I'm running AntiX 8.2 and I'm trying to use A Belkin Wireless G USB dongle to connect to the internets. Obviously I've run into problems as my 2.27.8 (I think thats the version, its 2.27 something)kernel of course does not offer native support for the device. I downloaded Linux drivers for it, apparently in source code, however they would not ./configure, make, or make install and the READ ME said to just copy them to the zd1211 folder in the /lib/ directory. Which I did, then ran #ifconfig wlan0 up and #iwconfig wlan0. I couldn't tell much from the output, but it recognized the device and said device lit up...but no connectivity. Even the Network Manager GUI tool registered it as being plugged in but not having a connection.
Yet oddly enough the network device configurator showed a signal and IP from a nearby wireless router.
So I'm kind of stumped. I'm still not getting a connection. I dont know if it's the driver and I should just go ahead and try to use ndiswrapper instead, or if I'm doing it wrong with the onboard network tools since I've only done wireless under Linux before with Ubuntu and that was painfully simple.
Oh, and yeah, I did run this up the flagpole at the AntiX forums the other day but I'm still waiting to hear something.

Kernel 2.27.8 supports zd1211.

Download zd1211-firmware http://sourceforge.net/projects/zd12...r.bz2/download and unpack it to /lib/firmware/zd1211

<EDIT>
Please avoid ndiswrapper if possible(that's the case here).
</EDIT>

Yup, that's exactly what I downloaded the other day and that's exactly where I copied the files to.
Now I'm thinking it just isn't getting enough signal where I've got the computer set up, because it says it's only getting 18-24% signal strength. So it very well may not be a driver problem, it may be just where I have the computer set up. I'll have to move it and check.
Its good to know I did the right thing with those drivers though, I didn't know if I was going to have to compile them or what cause I tried and they just wouldn't go.

About the signal strength keep in mind that some drivers use dBm to measure the signal strenght so the 18-24% value may be inaccurate.

Chears.

Alvaro

Ok, so it turns out the problem wasn't with the driver at all-nor was it the signal strength. I'm using the Wicd Network Manager, which I guess is stock with Mepis and thus AntiX,and it's reading an available wireless network-however, when I try to connect I get a "connection failed: unable to obtain IP adress" message. Which I know is a load of peanuts, because my roomate has a Windows computer and it not reads an IP off the same wireless signal but it connects no problem.
I tried doing a workaround using the IP for the signal as a static IP, however I didnt have the DNS numbers so I just used global DNS but of course it still wouldn't connect, saying it couldnt reach the access point or some junk like that.
So, I realize that this has gone from a general hardware question to something that maybe belongs in the Networking Forum, however if anyone can help me here I certainly would be much obliged. I've been wrestling with this for about a week and my internet access is severely limited until I get that wireless key up and running and any tips or pointers would be massively appreciated.

I probably cant help you with wicd, but I can help you connect notherless.
I also never used AntiX so I will give you general instructions.

First make sure you have wpa_supplicant an dhcpcd client packages installed.

Next create a basic /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf file
You have an example on /usr/share/doc/wpa_supplicant-[version]/wpa_supplicant.conf.bz2

Next open a console as root and type:

Open other console as root and type:
If it works it should be assigned an IP

If you need further help on how to write the wpa_supplicant.conf file please post the details of your network.

Ok, thank you! I'll give it a try and try to let you know how it went.

No, actually it was a giant fail. The commands wouldn't even go, my console told me that wpa_supplicant.conf could not be read or parsed, and the dhcpcd or whatever it didn't even recognize.
Well, thanks for trying to help. Hate to say it but it looks like I'll be installing Windows so I can get online.

I understand that you are not the kind of user that has the persistence or pacience to configure harder Linux distros. That's fine. Not everybody is a computer geek.

But going back to XP.
Ugh!!!

You have several distros that configure you wireless network cards out of the box. Even better than XP.
For an easier distro with good hardware support try Ubuntu(Xubuntu) or Suse.

I don't know, I had the persistence and patience to configure and run Slackware for a long time. Of course, back then I had a wired connection and everything just worked automagically.
At any rate, my roomate, a Windows user, basically talked me out of installing Windows. He said that it may take me some time to get this wireless dongle working right, but I'll have way less to worry about once I do get online if I'm running Linux. I couldn't have said it better myself.
So I dunno, I'm going to keep trying with AntiX cause I love this distro, but if it doesn't work out I suppose I could dust off one of my crusty old SUSE or (X)(K)Ubuntu disks and give it a try with that.

It's a little frustrating when I try to help someone over my free time, and at the middle of the help procedure, the person says that is going to give up. It makes me feel that I've totally wasted my time.

I don't want to sound rude but whatever you are pending for Windows or not is not really my concern. My concern here is that you are a Linux user that asked for help and I've compromised myself to help you. The process that I was doing with you was not over. You have to realize that when something doesn't work is not the end of the world. In fact it can be a lead to what is wrong.
So let me know when you really want to fix your problem. If you decided to, post your wpa_supplicant.conf file.