how to setup wireless on fedora 11

rongr100 · #1 2009-09-18, 07:03 PM CDT

im new to Linux and was curious how to set up wireless on my laptop im assuming i need drivers any help would be appreciated

windows did it automaticly
i have a LATITUDE E5400 DELL LAPTOP

Ron

**stoat** · #2 2009-09-18, 07:20 PM CDT

Quote:

Originally Posted by rongr100

windows did it automaticly

Yeah. I know. I use Windows, too. That probably happens because nearly all of the computer hardware on Earth is conceived, designed, manufactured, and sold to work with Windows. And it's kinda hard to compete with that. Especially when most of those companies ignore Linux users and will not share their proprietary closed source drivers with Linux developers. But even that's understandable. They're corporations not foundations. They want to make money, and they have competitors. But some of them are coming around and helping out more. And the state of wireless drivers for Linux in general and Fedora in particular gets better day by day. But it's still not Windows. So here we are. Ready to get started?

The first step is to try to identify the chipset inside the wireless card. The model of your Dell laptop means even less than nothing. Here is how to get that information (maybe). Open a terminal in Fedora and run these commands...

Code:

su
lspci -nn | grep -i -e network -e wireless
lsusb

One of those might yield some information by which the next step can be formulated. Maybe. Maybe not.

rongr100 · #3 2009-09-21, 08:08 PM CDT

[root@Ron rongr100]# lspci -nn | grep -i -e network -e wireless
0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:432b] (rev 01)
[root@Ron rongr100]# lsusb
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 008 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

**stoat** · #4 2009-09-21, 08:30 PM CDT

Quote:

Originally Posted by rongr100

Code:

0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:432b] (rev 01)

There is not a built-in driver in Fedora for that chipset. Maybe someday the b43 driver will support it, but even that will require you to install firmware. However, that chipset is known to work with the new Broadcom 802.11 STA Linux driver (aka broadcom-wl). But again, it's not "automatic". You have to install it. If you can somehow connect to the Internet by wire to install this driver, then here are the steps...

Install the RPM Fusion repositories...

Code:

su
rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm 
rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm

Install broadcom-wl. This step assumes your current kernel is an i686 PAE kernel. You can check with uname -r. Anyway...
Code:
```
yum install kmod-wl-PAE
```
Reboot.
Check the NetworkManager panel applet for a list of available networks.

jjr87 · #5 2009-09-27, 10:23 PM CDT

Thank you! Should've came here first.

picxelplay · #6 2009-10-02, 05:49 PM CDT

Hey, I am new to Linux also. My wireless does not work on my laptop either in Fedora 11.

After I typed: lspci -nn | grep -i -e network -e wireless

I got: 00:0e.0 Network controller [0280]: RaLink RT2500 802.11g Cardbus/mini-PCI

What do I do now?

I have been reading that I need ndiswarapper, but man, I cannot find any decent tuts out there that explain how to install it.

Any help would be appreciated!

BTW: Nice rant stoat

bbfuller · #7 2009-10-03, 03:17 AM CDT

Hello picxelplay

Welcome to the forum.

There used to be a driver included in the kernel that ran rt2500 chipsets. Though I never managed to get it to work with mine for the last 18 months.

I think we had better check if that is loading first because if you are going the ndiswrapper route it may be necessary to blacklist it.

If you run the command:

Code:

lsmod | grep rt

and post back the output we can talk about that.

As to ndiswrapper. Do you have internet access on the machine? I've notes for doing it both ways and if you let me know I'll post back those which are necessary.

picxelplay · #8 2009-10-03, 05:56 AM CDT

Hey thanks bbfuller for replying.

I ran lsmod | grep rt, and got:

Code:

rt2500pci              14604  0 
rt2x00pci               6588  1 rt2500pci
rt2x00lib              33352  2 rt2500pci,rt2x00pci
input_polldev           3212  1 rt2x00lib
mac80211              175092  2 rt2x00pci,rt2x00lib
cfg80211               51676  2 rt2x00lib,mac80211
eeprom_93cx6            1752  1 rt2500pci

I do have wired internet access on this laptop in fedora.

