Can't get DWL-122 to work...

[Primal]

Hi everyone,
I'm a newbie to Linux and therefore Mandriva 2006 Free (Mini-Image - 1 CD).
The first thing I have to do is set up my WLAN. I was recommended a D-Link DWL-122 (USB) which I plugged in. HardDrake recognizes the stick as a network adapter (even gives the right name). Now the problems start:
I'm trying to configure the wireless-connection through the first of three points which is configuring the recognized stick. When I do this it says "No fitting device found" (loose translation) and jumps back to the selection-screen. Second option is "configure manually". I selected the "prism (USB)"-driver and I get the same result as in 1.
Third option is ndiswrapper, I had to install it: I downloaded the V1.02-driver for XP including NETPRISM.inf, PRISMUSB.sys, PRISMNDS.sys. When I point to that files it says "No working drivers found" or "Drivers not working" (don't remember exactly). So I tried the command-line. I did everything by the HOW-TOs and in the end "ndiswrapper -l" gives me an "invalid device/driver". It is EXACTLY the driver the ndiswrapper-site says is correct and I can't understand why it isn't working
Can anybody tell me what could be my next step? And please keep in mind I'm a newbie and don't understand "compile-your-own-kernel-mumbo-jumbo"
Thanks!

[AlexK]

Welcome to the forums Primal,
when using ndiswrapper, try using the drivers which came with the card on the cd. or take a look at this site to see what drivers other people used to get the card working.

[Primal]

Welcome to the forums Primal,
when using ndiswrapper, try using the drivers which came with the card on the cd. or take a look at this site to see what drivers other people used to get the card working.

Hi and thanks for answering.
Unfortunately that's exactly what I did
But I did improve: Appearently I had an old kernel running. Although I don't have a clue what I did, I downloaded "kernel-vanilla-2.6.12.4-205.mud.i686.rpm", added it in Mandriva Package Manager and installed it through Install Packages. 3 dependecies were also installed. After that I was able to update ndiswrapper to ndiswrapper-1.11rc2 and get to install the driver. It now says "driver present, hardware present". When I pull out the device it says "driver present". So this seems to be working. The next step of the howto says to run "iwconfig" and there "should be a wlan0 device present". Well... it isn't. There is no device present and when I use the GUI (HardDrake) I still got the same problems as before
It's driving me mad... especially because I always have to go back to WinXP to google
CU Primal

[AlexK]

When you installed the new kernel, did you by chance update the kernel source files as well?

Look at the results from these commands to see if the source files have been updated:

uname -r <--- tells you version of presently running kernel
ls -l /usr/src/linux  <--- the version should point to presently running kernel

Now for the wireless card, what do the following commands return (you need root access)?

ndiswrapper -l
iwconfig

Also look to see if you have the correct version of ndiswrapper installed and running with something like:

ndiswrapper --version

[Primal]

Okay, this is what I got:

[root@localhost ~]# uname -r
2.6.12-12mdk

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /usr/src/linux
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 18 Mär 11 00:46 /usr/src/linux -> linux 2.6.12-12mdk/

[root@localhost ~]# ndiswrapper -l
Installed drivers:
netprism driver installed, hardware present

[root@localhost ~]# iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

sit0 no wireless extensions.

Which version of ndiswrapper I use I couldn't find out (there is no such thing as "ndiswrapper --version). But I'm pretty sure it's ndiswrapper-1.11rc2.

So... what do I do next
CU Primal

[AlexK]

Ok, so the kernel sources are right and the correct drivres have been installed, now all you would have to do as root to get a wlan0 device is:

ndiswrapper -m
modprobe ndiswrapper

Also my mistake about the ndiswrapper --version command, it seems that ndiswrapper doesn't have an option to display which version number is running. That command was posted as I wanted to make sure that you were running the version of ndiswrapper you installed and not the one which came with Mandriva.

[Primal]

Okay, that didn't work. I typed in both commands and in iwconfig I still get no wlan0-device. I had a look into the syslog:

localhost kernel: ndiswrapper version 1.11rc2 loaded (preempt=no, smp=no)
localhost pam_console.dev[4474]: Restoring console permissions for /dev/ndiswrapper
localhost loadndisdriver loadndisdriver: load_driver(361): couldn't load driver netprism
localhost kernel: ndiswrapper (check_nt_hdr:149): Windows driver is not 64-bit; bad magic: 010B
localhost kernel: ndiswrapper (load_sys_files:213): couldn't prepare driver 'netprism'
localhost kernel: ndiswrapper (load_wrap_driver:111): loadndiswrapper failed (65280); check system log for messages from 'loadndiswrapper'
localhost kernel: ndiswrapper: probe of 1-8:1.0 failed with error -22

So something isn't working... I just don't know why. I used the correct driver... and I don't get that thing with 64-Bit driver?! Has that something to do with my Mandriva being an x64-image?!
Thanks!

[AlexK]

Ah so you are running on a 64-bit OS. Unfortunately very few wireless cards are presently supported in 64-bit mode. What you can do is this:

lsusb

if it shows the wireless card as a broadcom or some raelink card, then there is hope, else you'll have to revert back to a 32 bit OS.

[Primal]

Ah so you are running on a 64-bit OS. Unfortunately very few wireless cards are presently supported in 64-bit mode. What you can do is this:

lsusb

if it shows the wireless card as a broadcom or some raelink card, then there is hope, else you'll have to revert back to a 32 bit OS.

So... the 64-Bit-thing was the issue. I thought x64 could handle 32-Bit-drivers... So much for reading FAQs before downloading and installing a distro. With x64 it said "When you've got an AMD64 you wanna get this image". Not a word about the problems you could get...
But I wiped clean the drive, installed Ubuntu 5.10 (386) and now my WLAN works like a charm. That were four days wasted
Thanks for helping me along!
CU Primal

[AlexK]

No problem, glad to have been of assistance.

Also don't think of those days as wasted, think of it as a learning experience.