How to Use Wireless Internet on Ubuntu

A PCMCIA wireless card.

Using wireless Internet devices like USB or PCMCIA cards in Linux is much easier thanks to updated drivers and advanced kernel configurations. For example, Ubuntu now features network applications that attempt to configure and optimize wireless Internet connections in only a few steps. Although some wireless devices work right out of the box in Ubuntu, a driver manager called ndiswrapper makes installing and using Windows drivers possible.

Things You'll Need

• Windows wireless device driver

Instructions

1. Open the main Ubuntu menu, move your cursor over "Accessories," and then click on "Terminal." Type (or copy and paste) "sudo aptitude install ndiswrapper-common" (without quotes) at the prompt and hit "Enter."

2. Type your administrator password when prompted, then hit "Enter." This will download and install ndiswrapper and any required dependencies.

3. Plug in your USB or PCMCIA wireless card (if you don't have an internal device), and then restart the computer.

4. Copy the Windows driver for the wireless device to your desktop and make note of the driver file name (usually an ".inf" file). Open a terminal and type "cd ~/Desktop," then hit "Enter."

5. Type "sudo ndiswrapper -i drivername.inf" and hit "Enter" to install the Windows driver (substitute the actual driver name). Type "sudo ndiswrapper -l," then hit "Enter" to confirm the driver installed correctly (will list installed drivers). Restart the computer.

6. Open the main menu, move your cursor over "System," then "Preferences," and then click on "Network Configuration." Click on the "Wireless" tab to configure wireless networks, security keys, ESSID and other network settings. When finished, click "Close" to save and exit the network manager.

7. Restart the device by typing "sudo ifup wlan0" in a terminal, then hit "Enter." Test your wireless Internet connection by opening a web page in your browser.

Tips & Warnings

• Hover over the "Network" icon on the right side of the main Ubuntu taskbar to see which wireless connections are within range. Click on one of the available networks to establish an Internet connection.

References

• Ubuntu ndiswrapper documentation