[SOLVED] Ubuntu Minimal doesn't see wifi device

Dezfor · 12-16-2010, 11:41 AM

Installed Ubuntu Minimal 10.04. And discovered, that it doesn't see my wifi.
ifconfig shows me that only eth0 and lo devices are available ;(
May be in Minimal distribution kernel config differs, and wifi card support is not included?

Code:

$ lspci
07:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5008 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)

TobiSGD · 12-16-2010, 11:50 AM

The Atheros chips should work out of the box. Do you have the wireless-tools installed, and maybe you need wpasupplicant. To check your wireless configuration try

Code:

iwconfig

Dezfor · 12-16-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

The Atheros chips should work out of the box. Do you have the wireless-tools installed, and maybe you need wpasupplicant. To check your wireless configuration try

Code:

iwconfig

I know that it should, but it doesn't. Yeah, i've installed wireless-tools.
Here is output

Code:

$ iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11abgn  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=0 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:off
          
vboxnet0  no wireless extensions.

What can I do to enable Wifi? I used previously standard ubuntu ISOs, on which wifi worked out of box (beginning from ubuntu 8.10) and due to this I face this problem first time

reed9 · 12-16-2010, 11:58 AM

Yup, ath9k should be the module and it's been in the kernel since 2.6.27, I believe.

As said, make sure the wireless-tools package is installed.

Check if the module is loading

Code:

lsmod | grep ath

If that shows nothing try loading it

Code:

sudo modprobe ath9k

Check if that now shows the device

Code:

iwconfig

Try bring the device up

Code:

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

And last try installing backported wireless modules for Lucid

Code:

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-wireless-lucid-generic

reed9 · 12-16-2010, 11:59 AM

Too slow.

So your wireless device is there as wlan0.

Back to trying

Code:

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

Any errors?

Does this how available networks

Code:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

TobiSGD · 12-16-2010, 12:02 PM

What encryption is your wireless network using? In case of WPA or WPA2 you need wpasupplicant installed. To learn how to configure it I would recommend this article from Arch-Wiki.
If it is WEP I don't know.

Dezfor · 12-16-2010, 12:03 PM

reed9, thanks for help. All works. sudo ifconfig wlan0 up helped me
TobiSGD, wpasupplicant was installed. And thanks for article, I will read it

Thanks! it was so easy...