Comments on: Getting wireless WPA-PSK working under Ubuntu Linux on a Dell Inspiron with Netgear WG511

By: bredelet

bredelet — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:46:26 +0000

OK. This is the hardware info for my card:
pci.subsys_product = ‘WG511 Wireless Adapter’ pci.subsys_vendor = ‘Netgear’ info.product = ‘ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette]/ISL3886 [Prism Javelin/Prism Xbow]‘ pci.product = ‘ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette]/ISL3886 [Prism Javelin/Prism Xbow]‘ info.vendor = ‘Intersil Corporation’ pci.vendor = ‘Intersil Corporation’ pci.device_protocol = 0 (0×0) pci.device_subclass = 128 (0×80) pci.device_class = 2 (0×2) pci.subsys_vendor_id = 4997 (0×1385) pci.subsys_product_id = 18432 (0×4800) pci.vendor_id = 4704 (0×1260) pci.product_id = 14480 (0×3890) info.linux.driver = ‘prism54pci’

PS: thanks for suggesting WICD! I am happy with it.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:59:52 +0000

The change in hardware is probably the key to the ability to run without a wrapped Windows driver. I think the cards that need to be wrapped are on a knife edge between being popular enough that people care how to get them running on modern linux, and unpopular and old enough that nobody can be bothered writing a real driver for them.

The work-around for the key size is a real find. Do you mind if I promote your comment into an addendum on the main post so it’s available to anyone else who’s experiencing frustration with the same hardware configuration as you?

By: bredelet

bredelet — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:54:11 +0000

My card says “Made in Taiwan”, and there is no v2 on it. I think that Linux reports it as a Intersil chipset.
If I put one character more or one character less in the passphrase, I get an error from the card. It needs to be exactly 13.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:58:43 +0000

@bredelet: Not running the Windows driver sounds like very good news. Very strange about the passphrase, though.

By: bredelet

bredelet — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:42:25 +0000

I have a WG511 v1. That info was useful for setting up ndiswrapper.

However I could not get it to work at first, until I changed the WPA passphrase on the access point to a compatible one: either 40 or 104 bits (13 characters exactly).

Then with that passphrase in place I found that my card works with the Linux driver and wpa_supplicant (no Windows driver!)

By: Chonnawonga

Chonnawonga — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:06:01 +0000

Worked like a charm for me! Thanks so much!

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:36:29 +0000

Thanks so much, this was the last thing loosely keeping me “chained” to windows, it was stuck to a wire in one place, or windows for wireless.

Thanks =)!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:36:37 +0000

Sheesh - I have no idea. It’s baffling that the live CD would be more compatible with the card than the install defaults.

I would go back and take a look at the kernel modules with modprobe, and the /etc/modprobe.d/* stuff, and the wireless manager and try to figure out how to emulate that under the non-live CD environment as a start.

By: tdk

tdk — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:41:31 +0000

I have an interesting observation.
I have a Toshiba TE2300 laptop with a Netgear WG511 V1 card.
I downloaded Ubuntu 7.10 live cd to test wireless.
Guess what it worked with WPA-PSK! in the live environment.
BUT!
After installation WPA-PSK is no longer available…..
Have you noticed this?
Maybe put your live cd in and give it a go.

I cant work out why it would change.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:33:34 +0000

Great! I’m very glad someone else found this useful.

Our little laptop is still going strong on wireless & Ubuntu, but the ‘o’ key is dead now so it’s not as portable now with a USB keyboard to lug around with it.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 06:13:01 +0000

Followed this but used the win2k drivers for mine =D
had to do step 7! but other than that.. perfect… cant thank you enough!!! spent 3 days on this and got close but just couldnt close !
cheers mate