PCMCIA wireless card problem
 

Hi,

Can any experts advise me on how to get Asus WL-107G pcmcia wireless card to work in Slackware 10.2.

I have post this question in the Networking and Wireless forum but so far had no reply.

Is it really very hard to find the solution here?

Thanks.

The Hardware Compatibility List at LQ says it needs the rt2500 driver.
I have a Slackware 10.2 package for that driver here: http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slac...2500/pkg/10.2/
The card will come up under the interface name ra0.

You'll have to setup the card by editing the configuration file with something like this (as a replacement for the -assumed- empty values for the "eth1"):

Things like WEP key could be added, too but you did not give any info on that. Just play with the values, make them match your Access Point. I also assumed you are using DHCP - if not, supply IP address, netmask and possibly a GATEWAY value.

Eric

Hi Eric,

Thank you very much for your reply.

This is my first time using Linux. Where should I place the tar driver file?

Can you give me the steps to install this driver?

Thanks.

These steps:

• edit the file /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf and enter the configuration info I wrote before
• wget http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slac....31-i486-2.tgz
• installpkg rt2500-1.1.0.b3_2.4.31-i486-2.tgz
• modprobe rt2500
• ifconfig ra0

If the install was successfull (the "installpkg" command), and the driver loaded OK (the "modprobe rt2500" command), then "ifconfig ra0" should show that the ra0 interface is present.
If you entered the configuration correctly, the interface can be configured and brought "up" using the command
A reboot would do the same.

Eric

Eric you rock! The wireless is working! :)

I have another question. How can I configure the sound?

When I start KDE, the sound drivers cannot be initialize.

I am using Compaq Presario 1255 Notebook.

Thank you very much for your expert help. :)

Have you run alsaconf as root? That should detect your sound card and get you going. Then you can run KMix and turn up your sound.

I run alsaconf and use manual configuration as the auto detection does not detect the sound card.

Everything is working now. I am starting to learn Slackware with the help of wonderful people in this forrum.

Thank you Eric and Wirt.

Hi Eric,

How did you compile the driver for rt2500?

wow, that's satisfying, seeing someone sort out their problem with the right help!

OK, I have a WEP setting, how do I work out the syntax for it and so insert it into rc.inet1.conf? I lookedin rc.inet1, and didn't get much of a clue. I guess WLAN_WEP[1]="1234etc". Still on this file's syntax, how come
settings don't use double quotes?

Also, what's with this "Slackware 10.2" package? Put in that way, it implies it won't do for "Slackware 10.1"? Suppose I'll try it out to find out.

On another line of investigation, I compiled the rt2500 from CVS source, got it up, but then when I apply my wep and dhcpcd, it pauses a minute or two and switches off! Weirdly, dhcpcd does not come up as a running process in "ps". Ah well, I must be mispelling something. I remember ages back I had similar problems though I was using "dhcpd" instead of "dhcpcd"... took me a while to sort that one out.

Simple, check the rt2500.SlackBuild script in http://www.slackware.com/~alien/slac.../rt2500/build/

The package contains a kernel module, specifical to the Linux kernel that ships with Slackware 10.2. If you want to compile the package yourself, use the build script (see above).

Eric

Thanks Alien Bob.

How about the rc.inet1.conf syntax? Cheers.

No need to use quotes.

If you are using using WEP, then add WLAN_KEY[1]=YOUR_KEY

Haha...you called this simple? :) Anyway thanks.

Hm yeah, simple:
Simple... if you know how, I admit.

Eric

thanks jon2088, but it ain't working for me.

Glancing through rc.inet1 which I don't understand fully (no variable declarations) it seems to want "eth" type interfaces. Maybe it's a Slack 10.1 thing.

Of course if this is wireless, why isn't all this happening in rc.wireless? Hmm.. it's modified by Alien Bob .. so OK, I'm out of my depth

dhcpcd continues to bring down the card for me too ... takes the law into its own hands ...