(SOLVED) Setting up wireless with Zorin 9

GRider258

Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:38:01 am

Hello,

I apologize if this is an overused topic, but the search feature was not working very well for me. I am dual booting Zorin os 9 educational with windows vista. I'm trying to set up my wireless to work with Zorin. I followed the instructions on the tutorial here, but the problem is my window never has the "save" feature at the bottom. It is always grayed out to where I can't click it. I have read something in other forums about a wireless package maybe my installation DVD didn't have a wireless package? If so where could I get one?

Swarfendor437

Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:09:47 pm

Are you logged in as yourself or Guest?

GRider258

Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:54:52 pm

As myself. Just tried it again. Same result after filling out everything according to the tutorial.

GRider258

Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:51:07 am

After working with it some more I discovered that the save button is fine up until anything is entered into the BSSID or or the Device Mac address. Once I enter anything into either of those fields the save button greys out. I have saved it without those fields filled in, but I still have no internet access at all. I'm starting to think that I'm really missing some sort of network package other zorin downloads that I've seen have a wifi symbol in the bottom right. For example this one here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HfopS7FV9M. Mine however, does not.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:19:02 am

Hi,

see these guides:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NetworkDevices

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Netwo ... /Automatic

When you did your install, did you click on the box "Install 3rd party software"?.

Also, please don't post questions on threads that already solved, I have now locked the other thread you posted in as it only leads to confusion!:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7393

GRider258

Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:14:30 pm

Sorry, I'm not a seasoned internet forum user.

I am unsure if I clicked on "Install 3rd party sofware" when I did my install. I believe that I did though because I have games and all kinds of software included in my package.

After doing some research I think that my problem is that my ndiswrapper was not installed correctly. I found a forum that recommended

apt-get install ndiswrapper source
/usr/src
m-a prepare
m-a a-i ndiswrapper
modprobe ndiswrapper

My problem here is that my terminal returns "unable to locate package module assistant." I downloaded a module assistant for Trusty on the ubuntu website and tried to install it. This is what I got back from my terminal.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:22:19 pm

Hi,

if you try and install a package via the terminal, you must make sure that the command begins with "sudo":

Code:: sudo apt-get install module-assistant

"module-assistant" is directly available from the Ubuntu repos using the terminal command given above, you do not need to download it from a 3rd party website!.

If you downloaded a package from a website, make sure it is a "deb" package only!. You can install a single package easily using "Gdebi", see info here, under the section "Gdebi:":

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2054

See also:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1778

GRider258

Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:57:13 pm

Thank you very much for the help. This returns the following

Wolfman

Sat Feb 07, 2015 4:20:52 pm

Hi,

you need to check your software sources settings in Synaptic, see the update guide and this section "Software Sources Settings", check your software settings against those of the guide as I think you don't have everything marked correctly!:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2247

If you want to download the package again, go here and click at the bottom where it states "Download":

http://pkgs.org/ubuntu-14.04/ubuntu-uni ... l.deb.html

Once downloaded, right click the package and "Open with" > "Gdebi".

GRider258

Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:07:49 pm

I had downloaded a module assistant, but realize now that it didn't end in .deb. I downloaded the one that you recommended. I'm going to try it now via the instructions from the download site. I don't think that my zorin includes Gdebi, but I'll check.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:19:43 pm

Gdebi is pre-installed in Zorin OS!.

GRider258

Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:49:33 pm

Okay, I think that I have made some good progress, but my wireless is still not working. I installed the module assistant via the software center (super easy that way.) And I was also able to sign in as root thanks to viewing other forums. And I was able to save my wireless connection under "wifi" with all of the right settings including mac addresses. I believe that my only problem now is that the ndiswrapper is not installed. I installed it using the "windows wireless driver" program included in Zorin. When using that graphical interface the ndiswrapper comes up, the driver that I installed is there (bcmn43xx32.inf) and it can tell when my adapter is plugged in or not, but according to the terminal interface it isn't installed right. Below are a couple of screen shots from me trying to install the ndiswrapper via terminal. I got the command codes from another forum. The plus side to all of this is that I've learned a lot more about computers in the last few days. Thanks again for all of the help.

GRider258

Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:38:34 am

Here's another attempt at installing ndiswrapper via module assistant It returned the following. I wasn't able to find anything in google about this one.

Wolfman

Sun Feb 08, 2015 8:10:07 am

Hi,

you need to check your software settings:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2247

and see the section "Software Sources Settings".

madvinegar

Sun Feb 08, 2015 8:14:19 am

See if my guide helps you out.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5008&p=23910&hilit=ndiswrapper#p23910

GRider258

Sun Feb 08, 2015 3:29:09 pm

I think that I may have found it. Is there supposed to be a download or a file that is just called ndiswrapper-source? The only download that I could find was here http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/kern ... per-source , but when I downloaded and extracted everything there was no file marked "source" or ndiswrapper-source. I think that if I could find this file I could get it working as that is what my terminal is telling me is missing.

