Please recommend a wireless G Card

[Henk Koster]

On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:43:39 -0500, Home wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I'm new to the list.
> 
> My question is very basic.
> 
> I want to try out Linux again (I ran Red Hat about five or six years ago
> and gave up on it for compatibility reasons). I've been running Windows
> ever since.
> 
> I want to try out Ubuntu on an older Compaq laptop that lacks an Ethernet
> port. I have a Notebook Network Card (PCMCIA) from Belkin (F5D5020) but no
> Linux installer (I've ever tried) recognizes it, which makes the computer
> virtually useless. (I can't access the Internet once Linux is installed.)
> 
> I also have a Wireless Notebook Network Card (F5D7010) from Belkin
> (Wireless G), which I have never successfully fired up via Linux. I
> probably just run out of patience.
> 
> So... my question. What Wireless G card (PCMCIA) can I use that Ubuntu
> will *effortlessly* (or nearly so) recognize during install? I'm willing
> to go out & buy it so that I can avoid all the fiddle faddle. (Since my
> last Linux foray, I have installed three children into my Life, which is
> still in BETA.)
> 
> Patrick

I scanned through the Ubuntu forums a couple of months ago, then bought
the NetGear WG511T PC-Card (PCMCIA) -- it has the Atheros chipset for
which the "madwifi" driver is available in the linux-restricted-modules
package for the installed kernel. It works out-of-the-box and as
effortlessly as you would want it. 

Now, after installation, my advice is not to mess with iwconfig and
/etc/network/interfaces and the like, and not to install the
network-manager package (the one that runs nm-applet) -- that interferes
with the way Gnome/Ubuntu networking has been set up. All you need is
to insert the card, choose the System/Administration/Networking menu;
highlight the wireless interface (it'll say not configured); choose
Properties; and check the "enable" button. Now you can choose the essid,
the WEP-key and DHCP (or the Static details), press OK and activate the
interface (it's called ath0). This procedure takes care of
/etc/network/interfaces for you, no need to do it yourself. You need do
this configuration only once.

If you leave the card/connection up when you shut down, it will come back
up automatically the next time you boot. You can also deactivate the
interface before shutting down, then you need to activate it again
yourself after you boot the next time. The latter may be advisable if you
plan to lug your laptop around a lot and log in at other essids as well.

Try it.

-- 
H.A.J. Koster
"Behavioral axioms are right, but agents make mistakes..."
(attributed to L.J. Savage)