Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Wireless Networking--WTF?!!

[Rockerbabysitter]

Okay, I've got the same newbie problem as the other newbies regarding wireless networking. I got it up and running a few months back, but the nimrod I rent from did something with his Verizon router and screwed everything up; we've got Ubuntu 8.04 on a Dell Dimension 4600C. Now I have to try getting my gf's Netgear WG111v3 back up & running. I've tried reinstalling all the ndiswrapper packages; the WB111v3 wireless dongle shows up as installed hardware, and I get the connection status bar at the top right, but I cannot connect to any web pages. So, from the beginning, can somebody please help get this working again? I realize everyone's machine is unique, and I have included some codes for diagnosis. Do I need to remove/reinstall any components? thanks for any help you may provide...

Here's a list of commands; let me know what else you need:

user@user-desktop:~$ ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0b:db:8b:fa:84
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
Interrupt:18

eth0:avahi Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0b:db:8b:fa:84
inet addr:169.254.9.223 Bcast:169.254.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
Interrupt:18

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:20310 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:20310 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:1020327 (996.4 KB) TX bytes:1020327 (996.4 KB)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:22:3f:ee:bc:af
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:1641 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:2117 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:213729 (208.7 KB) TX bytes:257651 (251.6 KB)

user@user-desktop:~$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSIDff/any
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Bit Rate:54 Mb/s Tx-Power:20 dBm Sensitivity=0/3
RTS thrff Fragment thrff
Power Managementff
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

user@user-desktop:~$ ndiswrapper -l
wg111v3 : driver installed
device (0846:4260) present

user@user-desktop:~$ lsusb
Bus 005 Device 003: ID 0846:4260 NetGear, Inc.
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 05dc:a764 Lexar Media, Inc.
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

user@user-desktop:~$ lshw
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
user-desktop
description: Computer
width: 32 bits
*-core
description: Motherboard
physical id: 0
*-memory
description: System memory
physical id: 0
size: xxxMiB
*-cpu
product: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.66GHz
vendor: Intel Corp.
physical id: 1
bus info: cpu@0
version: 15.2.9
size: 18EHz
width: 32 bits
capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe up pebs bts cid xtpr
configuration: id=0
*-cache:0
description: L1 cache
physical id: 0
size: 8KiB
*-cache:1
description: L2 cache
physical id: 1
size: 512KiB
*-pci
description: Host bridge
product: 82865G/PE/P DRAM Controller/Host-Hub Interface
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: driver=agpgart-intel module=intel_agp
*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: 82865G Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: vga_controller bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-usb:0
description: USB Controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #1
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: uhci bus_master
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:1
description: USB Controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #2
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.1
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: uhci bus_master
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:2
description: USB Controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #3
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.2
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: uhci bus_master
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:3
description: USB Controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #4
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.3
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: uhci bus_master
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=0 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:4
description: USB Controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1d.7
bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.7
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: ehci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 module=ehci_hcd
*-pci
description: PCI bridge
product: 82801 PCI Bridge
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1e
bus info: pci@0000:00:1e.0
version: c2
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master
*-communication UNCLAIMED
description: Communication controller
product: Conexant
vendor: Conexant
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=64
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: BCM4401 100Base-T
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:01:01.0
logical name: eth0
version: 01
serial: 00:0b:db:8b:fa:84
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=b44 driverversion=2.0 latency=64 module=ssb multicast=yes
*-isa
description: ISA bridge
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Interface Bridge
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: isa bus_master
configuration: latency=0
*-ide:0
description: IDE interface
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) IDE Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.1
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: ide bus_master
configuration: driver=ata_piix latency=0 module=ata_piix
*-ide:1
description: IDE interface
product: 82801EB (ICH5) SATA Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ide bus_master
configuration: driver=ata_piix latency=0 module=ata_piix
*-serial UNCLAIMED
description: SMBus
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: latency=0
*-multimedia
description: Multimedia audio controller
product: 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.5
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.5
version: 02
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=Intel ICH latency=0 module=snd_intel8x0
*-scsi
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@4
logical name: scsi4
capabilities: scsi-host
configuration: driver=usb-storage
*-network
description: Wireless interface
physical id: 2
logical name: wlan0
serial: 00:22:3f:ee:bc:af
capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ndiswrapper+wg111v3 driverversion=1.52+NETGEAR Inc.,05/11/2007,5.1 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11g
user@user-desktop:~$
user@user-desktop:~$

[MaindotC]

Your wireless card isn't connected to an access point and does not have an IP address assigned. Please consult the Ubuntu Wireless Troubleshooting Guide for troubleshooting this issue. Also, when you post output from a shell please enclose it in [code] tags.

[ieee488]

You really should consider upgrading to 9.10

There was a sizeable jump in wireless compatibility from 8.04

[MaindotC]

Sometimes you can't upgrade because 9.04 and above does not support some old hardware. I have a Thinkpad T60 that has a built in ATIx1300. ATI does not make a driver for this card that will work in 9.04 and above because these distros use a higher version of X window system that does not come in 8.10 and below. I have to use 8.04.

[Rockerbabysitter]

Yeah... like I said, it's my gf's comp, not mine. Thanks for the input--we'll give it a shot and see what happens...

[Rockerbabysitter]

Your wireless card isn't connected to an access point and does not have an IP address assigned. Please consult the Ubuntu Wireless Troubleshooting Guide for troubleshooting this issue. Also, when you post output from a shell please enclose it in [code] tags.

Well, THAT was a little more confusing & frustrating. Not easy learning this after being a PC for so long!

I went through this guide and still can't get it working. Can I just remove all networking components and try over? I'm really not computer-stupid, I just have all kinds of things going on around where I'm staying and it's easy to lose concentration around here. None of the Troubleshooting seemed to work. I can ping the DNS, but not the router. I can't seem to assign the IP address manually. What do I need here?

[MaindotC]

You need to tell us at what point of the troubleshooting you failed. When you say you can ping the DNS but not the router, do you mean you can ping a DNS server or you can ping a machine by it's FQDN? Were you able to ping a machine on your network or outside your network?

When you say you can't assign an IP address manually - what is happening when you attempt it? Are you using NetworkManager or are you using /etc/network/interfaces?