If this helps, I followed the instructions on http://fedoramobile.org/fc-wireless/ndis-yum-livna but I got stuck on Step 9. I downloaded the driver files, but could not get the cp command to work. It said cp: cannot stat `rt2500.inf': No such file or directory. --And I downloaded it to the desktop and had the right file name like it said, but it was a no go. If this helps, cool, if not and we are going to do it another way, thats fine with me. I just really want to get this working so I can sink my teeth into Linux Desktop usage, and kiss windows goodbye (except for business)

bbfuller · #9 2009-10-03, 07:26 AM CDT

Hello picxelplay

Let's worry about ndiswrapper second, because you have the rt2500 drivers loading there for your card.

We have to blacklist those if you are going to use ndiswrapper.

Have you tried using them though?

There are several ways of trying to control wireless cards in Fedora, but only one is likely to meet with success.

NetworkManager is located in the notification area of the panel in both Gnome and KDE just to the left of the clock. Left clicking on it may show you available wireless access points, left clicking on one of those........

Give it a try and get back to me.

picxelplay · #10 2009-10-03, 02:41 PM CDT

Man I have messed around with the Network Manager in the top right hand corner for hours before. When I click the bubble to activate my home wireless connection, it just keeps going around in a circle with the two blue balls, then finally says "Disconnected:The network connection has been disconnected." I have wireless enabled and I also have the physical wireless button on the laptop on.

Simz · #11 2009-10-03, 03:03 PM CDT

have you tried WEP?

bbfuller · #12 2009-10-03, 03:40 PM CDT

Hello picxelplay

Yes, well, it was best tried, but that's been my experience with the rt2500 as well.

I wouldn't really recommend trying the WEP option. If you want security that's about as secure as no encryption at all. It may work, but it's not safe for long term use.

If we are going ahead with ndiswrapper here then you will need to prevent the rt2500 driver from working.

To do that, edit the file:

Quote:

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

you will see how it is constructed. It will need three lines added to the end of it:

Code:

blacklist rt2500pci 
blacklist rt2x00pci 
blacklist rt2x00lib

When we get ndiswrapper going there may be other entries to make there but maybe not.

I note that the howto you are referring to talks about using the livna repository. That hasn't held ndiswrapper for current Fedoras since midway through Fedora 9.

The instructions below are those current for ndiswrapper. You will just need to modify them for the particular driver you are using.

Quote:

Code:

uname -r

to find your running kernel. That will either be PAE or not.

then:

Code:

su -

That's a space and a minus sign after the su. It gives full root rights over the machine, not just over your own environment which is what you get with plain su.

If you haven't already, install the rpmfusion repositories:

Code:

rpm -Uvh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm http://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-stable.noarch.rpm

Install ndiswrapper:

Code:

yum install kmod-ndiswrapper

or:

Code:

yum install kmod-ndiswrapper-PAE

depending on which kernel you discovered.

This should bring in the three relevant packages.

Then set up and configure ndiswrapper with:

Code:

ndiswrapper -i <path to your windows driver file>.inf

should install the driver,

Code:

ndiswrapper -l

if it is going to work should return "driver present" and "hardware present"

Code:

modprobe ndiswrapper

should load the driver into the kernel, but probably only until you reboot.

If you are lucky now and NetworkManager is running then after a short while it 'may' begin reporting wireless networks. NetworkManager is the preferred method of connecting to wireless networks with Fedora and should be located in the notification area of either KDE or Gnome just to the left of the clock.

If wireless does not begin working:

Code:

service NetworkManager restart

should kickstart it.

If it works, or indeed if it doesn't you will also need to run:

Code:

ndiswrapper -mi

to ensure the ndiswrapper module loads each time of booting.

Please remember that ndiswrapper is only happy with Windows XP/98 drivers and doesn't get on with Windows Vista drivers. Of those it doesn't happily so-exist with all XP/98 drivers either. Be prepared to experiment if your original doesn't work.

picxelplay · #13 2009-10-03, 03:42 PM CDT

@Simz
My router is running in WPA Security mode, which other laptops in the house (running windows) are connected to just fine. I have tried to input my WPA Shared key, but the laptop still will not connect.

My wireless network shows up in the drop down list, but just will not connect.