How to Set Up a Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card in Ubuntu

Ubuntu supports many wireless PCI cards out-of-the-box.

Ubuntu tries to automatically detect and activate Linksys Wireless-G PCI cards to connect to the Internet or other network. Most wireless PCI cards operate under Ubuntu using the native Linux driver, while other cards must use the "ndiswrapper," a utility that obtains the Windows driver for the wireless card. Most wireless cards will work under one of these methods. However, some cards will not work at all with Ubuntu. It is a good idea to check the compatibility of your card under Ubuntu before purchasing a new wireless PCI card.

Instructions

1. Plug the Linksys Wireless-G PCI card into the computer and turn the computer on. Log in as normal.

2. Navigate to "System," Administration," Networking" and choose the wireless connection you wish to use. If no connection is available and your card is plugged in, continue to Step 3.

3. Click on "Properties" and make sure "Enable this connection" is turned on.

4. Set "Configuration" to "Static IP address" only if your Internet Service Provider has given you a static Internet Protocol (IP) address. Enter the IP address in the required field and click "OK."

5. Check to see if your card is supported. If your Linksys Wireless-G PCI card is not supported by the native Linux driver, check to see if your card is supported by "ndiswrapper" (see Resources).

6. Navigate to the "Applications" menu and select "Accessories" and "Terminal" to install ndiswrapper. Enter the command "sudo apt-get install ndisgtk."

7. Blacklist the native network driver by navigating to "Applications," "Accessories" and "Terminal." This will open a command-line interface. Enter the command "echo -e "blacklist bcm43xx\nblacklist b43\nblacklist b43legacy\nblacklist ssb" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist." (Note: For Ubuntu 9.04 and later, the Filename has changed to blacklist.conf.)

8. Install the Windows drivers by navigating to "System," "Administration," "Windows wireless drivers" and following the prompts.

9. Load the new driver module by entering these commands into the Terminal in sequence:

   "sudo depmod -a"

   "sudo modprobe ndiswrapper"

10. Repeat Steps 2 and 3. If your Linksys Wireless-G PCI wireless adapter does not work, see Resources for troubleshooting.

References

• Ubuntu Documentation: Ndiswrapper
• Ubuntu: Connecting to the Internet
• Linux Questions: Ubuntu -- Linksys Wireless PCI Card

Resources

• Ubuntu Documentation: Ndiswrapper Troubleshooting
• Ubuntu Documentation: Wi-Fi Documents