Sorry for the offensive title, but that is how I feel at the moment, for the lack of wireless connectivity in my country. Not even one, one, internet provider supports wireless internet in this great country of mine . Ok ok, they all provide wireless internet but, yes, guess it, not on Linux.

I'm so pissed, so heart-broken, so frustrated...damn. Stupid sons of bitc****. I got Ubuntu 7 installed on my dad's laptop which is a Lenovo 3000 N100 model with an Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Network Connection which Ubuntu says is running a restricted driver.

My dad's got so used to Ubuntu that he prefers nothing else. He hardly knew a word about OS, Linux and the like until I introduced Ubuntu to him a year back. Now whenever he sees Windows, he surprises me by asking why can't it provide sections like Applications, Places etc as in Ubuntu(Linux/Gnome) instead of one menu running all the lot. I feel so proud,hehe

Hence I decided to get him the wireless internet on his Laptop but alas, all my plans came crashing down. I feel very angry, very dejected, what can I do in such a scenario?

EDIT: Ok I've cooled down now, so any of you, beloved linuxers got any ideas? Maybe I'll take the wireless on Windows and then somehow(with your help) get it to run on Linux, can it be possible? What are my options?

Why can't you use wireless - login issue?

Probably best if you look for something on a board or forum in India since this is a local thing.
If erveything fails try wine or setting up a vm with windows though I doubt the vm will see and forward the wireless to windows so you can login.

We need specifics not whining you big pussy :-)

Big pussy? Huge pussy: http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/images/tubbercat.jpg

Now then. I just don't understand what the problem is. You have a wireless card.. and what does your ISP offer? And why can't you connect a computer running Linux to whatever you'd connect a computer running Windows in a wireless fashion?

Are you "pissed" at your ISP (why!?) or at Linux for not properly supporting your card.

I just don't know what that means. Do they not provide *support* for Linux? Does the contract say you have to connect using a Windows box? What? I just don't get it.

Okies, here's the thing.

1) Yes I'm pissed at all the ISPs'

2) Because they don't provide infrastructure for the wireless service to work on Linux, eg., login, statistics, billing etc.

3) Their wireless service works only on Windows because they don't bother writing software for Linux.

4) I strongly doubt it will work with Wine or VM or any other emulation method.

As for local forums, there are a few, but *they are a few* and don't bother much about wireless on Linux, <if ya can't get it, hop on Windows and be done with it fool..!!> I for one, am a little different, call me unique, but Linux is the way to go for me, now, later and forever.

Always look on the bright side of life...de-dum...de-dum...de-dum,de-dum,de-dum.
Laugh and the world laughs with you, whine and you whine alone.

Hm, I never really got the whole "wireless internet from ISP" thing. Aren't they (due to technical issues) restricted to giving you wired internet access, and then you plug in a wireless router (Or if they've already got wireless modems, but I doubt that) and work from there?

Or do things work differently and I've just been hiding under a rock for a few years?

What kind of wireless are you talking about?

I know wireless that you use at home with a wireless link to the ISP and wireless to use on the go at hotspots.

The hotspot can be impossible if they use some screwed up prop software to login - then on the other hand it's probably just a frontend for some other app.You could try to see what goes on when you login with a network analyzer and try to use a Linux app that can replicate that.

I would poke around here a bit:

http://open1x.sourceforge.net/links.html

I am talking about a Data-Card, where you plug it in, pull out an antennae and start browsing.

An excerpt:

* Setting up a Data card is very simple.
* Use the CD to install the Card software on your laptop.
* Place the SIM in the module provided in the Data Card.
* Insert the Card in your laptop.
* Click on the installed software icon to start accessing the Internet instantly.

You see, what is this Card software, and will it work on Linux? I called up the ISPs and they said no!

Ok - here's what you do:

Christmas is right around the corner.Go and get your Dad a Nokia E61 or something like it,setup usb modem on the laptop and use the cell as modem. :-)

There is some stuff about it at google - dunno if any of it covers your particular setup.