How to use wireless in Compaq CQ58?

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

How to use wireless in Compaq CQ58?

#1 Post by snowy »

I have been running Puppy for years on my Esprimo laptop, but I have swapped it for a new Compaq CQ58 and I can't get it to connect to my wireless network.

I plugged in my stick and Lucid Puppy loaded but I couldn't get wireless. I then loaded the latest Precise (forget the version number) onto a CD and that is what I am working with now.

I ran network Wizard, but it won't find my driver and a few random attempts failed so I decided to try ndis wrapper. I've never done this before. I didn't know where to look for the .INF file, and Search didn't bring up anything. So I went into Windows 8 and searched for .INF. I found nothing there either.

Very grateful for any help to get Puppy working and on line.

User avatar
butchydave
Posts: 44
Joined: Sat 03 Mar 2012, 14:50

Wireless Issue

#2 Post by butchydave »

Snowy- Have you tried Frisbee? I have had luck with that when others have not worked. Sometimes I have had to make a save file and then reboot several times before it decided to work. Good Luck!

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

Re: How to use wireless in Compaq CQ58?

#3 Post by watchdog »

From:

http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Nav?h_pa ... g=it&cc=it

you can download the drivers of your compaq (in my language). I did it for compaq-cq58-100sl and downloaded the driver for atheros wireless in windows 8 32 bit. With peazip I extracted the inf file and sys file:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9iMb4U ... sp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9iMb4U ... sp=sharing

Put those two files in a dir and try to run ndiswrapper driver with the inf file in the dir. I don't know if it will work because I used ndiswrapper with xp drivers and I am not sure if it works with windows 8 drivers, too.

EDIT: I confirm, you can't use ndiswrapper because you need the wireless xp driver. The wireless xp driver is not included in hp site and probably it does not exist.

User avatar
dk60902
Posts: 230
Joined: Sun 26 Sep 2010, 22:34
Location: In front of my computer

#4 Post by dk60902 »

Do you think Slacko 5.5 might work?

Another alternative is that the wireless cards are generally easy to replace. Perhaps an intel card bought off of ebay may work as intel wireless cards have better support on puppy. I looked up the Compaq CQ58, and it looks like it may be a mini pci half sized card. On ebay, there are some fairly reasonably priced intel cards under $20.
HP Pavilion Mini Pentium 1.7 GHz Dual Core 12 GB RAM 120 GB SSD Linux Lite 3.8 64-bit w/ Kensington Slimblade Trackball
Bionic8.0 Xenial64 Tahr64 USB frugal install
Samsung Chromebook Plus
LG V20 LG Xpression Plus Huawei Ascend XT2

cthisbear
Posts: 4422
Joined: Sun 29 Jan 2006, 22:07
Location: Sydney Australia

#5 Post by cthisbear »

" My wireless adapter is

Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter "

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2103062

"""""""""""

Or is it Ralink Radio Model RT5390

http://askubuntu.com/questions/251135/w ... ompaq-cq58

Chris

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

#6 Post by snowy »

First, thanks to all who replied. I'll answer everyone in a single post.

Although I'm not a newcomer to Linux, neither am I particularly knowledgeable on the technical side, or even that interested. I'm primarily a user.

I haven't tried Frisbee. I don't know what it is.

I haven't tried Slacko. Do you think it might find wireless cards that other versions of Puppy don't find?

I liked Puppy on my previous machine but I'm not into changing my wireless card to be able to use it.

Following some advice I found by googling, I found that my card is a Ralink. I don't recall the identifying number. I did try to connect selecting Ralink cards, but it didn't work.

Linux Mint 14 found my card and network automatically.

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

#7 Post by watchdog »

snowy wrote: I haven't tried Slacko. Do you think it might find wireless cards that other versions of Puppy don't find?

Slacko 5.5 has a kernel of the same series as precise. If precise fails to recognize your wifi I think there is no reason to try slacko.
snowy wrote: Following some advice I found by googling, I found that my card is a Ralink. I don't recall the identifying number. I did try to connect selecting Ralink cards, but it didn't work.

