Trying to get wireless card working in Linux

[scottws]

I have a dual-boot system. I had originally formatted a 210GB Windows XP Pro partition and left 10GB unpartitioned for a future Linux install.

Well last week, I installed Ubuntu 5.10. I have a Motorola WPCI810G, which uses the Broadcom chipset. There are no drivers for this chipset in Linux, though people have reported success using the Windows driver with ndiswrapper.

Personally, I can't get it to work in Ubuntu. I've tried several times. But the worst part is that whenever I mess around with trying to get the card working in Linux, it royally messes up Windows.

For instance, each and every time I reboot back into Windows after messing with the card in Ubuntu, the New Hardware Wizard opens up, trys to install a "Network Controller," and ultimately fails. The Motorola Wireless Utility does not load and therefore does not connect me to the wireless network.

I have to reinstall the utility and drivers from the included disc to get it working again.

Is something happening to the card itself when I try to get it working in Linux that messes it up in Windows each time? Or is this problem merely coincidental?

 

[Nothinman]

Linux shouldn't be touching the Windows partition at all, especiallly if it's NTFS it won't be able to write to the filesystem unless you jump through some hoops to enable that.

 

[volrath]

But it may reconfigure some devices somehow...

 

[Nothinman]

But it may reconfigure some devices somehow...

And if the Windows drivers assume a certain state for the devices on initialization then there's a bug in them. But even so, it shouldn't cause the Add New Hardware crap to startup every time.

 

[bersl2]

From my experience, the Windows hardware detection flakes out like that every so often without the help of Linux at all. Buggy Windows drivers IMO.

 

[scottws]

Well, I don't know what the specific problem is. But buggy drivers is right. Before I even had these problems I knew that the bcmwl5.sys driver that Broadcom wireless chipsets use is a nightmare.

All I know is that ever since I installed Ubuntu on my system, I've been having a heck of a time with the bcmwl5.sys driver that the Motorola WPCI810G uses. Every time I unhook my computer, take it downstairs, hook it up via wire to the router, mess around with ndiswrapper in Ubutnu, then take it back upstairs, Windows forgets that the device was installed and then tries to reinstall it, but fails.

That's what baffles me the most. I mean the drivers for the device are already installed, why can't it find them?

The worst part is that sometimes the installation utility doesn't even do anything. Windows is still left with an unconfigured "Network Controller" on reboot.

I suppose it could be a problem with the Windows installation, but I just think it's too coincidental that the problem always coincides with trying to get the card to work in Ubuntu.

 

[Nothinman]

This is why you shouldn't support crappy hardware manufacturers. Not only does Broadcom not support Linux, their Windows support is obviously subpar too.

 

[The Linuxator]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
This is why you shouldn't support crappy hardware manufacturers. Not only does Broadcom not support Linux, their Windows support is obviously subpar too.

Agreed, switch to some manfacturer with some real Linux support, i.e Intel, RALink, Cisco, Linksys...etc

 

[scottws]

Yeah, I know that now.

At the time I was looking for a relatively inexpensive wireless solution that supported WPA2 and this was the only thing even close to what I was willing to spend. Everything else was twice as much.

Now I know why.

BTW, some of the Linksys adapters use the same Broadcom chipset.

 

[nweaver]

Linksys is a hodgepodge...they use TI, Atheros, broadcom...

that is why I like to know what I am getting. My preference for cards is 1. Intel 2. Atheros, 3. everything else.

 

[Nothinman]

At the time I was looking for a relatively inexpensive wireless solution that supported WPA2 and this was the only thing even close to what I was willing to spend.

I got an RALink card for $20 at CompUSA with an instant rebate, it would have been free if I had taken the time to do the mail-in rebate. I doubt your Motorola was cheaper than that.

that is why I like to know what I am getting. My preference for cards is 1. Intel 2. Atheros, 3. everything else.

Those still require binary-only firmware, I would avoid them too if possible.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

that is why I like to know what I am getting. My preference for cards is 1. Intel 2. Atheros, 3. everything else.

Those still require binary-only firmware, I would avoid them too if possible.

Intel's binary only firmware is fine, except it can't be distributed with most OSes. I don't know about Atheros's firmware, but I know they have a binary-only HAL which some lesser OSes and drivers decided to use. The open HAL should be fine.

RALink is still the best though, with RealTek not far behind (in open-friendly-fluffy-kitten-goodness).