Something odd about wireless using ndiswrapper and KDE

cwwilson721 · 04-22-2006, 09:54 PM

I've just installed ndiswrapper for my Linksys WPC54G V3 pcmcia card.

Installed ndiswrapper, configured,and it now works. (Using it right now)

However, my KWiFiManager is showing it's "Out of range", and "Wireless network information" applet is showing nothing too.

Slackware 10.2, not 'current', kernel 2.6.15

Both apps work fine with my DLink card using wlan-ng.

Any ideas?

cwwilson721 · 04-23-2006, 03:17 PM

OK...Seems to have been the Windows driver for the Broadcom bcm43xx chipset.

So I got rid of ndiswrapper, and obtained the associated drivers from http://bcm43xx.berlios.de/ ,following the instructions here.

After installing everything (and a few recompiles ,etc later) I'm now online with a NATIVE LINUX BROADCOM WIRELESS DRIVER. Yep. Dats right.

After that, the applets mentioned before work perfect.

Now, I just have to get wpa working with it (was working fine with ndiswrapper. I think it's just a config thing. Will let you know)

Fluxx · 04-23-2006, 03:57 PM

And where is the problem if someone uses NdisWrapper?

Only a question because you mentioned that

I'm now online with a NATIVE LINUX BROADCOM WIRELESS DRIVER. Yep. Dats right.

... I don't understand it ...

Fluxx.

cwwilson721 · 04-23-2006, 04:00 PM

I just feel that using a Windows driver to make Linux hardware operational is a kludge.

Proof in point: All my wireless tools/apps work now with the native driver, as compared to not all working with the ndiswrapper.

There is no problem per se with using ndiswrapper, it just that IMO, it adds a layer of unneeded complexity.