Run in console:

Code: Select all

lspci
and identify your wifi card. Then proceed by googling.

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

#8 Post by snowy »

watchdog wrote: Run in console:

Code: Select all

lspci
and identify your wifi card. Then proceed by googling.
Results were:

Code: Select all

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev c4)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev c4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev c4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM75 Express Chipset LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 7 Series Chipset Family 6-port SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 05)
02:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. Device 539b
03:00.0 Unassigned class [ff00]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTS5229 PCI Express Card Reader (rev 01)

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

#9 Post by watchdog »

snowy wrote:

Code: Select all

02:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. Device 539b
I found that the support for that card has been added in more recent kernels (3.5.0). It's very difficult to get working that wifi card for older kernels. I suggest a wifi usb stick. A wifi usb stick with windows xp driver can always work with ndiswrapper.

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

#10 Post by snowy »

watchdog wrote:
snowy wrote:

Code: Select all

02:00.0 Network controller: Ralink corp. Device 539b
I found that the support for that card has been added in more recent kernels (3.5.0). It's very difficult to get working that wifi card for older kernels. I suggest a wifi usb stick. A wifi usb stick with windows xp driver can always work with ndiswrapper.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I guess I'll stick with Mint until Puppy updates and can support my card. Maybe I'll use ethernet over the mains.

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

One more possibility...

#11 Post by watchdog »

I have found this BK post which can help you:

http://www.puppylinux.com/test/precise- ... se-k3.8.0/

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

Re: One more possibility...

#12 Post by snowy »

watchdog wrote:I have found this BK post which can help you:

http://www.puppylinux.com/test/precise- ... se-k3.8.0/
Thanks watchdog.

I'm very busy for the next few days, but I'll give it atry and report back next week.

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

Re: One more possibility...

#13 Post by snowy »

snowy wrote:
watchdog wrote:I have found this BK post which can help you:

http://www.puppylinux.com/test/precise- ... se-k3.8.0/
Thanks watchdog.

I'm very busy for the next few days, but I'll give it atry and report back next week.
I tried that download, but though it went through the normal loading procedure I got a black screen. Ctrl+Alt+backspace enabled me to run xorgwizard, but still a black screen, though it did bark at me. :)

I'll stick with Mint for now, then maybe run Puppy later over a mains ethernet.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

Re: One more possibility...

#14 Post by snowy »

I dug out an old USB wireless adaptor that I'd used on a previous desktop, where I needed to install drivers but on plugging it in I found that it worked immediately both in Mint and Puppy. Bought it on ebay several years ago for about £4!

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

#15 Post by snowy »

watchdog wrote:
snowy wrote: I haven't tried Slacko. Do you think it might find wireless cards that other versions of Puppy don't find?

Slacko 5.5 has a kernel of the same series as precise. If precise fails to recognize your wifi I think there is no reason to try slacko..
Actually, Slacko works with my wireless adaptor, but Lucid doesn't. Haven't tried precise since I found the adaptor.

watchdog
Posts: 2021
Joined: Fri 28 Sep 2012, 18:04
Location: Italy

#16 Post by watchdog »

snowy wrote:
watchdog wrote:
snowy wrote: I haven't tried Slacko. Do you think it might find wireless cards that other versions of Puppy don't find?

Slacko 5.5 has a kernel of the same series as precise. If precise fails to recognize your wifi I think there is no reason to try slacko..
Actually, Slacko works with my wireless adaptor, but Lucid doesn't. Haven't tried precise since I found the adaptor.
I installed slacko using slacko-5.5-4G.iso which uses kernel 3.2.33-4g (precise 3.2.29). Probably you have installed slacko-5.5-PAE.iso which uses a later kernel. To see which one run in console:

Code: Select all

uname -r
Probably you have 3.4.17 kernel. Sorry.

User avatar
snowy
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2007, 00:12

#17 Post by snowy »

I had to give up Slacko because of problems with installing software. I'm currently running Lucid with an ethernet connection. When I have to use wireless it's Mint and Windows.

Post Reply