# Dell e1405 Ubuntu Wireless Help!



## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

Hello everyone...
I have recently installed Ubuntu 8, the newest version on my Dell e1405 laptop.
I do not have much time, and therefore cannot search much.

Could someone please tell me how to enable the wireless?

It's not draft n, just b/g. 

Thanks in advance,

yajnchan


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

What do you mean by "enable the wireless"? If you mean to switch on the integrated wireless radio Dell usually uses the Fn + F2 key combination.


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

Sorry, I think I have worded it wrong.
The Ubuntu OS does not detect the wireless device at all.
Earlier it detected it, but I have read that the driver Ubuntu uses is broken.

It didn't work, so I tried to fix it, no matter what (even before) the wireless device would not show up.

EDIT: My dad managed to help me make the device appear, but after a reboot it was completely gone.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

In the past several months I've fought some Linux wireless battles on my laptops--some wins, some losses--but I don't know a whole lot of trouble shooting techniques yet.

For sure, to try to help at all, we need to know the brand and model of wireless adapter.

You're saying that there is a Ubuntu native driver but it is broken? In what way? What have you done (installed a Windows XP driver using ndiswrapper?)?


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

Yes!
You hit it right on the nail.
First there was a broken native driver, then I tried to use ndiswrapper (is that right spelling?) If you could help me use it correctly, or tell me some other way, that would be great.

Hmm... Here is my Dell Service tag, i'm not sure if it would help, but I think it's able to tell you what my wireless device is. 
HDMXGB1

Thanks for spending your valuable time to help a n00b like me.

-yajnchan


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

The Intel 3945ABG? Strange, 'cause Intel adapters usually work fine with Linux. Did the wireless just not work at all? Or, what worked and what didn't?

Did you get the XP driver from Dell's site? Or from somewhere else?


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

It didn't work at all, though as I have said, it showed up until a reboot.
I installed the XP driver from Dell's website, unpacked it, and then selected the inf file using ndiswrapper. It said that driver was installed, but hardware was nonexistent?

Maybe I installed the wrong driver...
Where exactly would the right driver be?
And how would I use it?

Thanks for your support, and spending your precious time.

-yajnchan


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

It sounds like you did the right things getting and installing the driver. I have no idea why it says the hardware is nonexistent, and don't know what to suggest next.

I tried to go to the list of adapters known to work with ndiswrapper, but the site seems to be temporarily unavailable.


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

Wait a second, I just remembered.
I think it's possible that I might have accidentally installed the wrong driver.
I might have installed the one for the XPS laptops...

And then I uninstalled it using ndiswrapper.

Could that have had any affect?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If you are saying that you now have no driver installed, then yes that has an affect. Windows complains (in Device Manager) about a driver-less device but Linux seems to treat a driver-less device as non-existent.


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

I will sum it up:

1. I find out driver isn't working (wrong one existent but nonexistent in network)
... It's visible in the uncompatible hardware window
2. I try offline fix, turns out it won't work, I cancel (now original gone)
3. I install wrong driver? Remove (nonexistent)
4. I try right driver, says nonexistent (nonexistent)
5. Dad tries terminal scan, apparently works (shows up and existent)
6. Reboot (nonexistent)

I hope that pretty much sum it up.

If you need more information, sum it up in a post and I'll send.

Thanks.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Sorry, I'm out of ideas as well as questions.


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## avisitor (Jul 13, 2008)

Well, I happen to know the 3945ABG works perfectly natively in Linux. I have one in one of my laptops.

Post the output of these commands:

dmesg | grep wlan

dmesg | grep Wireless

dmesg | grep 3945

dmesg | grep eth

I think we're going to have to undo you ndiswrapper configuration and switch back to native drivers.


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

Thanks!
Ok, for:

*dmesg | grep wlan : *
nothing
*dmesg | grep Wireless :* 
[ 17.801626] iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 1.2.0
[ 17.801820] iwl3945: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
*dmesg | grep 3945*
[ 17.801626] iwl3945: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG/BG Network Connection driver for Linux, 1.2.0
[ 17.801631] iwl3945: Copyright(c) 2003-2007 Intel Corporation
[ 17.801820] iwl3945: Detected Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
[ 19.278054] iwl3945: Radio Frequency Kill Switch is On:
[ 19.283219] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
[ 19.293268] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
[ 19.313234] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
[ 19.340758] iwl3945: WARNING: Requesting MAC access during RFKILL wakes up NIC
[ 19.360708] iwl3945: Tunable channels: 11 802.11bg, 13 802.11a channels
*dmesg | grep eth*
[ 11.515784] eth0: Broadcom 44xx/47xx 10/100BaseT Ethernet 00:15:c5:62:37:c3
[ 11.522272] Driver 'sd' needs updating - please use bus_type methods
[ 11.522471] sda:<4>Driver 'sr' needs updating - please use bus_type methods
[ 24.598628] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
[ 26.399836] b44: eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex.
[ 26.399844] b44: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX.
[ 26.403100] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 33.606433] b44: eth0: Link is down.
[ 34.310349] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
[ 34.933859] b44: eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex.
[ 34.933869] b44: eth0: Flow control is off for TX and off for RX.
[ 34.937148] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[ 36.005286] eth0: no IPv6 routers present
[ 54.614365] eth0: no IPv6 routers present

NOTE: At the time of doing these commands, I was using a LAN cable to connect my computer to a router.

Is that OK?

Thanks,

Yajnchan

EDIT: Here is a screenshot of my Network Connections window, if it helps.
Click on it to see the full image.


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## yajnchan (Sep 12, 2008)

bump


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## avisitor (Jul 13, 2008)

Ok, so you have the IWL driver, but you configured ndiswrapper?

How about 

dmesg | grep ndis

dmesg | grep wl


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