LinuxQuestions.org - Installing Atheros R8162 NIC for CAT5

Downloading..Compiling..and Installing the Atheros R8162 NIC module for your Cat5 network card. Usually every Network Interface Card known to most as NIC will come preinstalled by Salix and Slackware.. Where users find themselves installing Network Card modules are for the WiFi. Not the case for the Atheros R8162. It is newer and just is not currently offered preinstalled by any Linux distribution that I have checked (April 2013). Including Salix, Slackware, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, Arch, Gentoo, Debian and all the spinoffs of each of the aforementioned distributions. However, don't bypass a machine that has the Atheros R8162 NIC because the module for the NIC can be obtained and Installed with little trouble.

Just Follow these Steps

Here are the steps to download and compile.. Worked like a charm with the WiCD Network interface manager.

Download the Source file from here

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/colla...networking/alx

For the below file.. 2013-03-04 date seems to work best. Some others gave me compile errors. The driver source is one of two choices for us

compat-drivers-2013-03-04-u.tar.bz2

OR

compat-drivers-2013-03-04-p.tar.bz2

We are better off with the u

The -u postfix annotates that we have applied a driver under a unified driver

DOWNLOAD: /compat-drivers-2013-03-04-u.tar.bz2

Open a Terminal in Download Directory
Right Click on File and Choose (Extract Here) to Auto Extract to a Dir Named the same as the Downloaded file.
Next change dir into (New Install DIr) with FileManager or Terminal

Code:

cd /Downloads/compat-wireless-2012-02-28-u

Now you should be in the dir /compat-wireless-2012-02-28-u
Become root user and compile modules:

Code:

./scripts/driver-select alx

Code:

  su

  make

  make install

Unload all: wireless, bluetooth and ethernet modules:

Code:

  make unload

  make wlunload

  make btunload

Load new module:

Code:

modprobe alx

Works fine, I hope this is of help to others.