Networking Issues - Ubuntu - Please Help

Hello all - i'm a fairly experienced Linux user and sysadmin by day.

Having a hell-of-a hard time getting Ubuntu to work properly on my Acer Aspire One.


Symptoms? Cant browse the net. Adapters are not renewing via DHCP.

The hosts and resolv files look fine.


I followed the https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne to the T and still having trouble.

If I right click on the nm-applet, I do not have an option to "enable wireless" only "enable network".

Is this normal?

I'f i open up system>administration>network - i'm able to detect wireless networks. After entering the information properly - I cant successfully connect to any websites.

Which is the proper wireless adapter? ath0" or "wifi0" ?

Under Network Tools - I have "Ethernet interface (eth0), Unknown interface (wifi0), Unknown interface (ath0), Unknown interface ath0:avahi

Neither is updating their IP via DCHP.

If I do a iwconfig I get:

wifi0: no wireless extensions
ath0: IEEEE 802.11g EESID"Wifi"
Access Point - Not Associated

If I set the Wireless Adapter to roaming mode - it never detects any wireless networks. Shoudl It?

Is there anything I can do to reinstall these devices or attempt to get them working?

I'm losing faith in this laptop .. Thanks guys!

 

During the Acer One Ubuntu installation document above - they ask to disable all items in
System - Administration - Hardware Drivers
must these two remain disabled?

 

Under system tools > network tools I see the following devices

Ethernet Interface (eth0)
Unknown interface (Wifi0)
Unknown interface (ath0)
Ethernet interface (eth0:avahi)

Can someone please tell me if this looks ok?

Ive been searching for hours - no luck.

 

after you make the madwifi app as per the wiki guide, type

and your wireless networks should appear in the nm-applet.

just installed the 2.6.24.19-386 kernel and had to reinstall the madwifi patch with the required headers, which worked well, but after that noting would appear in the wireless part of the nm-applet till i typed sudo modprobe ath_pci and a few seconds later all the wifi aps were visible

hope that helps

 

Thanks will try the mod probe. Any other suggestions?

Remember..Eth0 is not working either.

 

ahh..what a horrible experience

 

is it sorted now?
also make sure you have disabled the restricted hardware drivers in your administration menu --> hardware drivers.

 

Unfortunately no - I do not know how to get eht0 working again. How to reinstall these drivers etc.

The installation guide does not specify what to do with the restricted devices. Do i leave the boxes unchecked?

I feel as if i still have multiple WIFI cards installed and its not using there right now.

When Ubuntu is all set and done - working - what should my iwconfig look like?

 

boxes should be unchecked and you then reboot
if you have no wireless when you reboot try the modprobe again, if that works add as per the wiki to the modules file and blacklist the ath_hal module
if that fails you might have to start from stratch and reinstall unfortunately, i've no idea why you have no internet connection at all, the ethernet should be supported by default, although i did find i couldn't connect direct to my modem, but connecting to my router would work.

 

as for iwconfig when ubuntu is first installed, i don't know off hand

but my current iwconfig with working wifi is

hope that is of some help to you.

 

yes it does. Thanks. trying now

 

I unchecked those devices. Ran the modprobe. That made things a lot more familiar!

I was able to find my wireless network and see others as well. "Bars" show in the task bar.

I was able to connect to it using "roaming mode" and the password saved .

I was able to go online!

Now - to try the eth0. Is there a surefire way to remove/reinstall the nic card?

 

to be totally honest, i do not know, i've never had issues with my ethernet connection,
but it could be worth your while checking the ubuntu forum for issues concerning your ethernet