Version 9.0.4 - how to install SMC EZ Connect USB Wireless?

[DavePlummer]

I do BIOS updates by booting FreeDOS from a CD or USB flash drive, with the manufacturer's BIOS file and DOS utility on another USB flash drive. FreeDOS will assign a drive letter to each USB flash drive that's installed when booting. You can change to the appropriate drive and run the DOS-based BIOS update program. That said, I suspect that a BIOS update won't address your problem. I would not expect a BIOS update add the ability to disable the wireless adapter, althtough it is possible. The only other option would be to open the case and physically remove the adapter. That's easy on some laptops; harder on others. I'm not totally convinced, yet, that your USB adapter is properly identified. The ID numbers in your lsusb output are different from mine, and different from the values I've seen for that adapter on web sites that have Linux wireless info. I think that the only way to know for sure whether you can control the USB adapter is to disable the built-in adapter.

[traynor]

yeah, I just put the output code as XXXX rather than type it all out. I'm pretty sure Ubuntu is seeing the card properly. The exact ID it shows for it when I run lsusb is:

ID 083a:4505
(is this similar format to what yours shows?)


I hear what you're saying about the BIOS update probably not helping disable the internal wifi card.

I will see about taking it apart, finding the card and disconnecting it.

Stay tuned...

[traynor]

aaargh.

Heheheh, any idea where the wifi card is in a dell inspiron 1100? It's not under the keyboard as far as I can see, or under the memory hood or the other hood underneath the device.

Is it even possible to physically disable or remove the wifi card in a dell inspiron 1100?

Is there an alternate way to get Ubuntu to see and run the USB adapter?

[DavePlummer]

Your adapter does seem to match mine, and the kernel is loading the driver. I'm pretty confident that it will work if you can get the built-in adapter out of the way. Unfortunately, I have no idea where it's located on that machine. If it's integrated into the motherboard, you may be out of luck. You could check the Dell support site for manuals that might shed light on things. I know that they have good coverage for newer machines; I recently downloaded manuals for my wife's new Inspiron 1545.

[traynor]

so are you saying you think it may be impossible to add another wireless device to this machine?

If Ubuntu is seeing both devices, isn't there a way to make Ubuntu ignore the on-board device (like a "device manager" or something?)?

[DavePlummer]

Not necessarliy. My wife's laptop happily operates with two wireless adapters, one of which is the SMC adapter, each with it's own IP address. The broken built-in adapter in your machine may somehow be preventing Network Manager from using the USB adapter. There may also be some other problem that's preventing the machine from using the USB adapter. We just don;t know that, for sure. Disabling the bulit-in adapter, if you can, is a way to rule it out as the cause of the problem with the USB adapter.

[traynor]

I give up.

I've no way how to disable the bad internal wireless card on the Dell Inspiron 1100.

Thanks for your help!

[sola]

@Traynor

You probably have the second edition of the stick (just like me) which is not supported natively.

The second edition has the following model number (very small writing on the backside of the stick): SMCWUSBT-G2

This thread may be interesting for you:
http://fostergrant.ubuntuforums.org/....php?t=1017924

It says that ndiswrapper should make it work but the guy had a problem with ndiswrapper not loading after restarting the machine (this is a different problem and can be solved)

Let us know if you have solved the problem and made the stick work properly.