New to Linux (need help with backtrack 4 wireless adapter)

ace2020boyd · 01-31-2010, 09:48 PM

Well im new to linux and backtrack 4 and i didnt have a hard time installing it but my question is that i cant see my wireless adapter at all even in vmware settings.

im using Vmware player, backtrack 4, Gateway netbook LT2030u and my wireless adapter is Atheros AR5B95

thanks for helping me if you can.

Simon Bridge · 01-31-2010, 10:30 PM

From the Backtrack 4 FAQ:

Any virtualisation software can only use USB wireless network cards as physical devices, all other types of wireless card are seen as virtual ethernet devices and can only be seen as a wireless device by the host and not by the guest operating system. So if you want to run BackTrack in VMWare or Virtualbox and have full wireless capabilities, make sure you are using a USB device.

Tinkster · 01-31-2010, 10:57 PM

And while backtrack is a great tool for pentesting the use of it
on a notebook with an emphasis on wireless will get your thread closed
very quickly as the legitimate reasons for such use are minute compared
to a simple WIFI cracking attempt.

Cheers,
Tink

Simon Bridge · 02-01-2010, 12:37 AM

Someone could technically want to aggressively "test" their wireless security - and the backtrack folk are pretty gung-ho on this score. It looks a few steps more towards cracking software than, say, wireshark. The addition of VMWare sort-of supports the "test security" idea. However, there are other ways to do this.

ace2020boyd · 02-01-2010, 04:18 AM

alright, i see what you guys mean and thanks for the help.

Davno · 02-01-2010, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ace2020boyd

Well im new to linux and backtrack 4 and i didnt have a hard time installing it but my question is that i cant see my wireless adapter at all even in vmware settings.

im using Vmware player, backtrack 4, Gateway netbook LT2030u and my wireless adapter is Atheros AR5B95

thanks for helping me if you can.

Backtrack 4 is now based on Ubuntu, so for your wifi problem you will find more results googling for Ubuntu and Atheros AR5B95.

Tinkster · 02-01-2010, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davno

Backtrack 4 is now based on Ubuntu, so for your wifi problem you will find more results googling for Ubuntu and Atheros AR5B95.

No, he won't, because he's running it virtualised, and
the virtualisation software doesn't expose the WIFI
chipset to the guest.