I have a dumb question.

I have set up a couple wireless routers for friends, but it has all been on XP boxes.
I know Linksys ships its routers with a cd to help install and manage router.

Is the process in Linux similar?
What is different?

I talked my friend into replacing Win Me on an old P3 with a linux distro.
He is getting high speed soon. He has a dell 600m he uses for work. I would like to set it up so the:

| INTERNET |
|
|
| Cable Modem |
|
|
| Linksys 802.11g router | ------------WEP-------------> | Dell 600m |
|
|
| old HP P3 w/ Vector |

I am just curious how to setup router.
Can I just point my browser (on old HP P3) to 192.168.1.1 and login via default.
Setup WEP or WPA and be done?

Regards,
Blair

First you will need to install ndiswrapper and wireless tools. Then you will need to produce a kernel module with ndiswrapper.
Use the "-i" option to load in the windows driver from the Linksys disc.

Usage: ndiswrapper OPTION

Manage ndis drivers for ndiswrapper.
-i inffile Install driver described by 'inffile'
-d devid driver Use installed 'driver' for 'devid'
-e driver Remove 'driver'
-l List installed drivers
-m Write configuration for modprobe
-hotplug (Re)Generate hotplug information

You will also need to set things up to match what you entered in the Linksys setup.

There is a wireless howto at www.tldp.org website. I don't use Ubuntu so I don't know if the settings are made in /etc/sysconf/network/ config files. Your system probably has a graphical setup that will help out.

Good Luck!

I am confused.

The Dell 600m will still be running XP. Its the only computer connecting to wireless AP.

Do I need ndis to setup the router?

Can I just connect router to the Desktop PC running Vector open a browser go to 192.168.1.1 ---log in as ADMIN, and set up WEP?

I thought I would need ndis if I was connecting DELL 600m via linux.


Regards,
Blair

I'm sorry, I was assuming that you have a broadcom based wireless on your Dell 600m computer. If you can't find a Linux driver, you may be able to use ndiswrapper instead to wrap around a windows driver for the wireless device you have on your computer.

You will need to install wireless tools for programs like ifconfig and ifpriv. You also may need to download the ndiswrapper source tarball to work with your particular device.

The linksys router has a web interface. It's at 192.168.1.1 by default. You probably already know that since you set up XP on wireless networks using the linksys DSL/Cable wireless router.

If Ubuntu has a program to probe and display information on devices, try running that after installing a wireless driver. ( Or is a wireless driver already installed by Ubuntu? ) It may display things such as what encryption modes and authentication methods are supported. You will need to set up both the computer and the Linksys router so that your methods match.

Using a web browser, suppose you are using a shared key. You can cut and past from the Linksys setup in the browser to get the key value to add to your setup.


-----

Using google, I found this webpage concerning wireless on a Dell 600m. The author is using Fedora Core, but the setup may be similar. He is using ndiswrapper.

He can't install linux on his dell 600m it is a work laptop. He will be using XP (unfortunately.)

I will be removing WIN ME and replacing with Vector or Ubuntu. ( not sure yet. Depends on speed/useability.)

I am used to setting up the routers through xp. I was not sure if the setup was different setting up router via desktop with linux. I know I will not have the use of the packaged cd that comes with the router.

I am assuming that I can just point my browser at the router and config from there. @ 192.168.1.1 or whatever the linksys default is. Log in as Admin. Set up Wep and be done.

If he was going to use his laptop I would advise him to get a Linux compatible PCMCIA card. Orinoco...etc..


Thank you for the help.

Blair

I'll try a stab at this.


Setting up the router doesn't have anything to do with Linux. You setup the router the same way (or just set it up in windows if thats easiest). Now if you are using wireless in the DESKTOP, then you need to get Ndiswrapper. If you are just going to plug the PC in with an RJ-45/Cat5 cable then you don't have to worry about anything.

If you are using wireless in the desktop, then I would suggest getting an RT2500 chip based Wifi card. They seem to work very well with most Linux distros.

I just went to his house today to get a look at things.
It should be easy.

The Motorola cable modem software works with linux.

I didn't have time to start it today.

Desktop will be Ubuntu. Connected via RJ-45.

Laptop will be XP. Connected via internal Dell trumobile 1400 mini PCI WLAN card.



Thanks,

Blair

By default, The linksys router doesn't have a username to login, but it has a password of "admin". You need to hook directly to the router to have access to the web interface. This is a safety feature.

Setting up the router is done through the web interface, so it is the same in Windows XP as in Linux.

Windows XP wants to generate it's own key when setting up the wireless connection. So perhaps you will want to use the XP Laptops suggestion, and cut and paste this key from the Windows dialog to the Linksys webpage.

jschiwal,

I want to thank you. That is exactly what I was looking for.

That is perhaps one of the best responses to anything I have posted here. THANK YOU.

On a side note. I read your distros in your profile. How do you like Mandrake 64?
* I go to distrowatch a lot and have never seen mandrake 64.

Best Regards,
Blair

I am no longer using Mandrake 10.1 for the x86_64. I am currently using SuSE 9.3 on both my desktop and laptop. The laptop is the one that has an AMD64 chip.

I had first found it on an ftp site. There was a folder for x86_64.

Later, I purchased a book at Barnes and Nobels that included the dvd installation disk.

Just a follow up.

It took alot longer than I thought, but his network is set up in just under 5 hours.

It was a Dell dimension 2100 with low ram. It took forever to get Ubuntu installed and setup.
I wanted to make sure all the stuff he needed was setup(mp3, p2p, and video codecs.)

I used firefox and went to 192.168.100.1.
That got me to the sign on screen for the Motorola modem/router/wifi.
Logged in as Admin w/ password motorola.

Pretty easy from there.

The only tricky part was getting the xp laptop configured. He was still on sp1. Once he installed sp2 it got much easier.

My friend thanks you for the help.

Regards,
Blair