trying to install Netgear usb wireless adapter

[pruitthall]

Forgot to add: WEP network, not WPA at all. Son's games only use WEP.

PH

[chili555]

When the laptop goes to sleep (sleep, not hibernate) it doesn't come back. Light is off the Netgear, no getting it back.

This technique sometimes helps. Please open a terminal and do:

sudo gedit /etc/pm/config.d/config

Add one line:

SUSPEND_MODULES="rtl8192cu"

Proofread, save and close gedit.

[pruitthall]

Chili,

That did help it awaken from a sleep. So it's helping.

Connection is still major bad; sometimes it connect, sometimes it doesn't unless you get really (<3 feet) from the Linksys router. And if you *do* get lucky and it connects, it does stay connected; that is cool. But your speed may be halved for a minute or two, or it may hit the web quickly. It's utterly unpredictable.

But it's sure better than *no* wireless!

Thanks again,

PH

[mervbit]

Chili, I'm the one who started this thread, and now I'm back.

How is this possible: I got my netgear usb wireless up and running on Natty (with your instruction) on my wireless setup at home. So I figure I'm good to go, right? I deliver the computer to my friends thinking now it will just detect their SSID, I can put in the new pass phrase, and that should be it.

Alas... what worked so well on my own network at home has me stumped at the different locale. It detects their network; even tries to connect; even briefly claims it has 'established' the connection. But I pull up the browser and it's a no-go. I've tried adjusting their router to older WEP security, different flavors of WPA security, even no security at all. But in every situation it fails. BTW -- I do know their router is set properly because it is feeding me this wireless as I'm doing this on my own Natty laptop. I try to match my laptop's security settings to the desktop, but to no avail.

I may no longer be at this location when I read any replies, so my experimentation/response will be slow going over the next weeks while school is starting where I teach. But if you or anyone have ideas for things to try, I'm 'all ears'.

--Merv

[pruitthall]

Merv,

I've got to thank you for starting the thread!

Chili is a truly squared away helper on Linux...

Right now, I'm (thankfully!) writing this response via my MacBook Pro. Our HP/Netgear combo in Mint's latest is 'so/so' connecting at best. Chili's response to you was the *only* thing that even got Mint to recognize the Netgear micro. When I reboot, wireless *is* working, but the only way I can get it to connect is to get really, really close to the router. That does the connection bit, but the actual *using it* to surf the 'Net is problematic at best. Some screens pop normally, some just die.

I think Chili has steered us both in the absolute best direction, but I'm getting the feeling that the driver itself isn't ready for prime time yet.

PH

[mervbit]

Pruitthall, what you said about distances got me thinking... that "mini" device can't have much of an antenna in it. The fact that I'm trying to connect through two walls and about 30 feet may be what's giving me grief. At home I was much closer to my router as I was testing everything. We may have to experiment with moving the router closer to this machine or something.

--Merv

[mervbit]

Okay; my brain's on vacation. I was reminded by my friend that he's been able to use his wireless from the Windows boot on his same system. Kind of shoots down the "small antenna" theory.

This is one of those hopefully dwindling cases where Windows is still ahead of Linux.

So the cpu box with Natty works the wireless device just fine --that verifies the box hardware and Linux drivers. The same box on Windows works fine in the new location. That verifies the router and hardware setup there. So what's left to cause problems? Different security settings is the only thing that comes to mind for me. Maybe I should repost this on a thread that isn't marked as solved.

--Merv

[pruitthall]

Merv,

I can't proxy for Chili, but he's really good at getting back to you with some help.

I'm in the exact same situation; the Windows side of my laptop runs just fine, period, with the micro Netgear. In fact, I'm writing this reply via Linux Mint and the Netgear micro. I don't think it's a security thing; I tried WPA/WPA2/WEP/No Security and it's all the same. I'm not Chili by a LONG shot, but it behaves to me like the Linux driver isn't turning up the micro adapter to full power. Or something along that line.

Chili's help got both of us to where our machines at least see the micro adapter and do connect, though not nearly as consistently as the Windows driver for the same.

I'll await Chili's response and see if further troubleshooting will fine tune the issue.

PH

[chili555]

Alas... what worked so well on my own network at home has me stumped at the different locale. It detects their network; even tries to connect; even briefly claims it has 'established' the connection. But I pull up the browser and it's a no-go.

When that happens, run:

iwconfig

If it is actually connected to the wireless access point, it will display its name and MAC address:

wlan0     IEEE 802.11abg  ESSID:"mylilrouter"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: 99:24:56:22:D7:99   
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=14 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=70/70  Signal level=-40 dBm

Then run:

ifconfig

Is an IP address shown?

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 99:19:d2:22:1b:88 
          inet addr:192.168.1.101  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::219:d2ff:fec2:1b8d/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1492  Metric:1

If so, let's see if the router gave out a valid DNS nameserver:

ping -c3 74.125.93.103

If you get ping returns, you are connected to the internet. Now try:

ping -c3 www.google.com

If you can't get ping returns from Google, you do not have a valid DNS nameserver. The quick fix is:

sudo su
echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.conf
exit

Now try again:

ping -c3 www.google.com

All fixed?

These tests will help us isolate where, exactly, the problem is.

[pruitthall]

Chili,

I'm connected to the Internet right now on my Mint box running the Netgear Micro. I swear I think Merv and my problems are similar. It's not so much that *once* you're connected there is a problem, it's actually *getting* connected (establishing an access point connection) that is the problem. At least for me, though Merv's problem sounds similar.

Your instructions on the prior pages have been instrumental in getting Ubuntu/Mint, etc. to actually work with the Netgear micro. That, I have no issue with. It's stable. But on my machine at least, the little Netgear *will NOT* connect to the router unless I'm like four feet from it. Once I get connected, it's *okay at best*...meaning the speeds are random, it's hit or miss sometimes. This same hardware combination in Windows 7 is utterly stable.

I don't know if this means anything or not, but the Netgear micro has a little blue LED on it. When in Mint, this little blue light is solid, no flashes. When in Windows 7, this little led *flashes*.

PH