Wireless Connection

[The-Wizard]

go to the link i posted earlyer and down load the legacy drivers from there

[linuxmik]

Dear all,

Further to my last.

I downloaded the two broadcom drivers but no connection resulted. Just after that I restarted to see if any difference could be found. When the laptop came back up I could not even get a wired connection. I have uninstalled said drivers fearing there might be some kind of conflict preventing me getting a wired connection but this has not had any effect. I know the ethernet cable is good because I borrowed my neighbours laptop to test it as part of the elimination process.

Don't know where I'm going with this now since a laptop is little use if I can't get onto the internet. Thanks for all the help and advice anyway.

Mick S

[AlbertP]

You can reinstall Mint and then your ethernet should be back working.

Broadcom wireless + Linux has always been a huge problem. Luckily, we get a good driver for 4 chips with Mint 12 but unfortunately, your 4318 is not part of them.
I suggest that you reinstall Mint and then, for a last time, try the B43 driver from the 'Additional Drivers' program (the STA or 'wl' driver is known to fail on the 4318). If it still does not work, you could best replace your wireless network card, or get a Linux-compatible dongle (even Broadcoms are fine: their USB devices work without problem).

[linuxmik]

wizard,

Thanks for this. I have tried to re install the disc but when I put it in the tray nothing happens except I get an icon on the desk top. Double clicking just brings up the contents of the disc and I have tried double clicking some of the icons displayed but don't get any joy there.

What an I doing wrong I wonder?

thanks

Mick S

[linuxmik]

Sorry, that last was in response to albertp

Mick S

[linuxmik]

Bump Hello again anyone who's watching,

I have just tried again to re install and what I get is the disc on the desktop. When I right click it I get a dialogue offering me to open or open with autorun prompt.

I go for autorun prompt and get further dialogue which says

" this medium contains software intended to be automatically started. Would you like to run it?"

I click 'Run' and get a further dialogue which says "Error Autorunning Software" Cannot find the autorun program.

I Click OK and I'm back to the desktop.

Mick S

[AlbertP]

You have to boot into the CD, instead of putting it in the tray in Windows/Linux.

[linuxmik]

albertp,

I am really showing my newbie status here but do you mean I have to go into the bios and change so the fist boot option is the disc?

Mick S

[AlbertP]

Did you do the previous install using Mint4Win? (Installing Mint as a Windows program)

When you can do a normal instal (set CD as boot in BIOS) this is preferred.
I recommend to remove Mint from Windows Control Panel > Software / Programs (name depends on the Windows version you're using), and then reinstall Mint using the BIOS' CD boot option.
Then it will create a normal Mint install, which is faster, and 100% clean.

I recommend to install the B43 driver from Additional Drivers. It is reported to work OK with your 4318.
Please don't touch the wl / STA driver if it's shown. It does not work with the 4318.

If it still does not work, you could probably try Ndiswrapper:
Look for the Windows driver (.inf and one or more .sys files) in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore.
If you found those files, copy them to some folder on the Linux disk. It really doesn't matter which folder.
Then you can load the driver (specify the .inf file) using the Windows Wireless Drivers program.
Note that this may not always work well. I'd recommend to try B43 before doing this.

If it still fails, the last resort is a USB dongle. Ones with an Atheros/ZyDAS or older Realtek chip may work well.
Generally, dongles that do not support WiFi N (802.11n) are often supported very well with Linux.
But with dongles, it also happens that they don't work, just like your Broadcom chip.

[linuxmik]

Albertp
[quote="AlbertP"]Did you do the previous install using Mint4Win? (Installing Mint as a Windows program)

****Again I'm afraid newbie status gets in the way a lot here! I do not know what Mint4Win is. I installed the OS by putting a CD with the OS on into the CD tray. I opted to clear out all of windows and use 100% of the hard disc because I'm becoming to dislike almost everything about windows so I wanted rid of it.****

When you can do a normal instal (set CD as boot in BIOS) this is preferred.

