Missing WiFi connection - SOLVED

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wgummage

Missing WiFi connection - SOLVED

Post by wgummage »

I am brand new to Linux and have recently installed Linux Mint 18.2 on a Dell Inspiron 1525 64 bit Laptop. Installation went very well, but no WiFi connection. I have tried the advice given in the forum - to use the device manager to install drivers from the supplied disk, but it doesn't find any. What do I do now please?

The DVD came from the English magazine "LinuxUser". I did not install the Linux Mint in a partition - I wanted to get rid of Windows for good! :D
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kc1di
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Posts: 8137
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:44 pm
Location: Maine USA

Re: Missing WiFi connection

Post by kc1di »

Hello wgummage and Welcome to the Linux Mint Forums,
Good to have you here.
You have to have an ethernet cable connection for driver manager to work.
if you can connect it to the internet via that route try driver manager again.
if not please go to a terminal and issue this command

Code: Select all

inxi -Nn
and post the output here so we know what we are working with.
Also this command:

Code: Select all

rfkill list
Easy tips : https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/ Pjotr's Great Linux projects page.
Linux Mint Installation Guide: http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... en/latest/
Registered Linux User #462608
wgummage

Re: Missing WiFi connection

Post by wgummage »

Thanks kc1dl. I had a moment of inspiration and connected via a cable (as suggested) and the driver manager did it's thing. I took a guess on which file to download and chose bcmwl-kernal-source and that seems to have done the job - now connected via WiFi.

There was a second device (un-named) on the list on the driver manager but I left this alone - any clues as to what this is?

I am staggered by the speed of this laptop now! Dell sold it as a 64bit machine but loaded it with 32bit Vista OS and software - needless to say it ran at snail's pace. It now runs faster than my iMac......not difficult!
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kc1di
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Posts: 8137
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:44 pm
Location: Maine USA

Re: Missing WiFi connection

Post by kc1di »

Glad you got it going I use a dell laptop also and bcmwl works fine -
Enjoy :)
Please take a minute and mark the thread as <SOLVED> by editing the subject line of your original post- Thanks.
Easy tips : https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/ Pjotr's Great Linux projects page.
Linux Mint Installation Guide: http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... en/latest/
Registered Linux User #462608
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