markitz
2007-12-25, 12:16 PM CST
Hello FedoraForum helpers!
I've got a problem with my new laptop, Toshiba Satellite A210-10W. The wireless doesn't work under Fedora 8. A brand new, freshly updated install of it, actually.
Here's how my network works. I've got a wireless Thomson SpeedTouch router. It's got four connections for physical (wired) links, one USB connection, and of course, a WiFi certified sticker, just like the laptop has.
The router is connected to the Internet at all times. It's protected from unauthorized connections from other wireless devices by a WEP [hex], WPA PSK, a TCM, and a SSID. All this numbers, along side MAC and a couple of other numbers, are printed on the bottom side of the router.
In reality, I didn't have to think about, let alone know about all this until I got this laptop.
My desktop computer works like this. It's a dual boot with a Windows XP installation and a Fedora 7 installation. In both cases the Internet connection worked just by plugging in a cable with no configuration.
Then came the laptop. The laptop has Vista preinstalled. So I fired up Vista, it recgonized my own and a couple of neighbors wireless networks and notified me about their presence. I sellected mine, entered the WEP key and the wireless just worked under Vista from there on.
Couple of days ago I thought: "Well, for the most part, all the tools I need for work are available on any fresh Linux installation, why not use Fedora 8 as my default workspace. It would be so much nicer".
So, I installed Fedora 8 on the laptop, along side Vista. It installed nicely, boot up nicely, with only warnings about how it couldn't establish an IP adress for eth0 because there's no cable present, which was true - there wasn't a cable present. There was a warning [failed] about the wireless port, but it was the first time I've seen it and don't remember it, having no experience with wireless, let alone wireless on Linux.
To my great shock, I wasn't notified about any networks available! But that was easy to mend, the NetworkManager service wasn't started by default. So I started it, added the nm-applet to the notification area. Still, no go.
When clicked on, nm-applet showed two options at the top, both greyed out. One was "Wired Network" with an "O" left of it and a "Wireless Network". I couldn't select neither, but I chose the option from the same menu to add a new wireless network. So I went step by step, adding afore mentioned keys (WEP, SSID)... but still no go. It constantly asked me for "secret information about the wireless network" (not an exact quote).
So I went back to Vista and check the settings and the properties of the wireless connection, and established that I entered nothing wrong. The WEP was correct, the SSID was correct, the MAC which both Fedora and Vista acquired automatically was correct.
Then I went to System > Administration > Network and saw that both ethernet and wireless were both inactive. Ethernet being inactive without a cable pluged in is normal, but the wireless thing was bugging me. I tried editing the settings of the wireless device a couple of time and removing it altogether and adding a new one... didn't help.
So I left it alone for a couple of days, it's Christmas and all and relaxed... and played Wesnoth on the Vista boot :)
Now, when I log the wireless hardware isn't even recognized, and it was recognized correctly (Atheros AR5007EG). When I try to ad a new device or a new hardware in the Network Configuration dialog the Atheros is missing altogether. But when I go back to Vista the wireless works perfectly and if I plug a cable in the laptop it goes instant on! So the hardware is good.
So... what's the deal here? I've got a feeling that a solution is a blatantly simple setting somewhere, but I just don't know it.
Please help me. If I sort this up, Fedora and Linux is going to get serious credibility, here, were I work. Were already on OpenOffice and lot's of other free tools. If I could just get this wireless thing set up....
I've got a problem with my new laptop, Toshiba Satellite A210-10W. The wireless doesn't work under Fedora 8. A brand new, freshly updated install of it, actually.
Here's how my network works. I've got a wireless Thomson SpeedTouch router. It's got four connections for physical (wired) links, one USB connection, and of course, a WiFi certified sticker, just like the laptop has.
The router is connected to the Internet at all times. It's protected from unauthorized connections from other wireless devices by a WEP [hex], WPA PSK, a TCM, and a SSID. All this numbers, along side MAC and a couple of other numbers, are printed on the bottom side of the router.
In reality, I didn't have to think about, let alone know about all this until I got this laptop.
My desktop computer works like this. It's a dual boot with a Windows XP installation and a Fedora 7 installation. In both cases the Internet connection worked just by plugging in a cable with no configuration.
Then came the laptop. The laptop has Vista preinstalled. So I fired up Vista, it recgonized my own and a couple of neighbors wireless networks and notified me about their presence. I sellected mine, entered the WEP key and the wireless just worked under Vista from there on.
Couple of days ago I thought: "Well, for the most part, all the tools I need for work are available on any fresh Linux installation, why not use Fedora 8 as my default workspace. It would be so much nicer".
So, I installed Fedora 8 on the laptop, along side Vista. It installed nicely, boot up nicely, with only warnings about how it couldn't establish an IP adress for eth0 because there's no cable present, which was true - there wasn't a cable present. There was a warning [failed] about the wireless port, but it was the first time I've seen it and don't remember it, having no experience with wireless, let alone wireless on Linux.
To my great shock, I wasn't notified about any networks available! But that was easy to mend, the NetworkManager service wasn't started by default. So I started it, added the nm-applet to the notification area. Still, no go.
When clicked on, nm-applet showed two options at the top, both greyed out. One was "Wired Network" with an "O" left of it and a "Wireless Network". I couldn't select neither, but I chose the option from the same menu to add a new wireless network. So I went step by step, adding afore mentioned keys (WEP, SSID)... but still no go. It constantly asked me for "secret information about the wireless network" (not an exact quote).
So I went back to Vista and check the settings and the properties of the wireless connection, and established that I entered nothing wrong. The WEP was correct, the SSID was correct, the MAC which both Fedora and Vista acquired automatically was correct.
Then I went to System > Administration > Network and saw that both ethernet and wireless were both inactive. Ethernet being inactive without a cable pluged in is normal, but the wireless thing was bugging me. I tried editing the settings of the wireless device a couple of time and removing it altogether and adding a new one... didn't help.
So I left it alone for a couple of days, it's Christmas and all and relaxed... and played Wesnoth on the Vista boot :)
Now, when I log the wireless hardware isn't even recognized, and it was recognized correctly (Atheros AR5007EG). When I try to ad a new device or a new hardware in the Network Configuration dialog the Atheros is missing altogether. But when I go back to Vista the wireless works perfectly and if I plug a cable in the laptop it goes instant on! So the hardware is good.
So... what's the deal here? I've got a feeling that a solution is a blatantly simple setting somewhere, but I just don't know it.
Please help me. If I sort this up, Fedora and Linux is going to get serious credibility, here, were I work. Were already on OpenOffice and lot's of other free tools. If I could just get this wireless thing set up....