"Ben Bacarisse" <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> wrote in message
news:87od81epdn.fsf@bsb.me.uk...
> "David" <dave@antispam.invalid> writes:
>
>> Running Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) on a desktop PC using (or trying to) a
>> Linksys WMP54G PCI wifi card (that uses a Broadcom BCM4306 chipset.)
>> Trying to connect to a Netgear DG834 adsl router.
>> It works using windows xp just fine.
>> It doesn't in Ubuntu no matter what I seem to do, althugh it's fine using
>> a
>> wired connection.
>>
>> Tried latest "restricted" Broadcom drivers in Ubuntu and even compiled
>> them
>> myself to check.
>>
>> lspci gives:
>> (cut version)
>> 00:0f.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g
>> Wireless
>> LAN Controller (rev 03)
>> 00:11.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
>> RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
>> From which I assume the card and drivers are okay????
>
> Nope. They probably are OK, but you tell that by the fact the they
> have brought up an interface (see later). The above is taken from a
> table and just identifies the hardware.
>
>> But using wifi radar or wicd I can't establish an ip address.
>
> What happens if you try to let Ubuntu do it all itself? I.e. can't
> the network manager get you connected?
>
>> Now iwconfig says there is a card there but states encrypt is off , even
>> though I have setup WEP with a password (to avoid WPA added complications
>> at
>> this time.)
>> Also it seems to say RX is invalid??? Dont know what that means.
>
> Rx is receive (as opposed to Tx -- transmit) so...
>
>> Here it is:
>> IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"sally000"
>> Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
>> Tx-Power=27 dBm
>> Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2346 B
>> Encryption key:off
>> Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
>> Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
>
> this says there have been 0 receive errors (none due to invalid nwid,
> none due to invalid frag, etc).
>
>> Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
>>
>> Also the PC is next to the wireless router (2 feet away) so is the signal
>> level rather low? But it does work with XP as I said above..
>
> Yes. It looks like either the driver does not report the signal
> strength (unlikely) or it is not really working. What does dmsg have
> to say about the driver. For example, I need the ipw2200 driver and I
> get:
>
> $ dmesg | grep ipw
> [ 7.682082] ipw2200: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200/2915 Network Driver,
> 1.2.2kmprq
> [ 7.682088] ipw2200: Copyright(c) 2003-2006 Intel Corporation
> [ 7.684676] ipw2200: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network
> Connection
> [ 5.223188] ipw2200: Detected geography ZZD (13 802.11bg channels, 0
> 802.11a channels)
>
> I do all this sort of stuff with WEP off to start with. From the
> bottom up you need:
>
> - The driver to find some hardware it understands.
> - The hardware to associate with the right AP
> - The interface to be given an address (often just by using DHCP).
> - The routing tables to be correctly set up
> - The right DNS server.
>
> If the hardware is working, I'd expect
>
> $ iwlist scan
>
> to show your AP. Does it?
>
> --
> Ben.

Ben,
Really appreciate your help.
Answering your questions:
1.Just using net manager didn't help. Same "cant establish an IP" issue.
2.Yes I knew what rx and tx stand for but wasn't sure what this all meant. I
guess no errors is because there isn't any comunication going on.
3.Tried dmesg | grep ipw with and without sudo but got no response, just
threw me back to the prompt.
4.Have tried with and without WEP but no difference.
5.iwlist scan gives:
--------------------
lo Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wmaster0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:18:4D:49:2C:0E
ESSID:"sally000"
Mode:Master
Channel:5
Frequency:2.432 GHz (Channel 5)
Quality=81/100 Signal level=-45 dBm Noise level=-68
dBm
Encryption key:on
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=00000005d64ca233
Cell 02 - Address: 00:01:38:8F:A8:8C
ESSID:"zoom"
Mode:Master
Channel:10
Frequency:2.457 GHz (Channel 10)
Quality=55/100 Signal level=-68 dBm Noise level=-68
dBm
Encryption key:off
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s
48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=00000001225691da

---------------------------
My wireless net SSID is sally000. The unprotected "zoom" is next door. I
have told them about this before!! They are lucky it's me that's their
neighbour! and not someone less scrupulous.!
So iwlist doesn't seem to show my AP.

I even reseated the PCI card, rebooted and did this all again.
Then did a sudo iwconfig which gave:
---------
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wmaster0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSID:"sally000"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.432 GHz Access Point: 00:18:4D:49:2C:0E
Tx-Power=27 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2346 B
Encryption key:A7C3-E7FF-5E
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0
--------

Note encryption now seems to be recognised. This is what I am uneasy about.
How things seems to change back and forth. Flaky.


In addition: I tried to connect using a static IP. Using wifi radar it said
it had connected to the IP I had set up but when I disconnected the wired
LAN cable I found the connection didn't work.
As an aside must I unplug the network cable if I try to use wireless?

Does this help you to help me. Just ask if you need more clues.
Thanks again
Dave