[NBLUG/talk] USB WiFi modems

Kyle Rankin kyle at nblug.org
Mon Sep 20 09:45:56 PDT 2004


On Sun, Sep 19, 2004 at 08:14:21PM -0700, R. C. Smith wrote:
> I think it doesn't work because  iwconfig shows no wireless extensions.  
> Wlan doesn't  do anything. When I booted Knoppix on a friends Centrino 
> everything worked without doing anything extra.
> 
> Augie Schwer wrote:
> 
> >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >Hash: SHA1
> >
> >From: R C Smith <rcsmithkd6fvi at comcast.net>
> > 
> >
> >>I have a QC 435 laptop that has a built-in USB 802.11b wireless modem. It 
> >>doesn't work using Knoppix. I have not installed a module before and in 
> >>this case have no idea what to install. 
> >>   
> >>
> >
> >What makes you think it does not work?
> >
> >Augie.
> >
> >

I would do more research on the specific wireless card that laptop uses,
particularly on http://www.linux-laptop.net/ and make note of the module
that you need for that device. There's a chance that Knoppix doesn't
include the module by default, especially if it is from a 3rd party (as
Klaus is careful about redistribution rules around software and opts to not
include software if there is a grey area).

After you find out what module it uses, run lsmod and see if that module is
loaded already in Knoppix, or if not, run locate <modulename>.o and see if
the module even exists on the CD (Klaus updates the locatedb before
creating an .ISO so locate works as expected).

-- 
Kyle Rankin
NBLUG President
The North Bay Linux Users Group
http://nblug.org
IRC: greenfly at irc.freenode.net #nblug 
kyle at nblug.org




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