[nylug-talk] A good guide to install wireless cards?

[matt b]

"Peter C. Norton" <spacey-nylug at lenin.net> wrote:
  
  >You're in the morass of wireless driver territory. Many 802.11a/b/g cards didn't 
  > release specs, or released some part, or require proprietary firmware, etc.
  
  Thanks for the reply Peter. Yep I've been to madwifi, and yep I bought  a card (actually got a couple of them.) But that's definitely one of  the top answers to Q: how to I install my wireless card (A: buy a new  one!)
  
  Since I have a card that is supported I shouldn't have to deal with too  much morass, however whether or not some manufacturers release specs  etc should not effect the general installation method for wifi cards  under Linux. You may not be able to complete one or more of the steps,  but that doesn't change the procedures you use to install a wifi card  (just means you have to additional steps, or as noted, buy a supported  card.) 
  
  So, the jury's still out on a basic step by step general   installation method.  In the meantime I have an orinoco silver  inserted into a laptop running FC6 and have seen now hundreds of pages  for all those morass type issues and not a single one that has helped  me get this vanilla case working. 
  
  Basically what I have been looking for is an elaboration of Peter's  step # 2: "install the card" 
  
  For example lspci tells me its Atheros AR5211. Great. Now what module  do I actually install? I've looked though /lib/modules/2.6.x/kernel and  don't see which one coresponds. 
  
  Of course I know from experience that this card is a good one and works  great if you happen to have it inserted when you did your original  installation. (So something knows which module to install!)
  
  Really hoping to have this thing up today!
  
  Matt
  
  
  
    
  
  One way to do things easily for a pcmcia card is this:
  
  1) Go to http://madwifi.org/. Find a card that's cheap. Buy it
  2) Install it.
  3) If your distro's pretty recent, the card should come up as ath0,
     and you'll use the recommend configuration (gui tool,
     /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-something, etc. method to 
     enter the essid and other important info)
  4) ifup ath0 and you're golden
  
  maybe:
  
  5) Find a guide for configuring the appropriate security for you
     access point. Follow it.
  
  -Peter
  
  -- 
  The 5 year plan:
  In five years we'll make up another plan.
  Or just re-use this one.
  
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