Can I get my wireless going with Interne?

I am new to Ubuntu 8.10 installed it over openSUSE 11.1 today, yesterday it was openSUSE 11.1 ( replaced Windows Vista completely) I guess that was my first mistake, however I still have the complete system on my original hard drive and a full system recovery backup on seagate ext hd. But since I replaced Windows Vista, I don't have any internet access anymore.

Here is my issue, since I cannot access the internet at all. I am on my desktop right now. I cannot hardwire into system in this location, it is embarq wireless in a sorority house with 18 other girls on it. I don't feel comfortable fiddling with the system here and taking a chance on knocking out the system.

If this config has to be able to go online, and I cannot, I guess I should give up on having this system on my pc, and try to crawl on bended knee back to my old hard drive that has the old Vista Home Basic on it, brush it off and put into my laptop and see if it will go?

Would anyone care to help me? I read that this forum was part of the highly rated support that comes with Linux, I would like to feel the love.....thanks!

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Originally Posted by jimmieanna

I cannot access the internet at all.

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Could you under openSuse?
Have you ever connected to the internet under linux?
What kind of computer do you have?
What kind of wireless adapter do you have, how is it connected to your computer?
Does the wireless network you're trying to use require a password or can anybody get on it?

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Originally Posted by dijetlo

Could you under openSuse?
Have you ever connected to the internet under linux?

No I was unable to. I found that I needed a driver on openSuse

What kind of computer do you have? laptop is a ...dell inspiron 1501
What kind of wireless adapter do you have, My wireless card is a 1390 wlan mini card
how is it connected to your computer? it was factory installed, if that is what you mean?
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Does the wireless network you're trying to use require a password or can anybody get on it?

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it is security enabled


Last night I got far enough to find out I needed a driver that had to be installed via Internet connection....


Here is the error I found: March 5 15:11 linux -0955 kernel:b43-phyO ERROR: You must go to b43 - Linux Wireless and download the latest firmware (v 4)

I could not do that because I could not get online with this laptop. (btw I am on it tonight) I just put the old harddrive with vista back in it, the newer model hd 160g seagate is sitting collecting dust. oh well~

Anyway I digress, I must have been too liberal last night tweeking my system, cause openSUSE would not even open back up this morning, so that is when I just decided to try Ubuntu and it still on other HD.

I have this crazy idea to try and put vista back on the seagate hd and leave the ubuntu on there and see if I can go from there. Seems rather desperate in a way, but I really need to put a new harddrive on this pc, and since I am either going to have to invest in new MS upgrade or try to learn a little about Linux, no way around needing more HD. This HD is only 60gb.

So if this plan works, that would give me the Internet connection I guess? I still am not sure how that switching between os's work, but seems that is what most computer savvy folks are doing. Not me....I just barreled in, luckily I still have everything intact.

btw.....thank you for answering me....:)

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This HD is only 60gb.

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If you can put both hard drives in at the same time you can set it up to boot off either linux or windows.

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btw.....thank you for answering

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No problem I didn't solve your issue, you did.

This pretty much tells it all:

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March 5 15:11 linux -0955 kernel:b43-phyO ERROR: You must go to b43 - Linux Wireless and download the latest firmware (v 4)

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It tells me that you have a Broadcom wireless. They require firmware to be installed, before it will work. Before I get any further, you should post more detailed info with your help request. Read this How-To and post the info that it tells how to find:

Wireless Setup - Start Here

Now, I realize that you may no longer have Linux installed. :( So next time you can do this. There is no distro (that I know of) that includes the firmware, so it will need to be installed after the distro is installed. This is most easily done by first hooking up to the internet using a wired LAN connection. Then the process is distro specific, so you would need to tell us which disgtro you have installed.

If there is absolutely no way to get a wired connection, then you can download the needed firmware on a PC that has internet. Then copy it to the unconnected computer and manually install it. Again, the firmware package that you need depends on the Linux distro that you use.

"If you can put both hard drives in at the same time you can set it up to boot off either linux or windows."

I can use that Data Transfer gizmo that I bought to hook up the external hard drive to my laptop, I guess? I would be connected with a usb cord. I am going to read up on the "how tos" to try that and see.

Waterhead, thanks so much for replying, no I don't have Linux on this pc at the moment, but I still have Ubuntu on my new HD. So I am not giving up, just tried to swim out too far from shore first try.

I have never been able to use the "wired" connection on this pc, even at my mom's last summer, it just wouldn't work, so we just bought a wireless router for me to use when I visit her. So as far as I know, I would have to do this either by having both os on my pc and then I can use the windows wireless? I don't even know if that is going to help me setting up the Linux driver I need?

I am sorry about posting in wrong place? I was just trying to figure out this "wireless" connection dilemma? I will go to the "Wireless Setup - Start Here" from here.

Thanks

You didn't post in the wrong place. If I inferred that, it was unintentional.

Your wired connection may not have worked in the past because there was no driver. Depending on the age of the PC vs the age of the distro that you installed, the PC may have been newer than the distro. If there is newly released hardware in the PC, an older distro won't have drivers. Make sense?

I have located the firmware that you can download, and then add it manually. This should then make the wireless work. Here is a direct link to the package.

http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/intre...fuego1_all.deb

The site and repository that this came from can be found here:

Cafuego's Custom Packages

If you have this package saved to a USB drive, you can now install Ubuntu 8.10 again (if you need to). Then try double-clicking it to install it. I think that the proper application will start up, to install it. You will most likely need to give your password when asked to.

Good Luck!

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I would be connected with a usb cord. I am going to read up on the "how tos" to try that and see.

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If your using your computer as a tool it will make the learning curve for linux less painful. In emergencies you can fall back to the microsoft install to get something done until you learn how to do it in linux.Linux does a lot more than windows, you just have to know how.

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I read that this forum was part of the highly rated support that comes with Linux,

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Not bad for free, huh? And no hold music...
Listen to waterhead, he knows wireless much better than I and will walk you through it,.

Alright, thanks so much for the "free'' help folks! I am going to give it whirl. I will report back with the outcome, thanks for the heads up on using the usb, I hadn't thought of that. :))

You folks are the best!