I can't seem to get wireless to connect to anything. It seems to be working, but won't talk to anyone. I have tried a number of things from other suggestions, including recently removing the network-manager (which was a mistake) to replace it with wicd. Having removed it, I now have NO networking on my laptop.

I would really appreciate some suggestions to try. Here's some command output (all done prior to removing network-manager):

tom@Owl:~$ ifconfig -a
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:23:5a:b7:b0:4d
inet addr:192.168.100.97 Bcast:192.168.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
inet6 addr: fe80::223:5aff:feb7:b04d/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:6481 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:3911 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:5672731 (5.6 MB) TX bytes:577116 (577.1 KB)
Interrupt:28 Base address:0x2000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:16 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:16 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:960 (960.0 B) TX bytes:960 (960.0 B)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:26:5e:2d:20:6c
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)

tom@Owl:~$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID: off/any
Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr: off Fragment thr: off
Power Managementff

tom@Owl:~$ sudo lshw -C network
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter
vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:09:00.0
logical name: wlan0
version: 01
serial: 00:26:5e:2d:20:6c
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list ethernet
physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath5k latency=0 multicast=yes
wireless=IEEE 802.11bg
resources: irq:18 memory:d1100000-d110ffff
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:0a:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 02
serial: 00:23:5a:b7:b0:4d
size: 100MB/s
capacity: 100MB/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list rom
ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169
driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=full ip=192.168.100.97 latency=0
link=yes multicast=yes port=MII speed=100MB/s
resources: irq:28 ioport:2000(size=256)
memory:d1010000-d1010fff(prefetchable)
memory:d1000000-d100ffff(prefetchable)
memory:d1020000-d103ffff(prefetchable)

tom@Owl:~$ sudo lspci -nnvv (edited down to just network info)

09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter [168c:001c] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:137a]
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 18
Region 0: Memory at d1100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable-
Address: 00000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [60] Express (v1) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE- FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr- TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <64us
ClockPM- Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM L1 Enabled; RCB 128 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [90] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=1
Vector table: BAR=0 offset=00000000
PBA: BAR=0 offset=00000000
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
Kernel modules: ath5k

0a:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller [10ec:8136] (rev 02)
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:30fc]
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 28
Region 0: I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]
Region 2: Memory at d1010000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
Region 4: Memory at d1000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=64K]
Expansion ROM at d1020000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [50] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable+
Address: 00000000fee0100c Data: 4199
Capabilities: [70] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 01
DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 4096 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr+ UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr+ TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <64us
ClockPM+ Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [ac] MSI-X: Enable- Mask- TabSize=2
Vector table: BAR=4 offset=00000000
PBA: BAR=4 offset=00000800
Capabilities: [cc] Vital Product Data <?>
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
Capabilities: [140] Virtual Channel <?>
Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-01
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169

I assume the problem is with the driver for the Atheros card not being functional. I have tried to research using Madwifi, but it seems outdated and replaced. I have considered wicd, but now I need to download it to another machine and bring it over on a flashdrive or reinstall network-manager. Appreciate any suggestions.

I can see from this output that you use the following kernel module:

But according to: http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/.../ath5k/devices

You will see that the AR5001 chipset is not supported by that driver.

Alternatively, I recommend you checking this case:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...Driver/Atheros

Hope it helps !

Appreciate the link, but reading a bit further the list is just cards/chips which are known to work. There's an open bug report on the AR5001 card under the ath5k driver on the same site, which means it's probably intended to work.

I appreciate the link. I tried it early on, but I think I'll try it again just in case my fiddling has helped, or I've gotten smarter about what to look for.