Swarfendor437

Sun Feb 08, 2015 4:24:06 pm

Hi, you should have:

ndiswrapper-source

and

ndiswrapper-dkms

I have found synaptic occasionally glitching where it showed then not showed in Zorin 8!

GRider258

Sun Feb 08, 2015 5:15:42 pm

I think that I'm going to try uninstalling and then reinstalling ndiswrapper to see if that helps.

Also, another thought that I just had. When I try to run the commands: make or make install the terminal basically returns that it doesn't know what to make or install. If I try make ndiswrapper or make install ndiswrapper it states that it doesn't exist. I have seen on many forums to run something similar to
cd /usr/src/ndiswrapper-1.59
sudo make
sudo make install
But when I try to run this I get error messages with each command.

GRider258

Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:42:43 pm

So I tried to install the ndiswrapper via the Synaptic package manager. This was the output when I tried to install ndiswrapper-source. It sounds like you need to be on the internet in order to install it properly? That's kind of ironic because I can't be on the internet at all at the moment unless it's wireless.

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... u1_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... u5_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... u1_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... -3_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/m ... -1_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/u ... -2_all.deb
Could not resolve 'archive.ubuntu.com'

Wolfman

Mon Feb 09, 2015 6:42:10 am

Hi,

try booting the live CD and see if you have a wireless connection, then we will know more about the situation!.

GRider258

Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:40:27 am

Nope. No wireless connection through the Live CD.

madvinegar

Thu Feb 12, 2015 11:10:40 am

To install the ndiswrapper packages you need internet. Try again, but this time plug an ethernet cable first to get internet.

GRider258

Fri Feb 13, 2015 3:55:38 am

Actually, my ethernet was not working. I bought an ethernet card, it is apparently working(linux ifconfig sees it), but I am unsure how to get the connection working. I have a broadband connection that I usually use through wifi for windows. The ethernet card that i got is a 3com corporation 3c905cx-tx-m. I am currently reading other forum posts to learn how to set up the ethernet connection.

GRider258

Fri Feb 13, 2015 5:46:50 am

I was not able to set this up via ethernet either. Zorin recognizes my new eithernet card, but it also says "Disconnected." Here are a few screen shots.

GRider258

Fri Feb 13, 2015 5:48:58 am

This part has me confused. Should my username and password be the same as what I put in for wifi? I've never had to enter username and password to set up a dsl or broadband connection.

madvinegar

Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:37:31 am

Can you please post the result of

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 net

Wolfman

Fri Feb 13, 2015 3:20:52 pm

GRider258 wrote:This part has me confused. Should my username and password be the same as what I put in for wifi? I've never had to enter username and password to set up a dsl or broadband connection.

Hi,

if your setup info is already stored in your router (ISP user data) then you don't need a password or username for the network!.

GRider258

Fri Feb 13, 2015 11:35:06 pm

madvinegar wrote:Can you please post the result of

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 net

Here is the screen shot of the output. Thanks a lot guys for guiding me through this.

GRider258

Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:19:57 am

Wolfman wrote:
GRider258 wrote:This part has me confused. Should my username and password be the same as what I put in for wifi? I've never had to enter username and password to set up a dsl or broadband connection.

Hi,

if your setup info is already stored in your router (ISP user data) then you don't need a password or username for the network!.

When I erase the username and password from the field, the save button greys out.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 14, 2015 5:35:42 am

Hi,

are you logging in as "Guest" or are you logged in as the main user of the PC?.

madvinegar

Sat Feb 14, 2015 7:07:14 am

I see two ethernet connections but no wireless...
Are you using a USB adaptor?

In that case, can you please post back the results of:

lsusb

GRider258

Sat Feb 14, 2015 1:57:53 pm

Yes, I am logged in as myself, not guest.

Also, at this point I am mainly trying to get my ethernet working so that I have some form of network connection. I have a USB wireless card, but Zorin has never been able to use it. It is a Netgear WNA3100. I've seen forum posts on that specific wireless card, but the problem is that apparently I need internet access via Ethernet in order to get the NDISWrappers to work work with Zorin.

GRider258

Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:17:23 pm

The lsusb command does recognize my usb wireless card, so maybe there is hope for that too.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:09:44 pm

Hi,

download this package and use Windows Wireless Tool (AKA: Ndiswrapper) to install the .inf file, it should work for your USB stick!:

http://media.cdn.ubuntu-de.org/forum/at ... _v2.tar.gz

Once downloaded, extract the file and inside the folder are the files you need!.

Source:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2221251

GRider258

Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:13:21 pm

Unfortunately I have done this, perhaps I am not doing it right, but every time I try to install ndiswrapper I get error messages saying that it cannot be installed. That is how I came to the conclusion that I need to have network access in order to install ndiswrapper. Please see previous posts. Thank you.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:22:56 pm

Hi,

lets start again, "ndiswrapper" is already installed and it is a part of the Windows Wireless Drivers package so you shouldn't need to install anything relating to it!.

