Linux Format forums

Re: RE: Netgear wg111 usb

acraigon — Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:42 am

Author: acraigon

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:42 am

ladi wrote:

Hi acraigon,

The steps you have taken look ok, but I suspect that your card does not even have an IP address just yet, unless you assigned a static IP address, which is probably unlikely.

You will need to ensure that there is a DHCP server running on your LAN, preferably on your router/access point. Of course, the DHCP client needs to be running on your machine to start with! You can check to see the status of your wireless card by running ifconfig -a (as root).

I have also found that ndiswrapper 1.5 does not seem to work if you do not broadcast your ESSID. I suspect that will be the same with v1.6 as well. I'm hoping it will be fixed in v1.7, so I can change my ESSID and then switch off broadcasting. There was a document I saw that says how to get around this, but let us verify what the problem is first.

I found this document useful, and it formed the basis of the script below which I use to start my wireless card. Once it's working properly, you can plug it into rc.inet1, so that it starts automatically at boot-up. You may need a similar script to take the interface down neatly at shutdown. Please feel free to check whether it works for you. However, I use wpa_supplicant rather than xsupplicant, which I am not very familiar with. I expect, however, that they serve similar purposes. Consider using wpa_supplicant if you are using WPA.

If you do stick with xsupplicant, remember to comment out the wpa line in my script and replace it with the xsupplicant equivalent. That line tells wpa_supplicant to use ndiswrapper to connect to the AP using the security settings in the wpa_supplicant.conf file.

Let us know how it goes.

========== script follows ==============

#!/bin/bash
#load ndiwapper interface
modprobe ndiswrapper
ndiswrapper -l
# activate wireless interface
ifconfig wlan0 up
# connect to access point with WPA encryption
wpa_supplicant -Dndiswrapper -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -B
# start dhcp to bring up network and procure IP address
dhcpcd wlan0
ifconfig
echo "wireless configuration completed"
#End of script

========== script ends ==============

I have wireless working on Zenwalk now. Thanks for your script very useful.

RE: Netgear wg111 usb

weekender — Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:06 pm

Author: weekender

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:06 pm

Hi,
To answer a previous query - make sure the wifi router is away/above any of those old chunky things called CRT monitors. I have one of those (being poor) and it can seriously affect the signal. Also keep the router away from any DEC phone base stations (>1m) and adjust the aerial - mine is at at 45'.

One last thought - make sure the router is running the latest stable firmware - this made a ral difference with my netgear dg834g now on v3.01.25.

Cheers

Re: RE: Netgear wg111 usb

acraigon — Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:24 pm

Author: acraigon

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:24 pm

[quote="ladi"]

Let us know how it goes.

Well I have wireless working on Mandrake,Suse and Redhat but still having problems with Zenwalk. I will let you know when I get it working on zenwalk as this is my operating system of choice!

RE: Netgear wg111 usb

ladi — Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:58 pm

Author: ladi

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:58 pm

Hi acraigon,

The steps you have taken look ok, but I suspect that your card does not even have an IP address just yet, unless you assigned a static IP address, which is probably unlikely.

You will need to ensure that there is a DHCP server running on your LAN, preferably on your router/access point. Of course, the DHCP client needs to be running on your machine to start with! You can check to see the status of your wireless card by running ifconfig -a (as root).

I have also found that ndiswrapper 1.5 does not seem to work if you do not broadcast your ESSID. I suspect that will be the same with v1.6 as well. I'm hoping it will be fixed in v1.7, so I can change my ESSID and then switch off broadcasting. There was a document I saw that says how to get around this, but let us verify what the problem is first.

I found this document useful, and it formed the basis of the script below which I use to start my wireless card. Once it's working properly, you can plug it into rc.inet1, so that it starts automatically at boot-up. You may need a similar script to take the interface down neatly at shutdown. Please feel free to check whether it works for you. However, I use wpa_supplicant rather than xsupplicant, which I am not very familiar with. I expect, however, that they serve similar purposes. Consider using wpa_supplicant if you are using WPA.

If you do stick with xsupplicant, remember to comment out the wpa line in my script and replace it with the xsupplicant equivalent. That line tells wpa_supplicant to use ndiswrapper to connect to the AP using the security settings in the wpa_supplicant.conf file.

Let us know how it goes.

