1.  Go to your manufacturer website.  

2.  Most like Dell, you can go through support to find the type.. dell lattitude vs a dell inspiron, and then the specific model 1501 or a dell D620, which I just installed Ubuntu on 3 laptops, all with wireless and they work great.

3.  Go to System, administration, Additional Drivers. 

4.  Ubuntu will do a search, and it will find what you need because you already downloaded it, select it, install it.  You will need to reboot to activate it.  Do so.

If it doesn't start at boot, generally the issue is turning on and off the wireless card.  ON my Dell, I use Fn/F2 to turn on or off.  I had to go into the computer set up, and turn off the automatically on, as it would cause a hang up during boot. Then reboot, and when you log in, hit the FN/F2 to turn on the card. 





Other option.

At step 4.  Go to System, Administration, Window Wireless Drivers
It will search, and not find any.  Select Install new driver.

Go to where you downloaded your drivers for your specific model.

You will need the inf file.  This is typically bcmw.inf

and install.  (this is more of a pain- and I would recommend using terminal before this approach)


Most people install the driver, but they don't turn off during the boot, enabling the wireless driver - the automatically on/off.  I would disable this and have it so that you can turn it off or on, but not automatically....I would bet this is the issue for you.


Wireless using Linux, I get way better reception, and it is the only way I use a laptop. 

I also like using terminal to install, more control, I have found if something goes wrong, I can find the specific solution.


I live in the south metro, Shakopee area.  I have class at Metro state on Mondays, if you needed help I would be willing to help. 




 Wireless Installation us.



http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&ServiceTag=&SystemID=LAT_PNT_PM_D400&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=





----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Lunde" <tlunde at gmail.com>
To: "TCLUG Mailing List" <tclug-list at mn-linux.org>
Cc: "TCLUG Mailing List" <tclug-list at mn-linux.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 12:55:50 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Any Ubuntu Wireless experts?

Eric -

If you have a solution, I'd love to see it on-list. I, too, have a laptop with a Broadcom wireless card that works under XP but which Natty isn't handling correctly. This card came in a HP laptop, not that that matters. 

I've used previous versions of Ubuntu, going back to Warty, and other laptops with Broadcom cards but haven't found a solution to this one yet. 

What information do you need?

Thanks
Thomas 



On May 14, 2011, at 10:20 PM, Eric Schultz  <eric.schultz at mchsi.com> wrote:

> Scott,
> 
> 
> if you have problems, email me directly, I can walk you through it or get you the drivers you need.  With Ubuntu, you do not need to go through bw-cutter or b43.
> 
> eric.schultz at mchsi.com
> 
> Eric
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott Raun" <sraun at fireopal.org>
> To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 8:05:12 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
> Subject: [tclug-list] Any Ubuntu Wireless experts?
> 
> I've got a Dell Latitude D400 with what Ubuntu identifies as a
> Broadcom BCM4309 802.11a/b/g (rev 02), PCI ID = 14e4:4324 (rev 02)
> 
> I've found a number of web pages that refer me to bw43-cutter.  I
> install it and the related firmware package on my Natty Narwhal - but
> the wireless card is still down.  I can get probes to admit it is
> there, but I can't get it talking.
> 
> The card was known working under WinXP last weekend.
> 
> Anyone willing to help me figure out what's going on here?  I'm in
> South Minneapolis, I work in Plymouth M-F 8-5, I'm willing to travel a
> fair bit if needed.
> 
> -- 
> Scott Raun
> sraun at fireopal.org
> _______________________________________________
> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
> tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
> _______________________________________________
> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
> tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
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