I cannot configure my wireless on Mandrake 10.1
 

hello all.

I am very new to Linux - Just got it today and installed it - however I am not new to computers or networking (I'd consider myself at the expert level for windows <all versions> and Advanced for networking).

I have a Compaq Presario x1000 dual-boating Win XP Pro & Mandrake Powerpack 10.1. The wireless card is Intel Pro/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter (yes its a Centrino setup).

Linux detects the card and sees it and has drivers for it and everything - no problem. My problem is in the configuration in Mandrake. I am running WEP on the WAP, and I've put in all the settings I know (for instance the SSID broadcast name and the WEP key - but then there are other text fields (I believe one of them was frequency) and several others that I have no idea what to put in for them. Is anyone able to walk me through my configuration so I can get my wireless to work?

Also, after I get this configured in the "hardware" section of linux - do I need a seperate program to actually monitor for wireless networks and handle network connections?

Thanks!

~Anthony

The only other boxes you should need to enter anyting in to are "RTS/CTS" and "fragmentation," both of which can be set to "auto", unless you have made other chnages on your router. Everything else should be automatically handled by you network card.

Chris

You were right about those "other boxes" - I left them empty (they were just text boxes). I got the wireless to work by turning off the encryption on the router. With it on is when it screws up.

I think the problem may be that I'm running 64 bit encryption and the router is set to use key # 3.
I'm not sure how it all works, but on my linksys router, when I select 64 bit encryption, it will let me select key 1-4 and then has 4 boxes w/ hex values (each box matches up w/ each key).

The wireless setup in Mandrake had no option for the key I was using (or if I was even using 64 bit or 128 bit) so I'm thinking its designed strickly for 128 bit (since in 128 bit mode, you can't setup individual key #'s).

So thats where I'm gonna go with this. Guess we'll see! Thanks for your help!

Not a Mandy user , but do have it installed on my sons laptop for him as its easier from his point of view.
He uses wireless with either 64, or 128 bit encription dependeing on the setup of the WAP on any given day. Mdk 10.1 suports both.
When you enter the key under Mandys control centre, make sure you leave NO spaces when entering it, as the Mandy scripts take care of inserting the spaces for you.

Spaces?! Hm....
My wireless router (its a linksys) creates either a 10 character long hex digit when in 64 bit encryption or a 26 character hex digit when in 128. Neither one has any spaces....


...Also, I now have tried using both 128 and 64 bit encryption - neither one worked.

Any other ideas?

~Anthony

Check to see if your router is set for "open system" or "shared key" as I have found that shared key works better.