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best wireless support distro

  • 19-06-2006 1:34pm
    #1
    John Player
    Closed Accounts Posts: 385 ✭✭


    Hey everyone,

    Ive been using linux on and off for a few years now but alwalys as a dual boot, ive upgraded my xp to vista beta, and although its great its just too sluggish on my laptop.

    I want to make the move over fully to linux now but i wont until i can get my wireless card working - i had some success with mandrake and ndiskwrap (i think it was called) but couldnt get it working fully - my head was wrecked so i just gave up and my linux partition was never touched (i use the computer for browsing and chat 90% of the time.

    im not very tech minded at all so when it comes to /hdas and /dev/bin/ etc theres no hope, my card is a dell wireless wlan - anyone have any suggestions please on a distro that works the best out of the box with wireless please.


    Thanks,
    Luke


Comments

  • #2
    Matthewthebig
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,217 ✭✭✭Matthewthebig


    ubuntu is meant to be good


  • #3
    steveland?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,842 ✭✭✭steveland?


    Yeh I'd go for Ubuntu... make sure the chipset of your wireless card is supported first though and if it isn't then Google for anyone who's succesfully gotten ndiswrapper working with your card.

    I had very little problem getting my wireless up and running on my laptop with some help from people here and over at www.ubuntuforums.org

    Have a search around on those Ubuntu Forums for similar experiences with your hardware


  • #4
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Ubuntu... Ralink cards work out of the box :) broadcom works with a bit of fiddling


  • #5
    steveland?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,842 ✭✭✭steveland?


    Chances are if it's a Dell it's going to be the one with the Broadcom BCM4318 or BCM4301 (just guessing though, I know Dell use this one in a good few of their laptops) and the one I have is the BCM4301.

    I got mine up and running no bother using ndiswrapper and BCM4318 drivers.

    All my questions were answered in this post: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054937931 and in that post I was linked to this post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=125537 both of which helped an absolulte ****load...

    By the way if you're looking for proper wireless support go for v5.10 (Breezy Badger) as when I was using Dapper Drake (the new one, v6.something) it seems to use a new network-manager which just didn't like my laptop...

    Anyway as a result of those two posts I've had my laptop up and running with Ubuntu and wireless for the past few weeks with no bother...

    Edit: Btw I know feck all about *nix, just some of the very, very basic stuff I did in college like setting permissions and the like... That UbuntuForums link explains everything word for word what you'd type

    Ubuntu's very "Windowsesque" for this kinda stuff (and Synaptic is just wonderful :) google for a sources.list generator that'll let you customise your sources list with all the freely available software you'll ever need.... well... lots of software anyway that'll pander to what you specifically want your laptop to do)


  • #6
    John Player
    Closed Accounts Posts: 385 ✭✭John Player


    right, i downloaded 5.10 last night so ill give it a go tonight when i get home and see how it goes. cheers for the tips.

    luke


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  • #7
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    6.06 is the latest


  • #8
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    I think I've changed my mind folks. You should try PCLinuxOS if you really want a v.good support wireless distro. It comes with a proper wireless network searcher and all. Works even from the LiveCD that i'm using (came from Linux Format mag)


  • #9
    Snowbat
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭Snowbat


    A native Broadcom bcm43xx driver has been added in the latest Linux kernel (2.6.17).
    http://bcm43xx.berlios.de/


  • #10
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    This should give Linux users full Wireless support then as the main players on chipsets are Broadcom and Ralink


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