========== script follows ==============

#!/bin/bash
#load ndiwapper interface
modprobe ndiswrapper
ndiswrapper -l
# activate wireless interface
ifconfig wlan0 up
# connect to access point with WPA encryption
wpa_supplicant -Dndiswrapper -iwlan0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -B
# start dhcp to bring up network and procure IP address
dhcpcd wlan0
ifconfig
echo "wireless configuration completed"
#End of script

========== script ends ==============

RE: Netgear wg111 usb

RD — Sun Dec 11, 2005 6:51 pm

Author: RD

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 6:51 pm

Hi

turns out after i took the router back to where i bought it from that it was broke luckly for me they gave me a brand new fully working one and now i get a full signal all the time

Re: RE: Netgear wg111 usb

acraigon — Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:14 pm

Author: acraigon

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:14 pm

Let me know the versions you have and I will be quite happy to step you through how I fixed mine. Also, if you'll tell us what you tried, and what problems/errors you encountered, that would help

[/quote]

I am using version 2.0.1 of Zenwalk and version 1.6 of ndiswrapper. I said that it sees my card using iwconfig but I am unable to connect to the router. I can change various settings with iwconfig and the iwconfig command shows wlan0 with settings which look fine. I have tried connecting to the router using http://192.168.0.1 but cannot connect. I tried downloading xsupplicant but that did not appear to work.

Netgear wg111

acraigon — Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:52 am

Author: acraigon

Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:52 am

I have managed to get Zenwalk to recognize my card using NDISWrapper.
1 - Compile kernel with wireless
2 - Install NDISWrapper
3 - Install drivers into the NDISWrapper directory
4 - Load the driver ndiswrapper -i net111v2
5 - List to make sure driver is there ndiswrapper -l
6 - modprobe ndiswrapper into kernel
7 - lsmod to check whether everything is ok
8 - setup using iwconfig

RE: Netgear wg111 usb

ladi — Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:44 pm

Author: ladi

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:44 pm

Hi there,

I run Zenwalk 1.3 and Slackware 10.1 happily with ndiswrapper and a D-Link DWL-G122 wireless USB adapter.

What version of ndiswrapper are you using? I would recommend v1.5 minimum, although I have read that v1.7 is out. You will also need the latest Windows XP drivers for your adapter from the manufacturer's website. What level of encryption are you using?

Let me know the versions you have and I will be quite happy to step you through how I fixed mine. Also, if you'll tell us what you tried, and what problems/errors you encountered, that would help

Ladi

Netgear wg111 usb

acraigon — Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:34 pm

Author: acraigon

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:34 pm

How do I get the above card working in Linux. I have rebuilt the kernel with wireless, downloaded ndiswrapper but I still cannot get my computer to talk to the card. Although ndiswrapper loads the driver it lists the card as invalid. I use this driver with windows! Anyone got any ideas!

RE: Re: RE: Wireless

Rhakios — Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:34 pm

Author: Rhakios

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 8:34 pm

Wireless access points can be a bit odd. I bought an Airport Extreme base station (thought it would go nicely with the PowerBook) and when I first used it I was underwhelmed by its apparent range. I had to hold my PMA430 about 6" above it to get any signal when the base station was placed on the desk next to my computer and with the PowerBook I couldn't move from the same room.
Since then I have put the base station on top of a book case, quite high up. Now the PMA430 works from the other side of the room and the PowerBook can reach it from the other end of the flat.

RE: Re: RE: Wireless

nelz — Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:06 pm

Author: nelz

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 7:06 pm

Ah, but I wasn't trying to connect to their network then, it was just that my network was secure enough to keep me out

RE: Re: RE: Wireless

ladi — Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:50 pm

Author: ladi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:50 pm

Quote:

What is wrong with testing for a signal. i wasn't suggesting anyone try to crack into their neighbour's network.

Oh, oh! Looks like I've upset the boss!

As you will notice from my expression, that was supposed to be a joke. I was not implying any such thing, and I'm sorry if it came across that way.

I was merely remembering a similar situation with neighbours in a previous thread

Re: RE: Wireless

nelz — Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:45 pm

Author: nelz

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:45 pm

ladi wrote:

You're supposed to be setting examples here!

What is wrong with testing for a signal. i wasn't suggesting anyone try to crack into their neighbour's network.

ladi wrote:

I bet Mr Saunders will have something to say about that!

You seem to have a thing about Mike and me being 'at each other's throats', I've no idea where you get that from.

RE: Wireless

M-Saunders — Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:04 pm

Author: M-Saunders

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:04 pm

"I bet Mr Saunders will have something to say about that!"

Eh? I'm too busy checking Lik-Sang every 3 femtoseconds, to see if my copy of Animal Crossing: Wild World has been posted. Aaargh... need... more... patience...

*head explodes*

M

RE: Wireless

ladi — Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:56 pm

Author: ladi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:56 pm

Quote:

Turn your AP off and see if you can get a signal from a neighbour, it worked for me

Come on, nelzie!
You're supposed to be setting examples here!

I bet Mr Saunders will have something to say about that!