New to linux and can't get Internet to connect.

[Kitty_King]

Hello.

I have a gateway laptop model no. MX6441 that I bought back in 2004. I just installed ubuntu linux over window Xp because that OS was damaged badly by a virus. Now my computer is running like the first day I bought it. I am very happy with linux so far. The only issue I have is that I can't connect to the Internet. I used to be able to access a wireless signal from my home computer upstairs with this same laptop back when it had windows installed.

It is my best guess that somehow my wireless device was turned off in the process of installation....I could be wrong, but that is what I have put together from reading other online forums on this topic. I tried using the fn + F2 command to turn it back on and nothing happens. Further, because there is no external wireless switch built onto the the side of my laptop as there is with other laptop models, I am wondering how it will be possible, if ever, to get Internet again.

I will welcome absolutely anything in the way of advice that can be offered (bearing in mind that I don't have a degree in computer engineering...) If my answer is a complicated one. Have mercy on me please and put it as simply as possible. Thank you.

[Shutdown]

Hi,

I am no pro either, but my guess is there is nothing wrong with your card and it is NOT turned off.

You need to get Ubuntu to recognize the card. I believe there are instructions on what commands you will need to run somewhere around this forum that will help others help you.

We need to know the type of wireless card you have, that way they can tell you what packages to install to get it to work.

[Kitty_King]

Ok, I think I can do that. I just tried searching for the type of wireless card I have. In windows I would have used device manager for this information. I don't know how to use linux well enough at this point to find what I need. There doesn't seem to be a device manager or an equivalent, so I did the next best thing. I went to Gateway for the specs on my computer model.

For Network this is what I have:
10/100 Mbps built-in Ethernet
802.11g Wireless LAN (up to 54 Mbps)
SecureEasySetup™, 125 High Speed Mode

Im not sure which one describes my wireless card, however.

[reed9]

We need more info to help out. Please read the sticky on setting up your wireless card and post the requested info.

It is almost certainly not because the wireless was turned off during install, but because you're lacking a driver or firmware for the card. In most cases, this is easily fixed.

Do you have access or can you get access to a wired connection for a short period? Most fixes are require downloading some packages.

[Kitty_King]

I don't think I can get a wired connection to my laptop....not easily, anyway. I am using my home computer right now. Would it be possible to download what I needed to a flash drive and transfer it over to install on my laptop?

[Kitty_King]

My chipset is: ATI Radeon® Xpress 200M Chipset (RS482M)

[Shutdown]

I don't think I can get a wired connection to my laptop....not easily, anyway. I am using my home computer right now. Would it be possible to download what I needed to a flash drive and transfer it over to install on my laptop?

Yeah that should work, you'll just have to mount that USB so you can access those files.

I don't know the exact mount command but I'm sure Reed can help you.

[reed9]

My chipset is: ATI Radeon® Xpress 200M Chipset (RS482M)

This is your graphics card. We're looking for the wireless. Please post the entire output of the commands listed in the sticky.

lspci
lsmod
dmesg | grep firmware
uname -r

[Kitty_King]

Thanks Shutdown. I am in the process of attempting to wrap my mind around this article that Reed9 send me: sticky on setting up your wireless card. I will probably also need to be shown where to enter computer commands in linux as well.

[reed9]

Hi Kitty_King, the terminal can be found at Applications menu -> Accessories -> Terminal.

Once you have it opened you can just type the commands in one by one, or use the script Waterhead posted. (There are instructions on how to do that. It's not too hard.) That will create a text file you can put on your flash drive to transfer to the computer you're using with internet connection, making it easier to post. Make sure you use code tags as described in the sticky.