****I think I should be able to do this but in I thought this was just to test the OS. If I load the OS like this and then go back into the bios to set to boot from HDD will the OS be installed and will it boot up straight away as normal?****

I recommend to remove Mint from Windows Control Panel > Software / Programs (name depends on the Windows version you're using), and then reinstall Mint using the BIOS' CD boot option. Then it will create a normal Mint install, which is faster, and 100% clean.

****Can I still do this if I have previously kicked windows out completely?****

I recommend to install the B43 driver from Additional Drivers. It is reported to work OK with your 4318.
Please don't touch the wl / STA driver if it's shown. It does not work with the 4318.

****This might be why I lost ethernet connection. I downloaded both wireless drivers together, again not really knowing what I was doing. When I lost the ethernet connection I kicked both drivers out but whether that deletion was effective, not being connected to the internet, I do not know. You can perhaps see where I am in the technology stakes, almost a whole working life using them but not knowing very much about them at all

Sorry if I have not observed the convention when replying this time but I thnk those points you raise seem to be very valid and I needed to address them in the order you raise them. If I can just re install as a first step and get the ethernet connection back I'll go looking for a dongle. There's a shop close to me (5 miles) where I may be able to try before I buy a wireless dongle adapter****

Thanks very much for sticking with me. It must be nearly as frustrating for you as it is for me. I will wait till you pass comment on the above before I go and risk breaking something else......!

Mick S

[AlbertP]

Because you seemed to say the CD boot wasn't yet enabled in the BIOS, I thought you used the 'Mint4Win' program, which is also included on the CD, to install Mint as a Windows program. But if Windows isn't there anymore, you indeed will have made a normal install.

****I think I should be able to do this but in I thought this was just to test the OS. If I load the OS like this and then go back into the bios to set to boot from HDD will the OS be installed and will it boot up straight away as normal?****

There is an installer icon on the desktop when trying out Mint.

[linuxmik]

AlbertP, Wizard, kaysilver, et al,

Phew...............!

Managed to reinstall from the CD by going into set up by pressing F12 and choosing boot from CD/DVD etc with the disc in the tray and it's worked for me. This might sound a little odd to many but when you haven't done this kind of thing all that often and something works it's a great feeling.

Prior to this (before I got it right..!) I changed the boot order to HDD then Disc drive and off hand I can't remember what the others are but this should ensure that it always boots from the hard disc now - Yes?

The laptop is now back online via the ethernet cable happily downloading the necessary updates about 299 of them before I can then start again with the wireless thing. I may just go to the local shop and take the laptop with me and see if they've one that works before I buy. (assuming of course they have a wireless network) When I eventually get a solution to the wireless problem I will post again to let everyone know which one I managed to get that worked for this particular laptop.

I have a few questions about updates and things like wine but I will scour the forum first before jumping in with both feet again.

I know I am probably quite close to where I started a couple days ago with my search for a wireless connection but I have learned quite lot in that time and mostly due too knowing there is someone out there offering help and advice. By doing so you have kept me focused and determined to get a result.

A very big thank you to you all.

Mick S

[AlbertP]

You don't need to change the boot order back to harddisk. You just need to remove the Mint disc from the tray when you want to boot from the harddisk and it's fine.

[The-Wizard]

You are most welcome, we all learn by trying to help others, and will pick up new fixes we haven't tried in the past,im only a beginner at Linux but have picked up a lot, from what i can see reading 90% of post made on the forum is that there is no such thing as a complete Linux [mint] expert.

we are all afloat on the sea which is the www on a little ship called Mint, full to over capacity with passengers and crew.... but it seems to be a great little ship

[AlbertP]

And we're all people making mistakes, and decisions that others may not like. The whole computer world is that way.

[linuxmik]

Thanks Ladies and Gents, it's great to know I'm back on board.

Mick S
North East UK

[linuxmik]

Hello again everyone, I said I would report back.

I can report success with a wireless connection. I bought a Logic Pro wireless adaptor from Amazon after reading the reviews of mostly satisfied customers. It is advertised as being compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista?Win7/MacOS 10.3 - 10.5 and Linux.

I didn't even need to load the software disc. It picked up my wireless network signal and asked for the password. There can't be many that do that straight away.

I am well pleased.

Mick S
Durham
England

[The-Wizard]

excellent news