Ubuntu Linux : Internet connection : How?

Question

There are many brilliant people on this newsgroup who may be able to help me.

My Toshiba A100 with XP was re-booting about every 20 minutes with " Unknown error ( or something like that ), Windows will tell you when a solution has been found " I also believe in flying pigs!

To start I loaded the Ubuntu CD and did the memory test - no problems.

Left it running overnight and it had not re-booted so I doubt if it has motherboard or memory problems. I did buy a new HDD (320G to replace the original 80G), installed it and re-tested memory etc. - no problems, it has been running for another 24 hours without re-booting.

Installed Ubuntu on the 320Gig with no probs, ran through a few programmes to try to get used to it and like it.

Now we come to the hard part for me - how to connect to the internet via a wireless router/modem I am on the dumber side as far as this goes.

Equipment Toshiba A100 with 2MB of memory Linksys router/modem about 20 metres away in #1 son's house, I live in an attached grand-dad flat. This is being typed on an Asus laptop (W7) with 3 bars signal strength, the Toshiba never got more than 2.

The only thing good about windows was that is was relatively easy to connect to the modem. I am baffled trying to connect Ubuntu. I just don't understand how to do it.

Help is no good because I cannot get online to find out what to do.

I guess that I should use Network settings to set up, which is what I am trying.

Modem settings Messages -

Location - create location what is this? Connections - Interface ppp0 is not configured General domain name ???? DNS servers what would address be ? same for search domains Hosts has 127.0.0.1 as localhost alan-laptop and 127.0.1.1 as alan-laptop plus a few other hieroglyphics which mean nothing to me. Properties has an IP address of ff00::0.

I have just had a brilliant thought, maybe the Linksys installation CD will help, but it probably does not cover Linux. No luck - windows only.

If anyone can help me I will be extremely grateful. I could probably work out how to do it with about 3 weeks of effort.

Thanks,

Alan

Ignoramus4275 · Accepted Answer

Try posting output of lspci command.lspcii

Steve Ackman · Answer

ppp0 is for dialup. You'll most likely be looking for wlan0... or the name of SSID of the network.

Since you say Ubuntu rather than Xubuntu or Kubuntu, I assume you'll be looking for a Gnome applet. In Xubuntu, it's called NetworkManager (case matters in 'nix). That may be what you're looking for.

Ah... just checked a virtual LMDE with Gnome. It uses the same thing.

It should already be running on a task bar somewhere. Look for some kind of icon that looks like it represents connectivity. On the LMDE with Gnome, it looks like a cable connector. On Xubuntu (10.10), it looks like a pair of vertical white arrows, one up, one down. On Xubuntu (10.4) it looks like a pair of monitors. (Or one of those icons might be a _buntu one while the other may be an Xfce one. Anyway... SOMETHING that somehow vaguely could be interpreted as "connection.")

I don't have the laptop available at the moment to talk you through the exact wireless steps, but a left click should allow you to choose from available networks, and right click should allow you to edit connections.

HTH.

Jon Elson · Answer

On my systems, you go to the System menu on the main taskbar and then select Preferences and then Network Connections, and there should be a tab for wireless connections. You will have to enter the right stuff for your specific wireless system from there.

Jon

Steve Ackman · Answer

As you can see by now, there's not just one way to do network stuff. (I'm not even going to go down the ifconfig road at this point.) It would probably help (or might not) if you said which version of Ubuntu you've installed.

Tim Wescott · Answer

And whether Ubuntu appears to see the wireless hardware.

From the original post it's not clear whether the problem is one of setting up the network (you have to point the 'puter to the right one(s)) or getting the computer to see the wireless hardware (which sometimes requires that you turn on and/or download drivers for the specific hardware).

Steve Ackman · Answer

So, now that I'm on a 'buntu machine with wifi...

I left-click the two-monitor icon on the task bar. I see,

Wired Network Disconnected

-------------------------------- Wireless Networks Disconnected

-------------------------------- Available Some home SSID xyz Some phone router abc Some commercial router zyx MY WLAN

-------------------------------- VPN connections >

-------------------------------- Connect to Hidden Wireless Network Create New Wireless Network

I do the following: Click "MY WLAN" Enter WEP/WPA "password" Wait a few seconds Connection established - icon changes to radiating quarter circles indicating signal strength. Mouseover it, and it shows the SSID and signal strength as a percentage.

Ubuntu Linux : Internet connection : How?

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