How to use Linksys WPC54G wireless card?

[karatepig64]

Hello all. This is my second attempt to use Linux, and let me say, this distro is great! Now, I installed this OS on an old laptop, and want to use a Linksys Wireless G network card (WPC54G, version 4) to, you guessed it, access the internet. But when I plug it in, nothing happens. I am used to my windows machine automatically installing new hardware, and I am clueless as to how to proceed (in Linux, anyway). Help?

[mcastles]

I have the same problem you do, but my wireless is a usb stick.
I know just plugging it in dosent make it work right away, you
can try setting it up through the network wizard in the setup menu then click "load module". I'd imagine you would have to use ndiswrapper and load a inf file from your wireless cards installation cd (don't use vista drivers) then try "Auto dhcp", then bring up your connection and connect to a network, something like that... Let me know if that worked, I don't know what version Puppy your using but I am wanting to use 4.2.

Hope that helps..

[karatepig64]

What the heck is ndiswrapper? I don't have the cd that came with the card; I bought it used. This is what turned me away from linux in the past. Everything is so damn complicated from installing software, to deciphering the funky names that applications in linux have. And many things just don't work. For instance, none of my funtion keys are funtioning (no pun intended), and I am unable to adjust the brightness of my monitor. I'm gonna go to a hotspot today, and try the network wizard.
Ow, and I messed up. My card is V.4, not V.2

[mcastles]

Ya, I agree about the installing software and devices stuff about Linux, I found just experimenting with the operating system once in while a reading threads helped me. I have switched from Windows to Linux to Windows to Linux a lot. If it dosen't work for you maybe you should try 4.0 Puppy, that is if your using the latest versin 4.2.1. Wireless works great for me on that one (4.0).

I am not sure what ndiswrapper is but I know what it dose, it uses the .inf file, found in your wireless cards drivers for windows (maybe you could get the driver files from the net and find the .inf file in your driver files.

For me 4.0 works good, I think my function keys aren't working either, but I am sure there might be a way, but I am fine with out the function keys right now anyway..

As for your brightness/contrast display problem, not sure about that, sorry man.

But good luck getting it working!!