntu 9.04

[dibl]

Re: my wifi won't work with kubuntu 10.04 LTS

I can't find "Hardware Drivers" in system settings.

I didn't say "system settings".

When you click the K menu, you have a menu named "System" -- that's where the package manager and performance monitor and stuff like that is. For Kubuntu, there's a "Hardware Drivers" item -- you need to click that and see if the wireless chip is showing there.