Another newbie
 

Reluctant to write in as I am a newbie to Linux. Have just suceeded in setting up my old P3 machine as a dualboot for Windows and Mandriva Free. Having a lot of difficulty in getting WiFi going through my USB Netgear adapter. Will soldier on!!!

I'm not sure if your usb Netgear is supported by linux drivers. If it is, great. You could also try installing it with the ndiswrapper, which uses the Windows drivers. Use the Mandrake Control Center to add it, and it will prompt you for the windows driver disk. That's how I got my LinkSys pcmcia wireless card to work.

Not sure Netgear supported at all. Have tried what you suggested but no good. Have sent off for an Airlink USB adapter which I've read may work with Linux. Only cost $9.95 on eBay. Thanks for writing to me anyway. To be cntinued...!!!

Check linux-usb.org. They have a link to an active database of USB devices. There are a few different Netgear USB adapters there, not sure which one was yours. Some work, some are iffy. The drivers for the airlink are maintained here.

Thanks very much. Will follow up when I get a chance to try the drivers out.

Welcome to LQ shevloff. :) USB wifi tends to be a little more problematic than other types. Have you considered using a PCI version instead?

Hi Cogar
No, I hadn't considered a PCI version as Netgear had worked so well in Windows!! I'm struggling now with my Airlink USB and if I get nowhere I will go to a PCI card. Thank you for the suggestion. Is there any particular PCI card you can recommend?

Hi shevloff,

I had problems with the Netgear cards I had (a coincidence perhaps) and changed the cards in two of my computers to D-LINK DWL-G520 cards. They work fine with SUSE 10.0, although I cannot speak for Mandriva. Let me add that the manufacturers regularly change the chipset they use in their cards so you might even buy the same model and end up with a different card. :tisk: We also have a thread where people post what hardware they used for successful wireless connections here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=261272
Of course, you can see that almost anything can work, it is just a matter of how much effort you want to apply to turn things around. Good luck in any case. :)

Hi Cogar
Thanx for the reference.Saw that a lot of the cards that worked were D-LINK. Hmmm !!. Will keep trying with my airlink for a while

My DLink USB to Bluetooth 1.1 adapter was plug-and-play with SuSE 9.3 FWIW. Though I know that doesn't really help with your WiFi prob. :(

Still going crazy!!!!
Mandriva recognizes my USB Airlink adapter. However it thinks it is a scanner as it shows it as USB2WLan under scanner and knows that it is a Zydas item!!!!! Cannot get further than that at the moment. Nearly giving up!!!