SlackWare WiFi networking help!
 

(I'm using my desktop pc running win xp to write this)


This should probably go in the Newbie section, but i felt it better suited here.

SYSTEM:
I'm Running Slackware 10.0 on a Dell Latitude CPi laptop.
I'd searched an found that slackware is apparently the best suited for my laptop.

All is running fine so i get hold of an old wifi card.

its a Cisco Systems pcmcia Aironet 350 series.

I installed all the drivers an went through the latest pcmcia setup (makefile makeall etc etc).

NETWORK:
Its a home network running through my dad's pc and Actiontec Wireless Router with ADSL modem. All the Windows pc's have the credit-card sized USB adaptors for wireless networking. Of course, on all the XP machines, and my mothers Mac notebook, the network is automatically found and connected.


I got the card running on my Linux laptop.

KWiFi Manager recognises the network:

Connected to network: ACTIONTEC
Access point: 00:20:E0:08:22:FB
Local IP: 192.168.0.10
Frequency [channel]: 2.417 [2]
Encryption: off

AccessPoint: UNKNOWN


of course, for the bottom to say it's unknown seems to contradict the top.




Simply, I need to try and get my browser to connect to the internet and nothing more. I'm not wanting to set up a proper network.

It seems I can't just open Mozilla or Konqueror and go straight to google.



What are the necessary steps to get this WiFi card communicating properly with the router??

Thanks a lot and I hope I've given enough info here

-Ash



WAIT!! ok I just went into the configurator and I did the whole covering your eyes and clicking anything... the icons on the window changed to two laptops rather than a laptop an modem... then i removed the card, replaced it... and opened konqueror, and the internets working!!

I guess the question now is - whats happened!!?

May I politely suggest that this isn't exactly the Slackware way of doing things.

What probably happened is that Slackware picked up the card, read the configureation (my guess is you're not using WEP) and it grabbed an IP address.

In the future, you are going to want to get familiar with a couple of console commands, namely iwconfig and ifconfig. The iwconfig command is used to configure you're wireless card (things like ssid, wep key, mode, etc.) and the ifconfig command is used to do things like set IP address and is useful to see if you have an IP address. The dhcpcd command is also useful for requesting and IP address from your wireless access point. Have a read through the man pages of those commands and you'll be started down the road to a more proper way of wireless.

i had already run through checking ifconfig...

but thanks for the extra commands.