Ndiswrapper with Mandrake 9.2

[JayMan8081]

I have followed the directions from the INSTALL file included with the source for ndiswrapper verision 0.4. I can get the module to load and can properly configure the wireless card using iwconfig to set the ESSID, channel, and wep key. I then can ping other computers on my network but when I go to use the web it doesn't use the wireless card it still tries to use the built-in ethernet. I am using Mandrake 9.2 with kernel 2.4.22 and a wireless card with the bcm94306 chipset. When I go into the HardDrake it shows the wireless card as unknown hardware with no module even after I have loaded the ndiswrapper module. Anybody know how to get this to work properly? It's frustrating since it seems I am almost there. I already tried searching on these forums and a G4L search "Mandrake ndiswrapper" Thanks in advance!

[Icarus]

Is the LAN cable still plugged in? I'd assume you got an IP Address via DHCP through the LAN cable, so that would make since that it will try to use that.

Try this, unplug the LAN, boot the system. Does DHCP get an address for the wireless? if not why?
Check you access point and connection and try again.


ifconfig eth1 up
ifconfig eth0 down
iwconfig eth1 essid any (or what you have for a WAP)
dhclient eth1
ifconfig eth1 (should now show a valid IP Address)

[JayMan8081]

eth0 is unplugged when I am trying to use the wireless card for access. When I do dhclient wlan0 I get a bunch of errors and it doesn't assign an IP address to wlan0. I can manually give it an IP address by using ifconfig wlan0 192.168.0.106 and then can ping resources on my internal network. Right now I don't have my laptop with me so I can't give the specific error messages.

[Icarus]

getting a bunch of errors from dhclient might mean it's not finding the DHCP server to get an IP from

Is the error something like...

Jan 19 14:53:57 localhost dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on
eth1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 5

I'm sure I could recreate this error here by unplugging the LAN and making a DHCP request

If setting the IP manually works, maybe DHCP is not finding the WAP? Does iwconfig show you WAP in the essid?

This sounds more like a problem with DHCP then wireless to me, or both...?

If you manually set the IP, also set the /etc/resolv.conf for your DNS or internet won't work very well...does that work then?

[JayMan8081]

It wasn't that error that you described. I will try it again tonight and post the exact error tomorrow. Unfortunately my Internet connection at home is gone until this Saturday. When I use the wireless tools I can do a scan and it sees my access point and gives me it's properties. I will also try setting the /etc/resolv.conf with my DNS addresses as well.

[JayMan8081]

Okay, I tried again just now and it worked correctly. I just need to figure out how to get it to establish a connection automatically at boot up. These are the commands I enter after it boots up and it gave me a connection:

iwconfig wlan0 channel 10
iwconfig wlan0 key restricted s:password128
ifconfig wlan0 up
iwconfig wlan0 essid The\ Realm
dhclient wlan0

Thanks for the help though mahdi!

[Icarus]

make a backup of /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts
edit /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts to configure your card with your options

[JayMan8081]

Would I still edit /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts even if the card is a built-in mini-PCI and not PCMCIA? It is a Dell TrueMobile 1300 card. Thanks.

[Icarus]

I would say yes, but can't be totally sure (I use mostly defaults at home, haX0r m3 :))

I think it will still read that since iwconfig is coded to look at that file.

[Icarus]

I found the dhclient problem as I just loaded this on a fresh Fedora install...

there was no ifcfg-wlan0 script

In Red Hat/Fedora this should be in the network scripts at /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/
To make one simply copy the ifcfg-eth0 to ifcfg-wlan0 and edit it so DEVICE=wlan0

After doing this I was able to get an IP Address via dhclient wlan0

[JayMan8081]

That makes sense since I hadn't tried dhclient again after I created that file. The directory is the same on Mandrake as it in Red-Hat/Fedora. I had read somewhere else that I needed ifcfg-wlan0 and had put it in, but didn't try using dhclient after that. I will try adding more options to that file to see if I can get an IP address at boot time on Saturday when I get my Internet connection turned on at my new place. Thanks again for the help.

[Icarus]

Make sure you change the HWADDR= for the correct device also...otherwise it will use the wrong interface.

I noticed that this morning...

[Davy]

i don't suppose i could convince you to write a "how i did it" topic?

i have the same kernel, distro and wireless card; but have been super unsuccesful at getting it to work. according to the documentation from the ndiswrapper, you need a kernel atleast 2.4.24 so i just assumed that that was my problem. i guess i missed something somewhere.

[JayMan8081]

Check this thread in the How I Did It forum for more details on my setup and installation of the Ndiswrapper and Dell Drivers:

Ndiswrapper and Truemobile 1300 (http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=704653)