Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

[lingenfr]

Re: Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

Restricted Manager does grab the firmware for Broadcom-based cards today. I don't use it since the kernel driver only provides 11mbs versus 54mbs, but the capability is there. In order to really make something work, I would think you would have to get all NIC designers to agree a uni-driver type capability that would allow you to get online to download the proprietary driver.

I for one have no problem with vendors protecting the intellectual property they paid to develop. If would be nice if they could implement a HAL that would provide an API that masked the proprietary inner workings of their HW while provide an open description of the hooks, etc to access the functions of their HW.

[magikx21]

Re: Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

With multiple computers with different WiFi cards I have noticed they are quite easy to setup in Kubuntub but making them connect using knetwork manager always gives me a problem. I resolved this by installing Wireless Assistant and it connects great.

[maestrobwh1]

Re: Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

With multiple computers with different WiFi cards I have noticed they are quite easy to setup in Kubuntub but making them connect using knetwork manager always gives me a problem. I resolved this by installing Wireless Assistant and it connects great.

Yes, I generally have to ditch knetworkmanager in favor of WICD, as knetworkmanger is just really unreliable at times. I like the way it looks and is integrated into the distro, but it just doesn't work well, especially with ndiswrapper on SOME chipsets.

And, I do understand that one can use "restricted-manager" to enable and download a driver (fwcutter) but ndiswrapper is such a small package, I don't understand why it isn't on the CD. If someone has their windows driver, they don't need the net to get the net. Most people can wire up, but options would be nice.

I yanked my broadcom card and stuck a "not so recent" atheros mini pci in my ACER laptop. Good decision for $30 on ebay.

Wireless is a crapshoot, and it isn't really ubuntu's fault. Get an Airlink101 54G usb if you like ubuntu. It worked with the kubuntu kde4 live cd when my older atheros a/b/g card didn't (until I installed some restricted items from the repo). it also works with ndiswrapper on FaunOS. So it works natively in some distros, and with ndiswrapper in others. $21 on... yes, ebay.

[jglen490]

Re: Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

Restricted Manager does grab the firmware for Broadcom-based cards today. I don't use it since the kernel driver only provides 11mbs versus 54mbs, but the capability is there. In order to really make something work, I would think you would have to get all NIC designers to agree a uni-driver type capability that would allow you to get online to download the proprietary driver.

I for one have no problem with vendors protecting the intellectual property they paid to develop. If would be nice if they could implement a HAL that would provide an API that masked the proprietary inner workings of their HW while provide an open description of the hooks, etc to access the functions of their HW.

I have a Broadcom-based wifi card, too. The fwcutter package worked like a champ. Unless you have an ISP that feeds you at speeds greater than 11mbs, the only time a full 802.11g rate matters is in a local or peer-to-peer network setup. What most modern 802.11g wifi cards do provide are things like WPA2 with better security. My ISP feeds me at 6 - 8mbs and unless everyone else in the house is downloading at the same time, I do get speeds close to that across wireless from the router.

[jlittle]

Re: Painless WiFi Configuration - PLEASE READ AND VOTE

FWIW, my kubuntu experience nearly failed altogether at the start because there was no WiFi support. On my PC, an AMD64, the kubuntu installer decided there was no internet, and so disabled all repositories, so nothing worked. Even when I plugged in a LAN cable, no repositories meant nothing would install. Another, less persistent or familiar with unix, would have stopped there.