Start the Live Cd and make sure you can access the files you downloaded from that package link I posted, save them to a USB or CD if you wish!, once the Live CD has booted, go to Zorin Menu > System Tools > Administration > Windows Wireless Drivers and use the files to activate your wireless dongle!.

Let us know what happens, if you can do it in live mode, you can do it in the installed system!.

Wolfman

Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:29:12 pm

Swarfendor437

Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:44:08 pm

Hi, once you have ndiswrapper, install the 32-bit version or 64-bit version .inf file (courtesy madvinegar):

bcmn43xx32.tar.gz: (410.39 KiB)

bcmn43xx64.inf.tar.gz: (4.03 KiB)

GRider258

Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:02:38 pm

I have already done these steps though. My wireless driver is installed in the ndiswrapper/windows wireless driver tool. My main problem now is getting my ethernet working so that i can finalize everything. My ethernet connection is not working.

Wolfman

Sun Feb 15, 2015 8:49:02 pm

GRider258 wrote:I have already done these steps though. My wireless driver is installed in the ndiswrapper/windows wireless driver tool. My main problem now is getting my ethernet working so that i can finalize everything. My ethernet connection is not working.

Is your Wireless connection workin?.

If it is, run a terminal command (Ctrl + alt + t) to install all new updates which might solve the no network problem:

Code:: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -f

If not:

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/ubuntu-networ ... -line.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Set-up-a-Network-in-Ubuntu

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetAndNetworking

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Netwo ... /Automatic

https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/servergui ... ation.html

GRider258

Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:16:16 pm

I GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for their patience. I am using the ethernet port now. In fact, this is the first thing that I am writing on the internet with Linux! And if you want to know what the problem was from the beginning? it was my network cable. I thought that I would buy one to check and see if that was it, and it was. So both my ethernet port (which neither linux or windows woudl recognize) and my network cable were bad. Wouldn't be the first time that two pieces of hardware went bad on me. So since now I will have the option, which is generally better to run on a desktop, wifi, or ethernet? I have a wifi/broadband connection. Thanks everyone again for their patience and help.

Swarfendor437

Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:21:24 pm

Glad you 'bottomed' it - have you tried those wireless drivers (inf ) files i tarballed? You stated WNA3100 - is it not WNDA3100?

Wolfman

Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:10:22 pm

Hi,

glad to hear you got it sorted, I have marked this as solved but you still haven't told us as to whether or not you have the WiFi working!.

Run the update commands posted earlier and it may well spring to life!.

I always use a network cable even if I have WiFi on my laptop (unless I have no other option!), I think it is better and certainly safer!.

jowilker

Mon Feb 16, 2015 5:01:15 pm

I went through this thread and was wondering if the windows side was connected before the install, and maybe logging in again to find if it is still working, why are you not able to use the connection icon in the lower right part of the task bar at the bottom and click on it find your internet connection select it put in the password and be done.

I have had Zorin 7 and now Zorin 9 on my netbook, I use it in my business, I go to peoples homes, with their help ID their connection, have them put their password in, connect, and email their proposal while at their home.

I have tried several versions of Linux on several different machines wifi connections have always been very easy. Wireless you have to to log in, wired just plug in to router.

I am glad that you now are connected, but saw no mention of using the icon that I recognized.

John

GRider258

Mon Feb 16, 2015 5:29:38 pm

I honestly haven't had time to try getting the wifi working yet(had tons of homework to do last night).
I'll let you guys know when I get it going. I was just happy to have something going as far as a network connection goes.

And yes, the Windows was working with the wifi just fine. That is until the windows quit working all together Friday night. I don't know what happened, but I think that something went wrong with my Windows boot loader. I solved it by loading Zorin 9 onto another hard drive that I have, and I was still able to hook up the old windows hard drive to my computer as well. Windows still won't load, but at least I have access to all of my files now. Over night, my house became Linux exclusive.

jowilker

Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:30:02 pm

Question, Was the unit that you did all of your posting in this thread hard wired or on wifi?

John

GRider258

Mon Feb 16, 2015 11:51:58 pm

With Windows I was using all wireless. My Zorin is now running a wired connection, for the moment anyway.

jowilker

Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:02:24 am

For kicks & giggles, unplug the cable, look on the task bar bottom right just to the left of the envelope. There should be an icon that looks like an unpluged cord. Click on it, you should see Ethernet or other Network at the top, Enable Networking should be checked, in that box you should find your home network and be able to connect to it. That has been there for me on all Linuz installs that I have done.

Do you see it?

John

GRider258

Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:23:32 am

It's working now. Thanks a lot for everything guys. Sorry about the slow reply. I'm a full time worker/ full time student. Don't get a lot of free time during the week.

This is a static archive of the old Zorin Forum.

(SOLVED) Setting up wireless with Zorin 9