lspci finds the network controller just fine
ndiswrapper works fine, has been modprobed, and has generated an alias, and loads the driver like it should
yet still no wireless connection

Any ideas?

I also can't find wlan0 via the GUI interface when setting up a network, just the wired connection.

Did you eversolve this problem? I'm experiencing the same thing now.

nope, I just posted about 12 minutes before you posted

I'm asking at the ubuntu forums as well, so hopefully someone somewhere will be able to help. (I'll post here if I find out.)

My ndiswrapper is working with a Broadcom chipset in an HP zv6007.
See if you have all these files:
linux:/home/LinuxVB # find / -name wlan0
/sys/class/net/wlan0
/proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/wlan0
/proc/sys/net/ipv6/neigh/wlan0
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/wlan0
/proc/sys/net/ipv4/neigh/wlan0
/proc/net/dev_snmp6/wlan0
/proc/net/ndiswrapper/wlan0

Here's my wlan0 config:
linux:/etc # more /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-wlan0
BOOTPROTO='dhcp'
MTU=''
NAME='Ethernet Network Card'
REMOTE_IPADDR=''
STARTMODE='auto'
USERCONTROL='yes'
WIRELESS_AP='00-30-bd-f1-a1-db'
WIRELESS_AUTH_MODE='sharedkey'
WIRELESS_BITRATE='auto'
WIRELESS_CHANNEL='11'
WIRELESS_DEFAULT_KEY='0'
WIRELESS_ESSID='belkin54g'
WIRELESS_FREQUENCY=''
WIRELESS_KEY=''
WIRELESS_KEY_0='ae981c9be8e99a352ea0a8611f'
WIRELESS_KEY_1=''
WIRELESS_KEY_2=''
WIRELESS_KEY_3=''
WIRELESS_KEY_LENGTH='128'
WIRELESS_MODE='Managed'
WIRELESS_NICK=''
WIRELESS_NWID=''
WIRELESS_POWER='yes'
WIRELESS_WPA_PSK=''
_nm_name='static-0'

Well, apparently if you watch the screen while the laptop boots, you get more details, so I found the problem was ndiswrapper "couldn't initialize device".

A quick google.com/linux brought me to another thread here at linuxquestions, which offers the solution:

solution

Apparently all you need to do is download the entire driver package and unpack all of the files, not just the .inf and .sys files. After doing that, removing the old drivers from ndiswrapper, installing the new, modprobing, and rebooting, it works perfect!!!

(go to that thread for more details, and for a link to a very functional copy of the drivers!)

I have ndiswrapper working on a FC3 box - I'm using a Netgear wg511 card + ndiswrapper...

logon as root - saves grief...

make sure you have gcc loaded/installed

download and extract ndiswrapperx.x.x. and extract it in root's home directory. For ease of typing, I renamed the ndiswrapperx.x.x.. folder to just 'ndis'

I made a folder with the *.inf and *.sys files from the windows installer disk that came with the card.

from root prompt...

1. cd /root/ndis enter
2. make install enter
3. ndiswrapper -i /path/to/inf/name.inf enter
4. ndiswrapper -l enter - makes sure driver is present
5. ndiswrapper -m sets alias from eth? to wlan0
6. modprobe ndiswrapper enter

that should have gotten your driver installed, and now you should be able to run the internet-druid...

7. /usr/bin/internet-druid enter -gui should open...

select wireless connection next
select ndiswrapper(wlan0) next
make your mode 'managed'
ssid = your network's name
channel = 1 l left this alone, ?? it works...
Transmit rate = auto
key (important) 0x WEPKEYS (in other words, put 0x in front of the rest of your wep)

Finish...

make sure the 'activate at startup' and 'allow other users enable..." or it won't start, and you'll not be able to change it...

reboot...

then it's a matter of selecting the device and activating it

If you're using FC2, then this won't work without massaging your pcmcia to start BEFORE the network starts (painful) FC3 and now 4 start correctly...

I hope this helps... I have a couple of black eyes over getting this to work... some of these steps might not be necessary for you, or i hope I didn't forget anything...