Look in /etc/udev/rules/ and, I think, 70-net.something. 

The MAC address for the old machine is probably listed there. You want to replace that with the MAC address of this machine's card. 

The Ubuntu installer can set up wireless networks just fine. I don't know what it will do on a re-install to change an existing config. It may leave the old one in place, thinking that it is the config for a piece of hardware that is temporarily absent during the re-install. Or, it might overwrite the old config with the new and correct one. 

Thomas


On Mar 2, 2012, at 11:37 AM, Florin Iucha <florin at iucha.net> wrote:

> On Fri, Mar 02, 2012 at 09:33:15AM -0800, Olwe Bottorff wrote:
>>>> So how do I detect the real MAC address on my new machine
>>>> and get Linux to see it? Or am I not correct in thinking each machine
>>>> must have a unique MAC address?
>>> 
>>> Boot a rescue distribution (to avoid some local scripts setting up a
>>> MAC) and run 'ifconfig -a'.
>>> 
>> If I boot into the Ubuntu install CD (in my case USB drive), it should
>> immediately pick up the hardware MAC for the Wireless, right? By the
>> time the "Try" "Install" screen comes along it should see Wifi and want,
>> e.g., a password, right? If it doesn't see Wifi, then it's not an issue
>> of the cloned drive carrying over bad kernel-level info, right?
> 
> I don't know if Ubuntu installer is willing and able to set up
> wireless cards (to use during installation or post-install).
> 
> For checking the wireless network I would try something like Knoppix.
> 
> Cheers,
> florin
> 
> -- 
> Beware of software written by optimists!
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