How to get Netgear WNA3100 usb wireless working

[noob420]

1st, I searched this forum and got no results and search the internet confused me! LOL
 I am a newbie. I have hacked the crud out of Windows XP, replaced boot screen(none of that software) with my own, changed my start button and just for fun changed start menu page to say XP style or 98 crap. LOL
 I downloaded the latest PCLinuxOS Distro and burned a live disk. My only problem is my wireless usb adapter Netgear WNA3100.
 I have read about the windows driver wrapper. If I could get some help on this. Be gentle as I haven't much coding/compiling experience, I did everything in XP from GUI and some regedit(I used ResHacker). I am trying Linux to learn coding and not to hot on Windows.   

[putz]

noob420,

You should search using the term, ndiswrapper

Don't know if there's any specifically on the Netgear WNA3100, but read mine here:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,110885.0.html

The idea is to use ndiswrapper and the windows XP .inf driver file.

As you might note, I had to install an older kernel to get ndiswrapper on mine working.

The process is fairly straight forward.  
1. Configure Network in PCLinuxOS Control Center.
2. Select Wireless Network Connection, and Use Windows Driver with Ndiswrapper
3. Select your drive if it lists, or "Use Other Driver" if not
4. Navigate to you Windows install CD and find the Windows XP driver and select it, then complete the configuration.

Good Luck,

putz

[MGBguy]

Have you check the repositories to see if Ndiswrapper is installed?

[noob420]

Just getting started on this project. I just installed the newest PCLinuxOS. I will check where (repositories in Synaptic) you said and see if Ndiswrapper is there.
 Here's something funny, I gathered some info to help. I lost the install cd. It seems I need to get the same driver running that you have!
Info: Broadcom 802.11 Network Adapter wireless driver, ver. 5.100.68.46, driver(?) bcmwlhigh5.sys. I copied this file and put in my shared folder in C:XP Do I need any other files from XP?
1 last question, if I find a way that is done in other Linux platform's that is using Ndiswrapper, will this also work in PCLinuxOS no matter the base? Really a newbie at Linux in general! LOL 

[putz]

noob420,

I've always placed the .inf and the .sys driver files in my home directory, then pointed internet/network configuration to the .inf file.  This always worked with my Compaq laptop which uses the a broadcom driver.  However, it seems there's been a number of drivers built into the newer system, thus, network configuration asks if you want to use the built in one or the windows one.  Try one, then if it doesn't work, try the other.

If the system still can't find ndiswrapper (which is installed in PCLinuxOS 2008.08 by default if you have a wireless adapter), you might try installing the 2.6.38.8-pclos3 kernel, reboot, then try again.  That is what worked for me.

putz

[noob420]

Researched on the web and here what I am going to try 1st. from sourceforge.
 I got from my windows xp, bcmwlhigh5.sys and bcmwlhigh5.inf driver files. I will install them with Ndiswrapper.

[noob420]

OK 1st try didn't work as I am lost. I copied the driver files to my desktop. I haven't any real experience with cmd.prompts. I have Ndiswrapper installed and ran it but I don't know how to tell it where the files are, cmd. window? Went to my netwoek control but didn't see any place to install drivers. Is there a way I can do it step by step. I did run cmd. lsusb which I understand is list usb and saw my device listed. 1 tiny step. LOL
 Now how do I get the drivers in and started with desk top.
One other note I found a note saying all I had to do is "Add the following to ntoskernal_io.c"  "wstdcall NTSTATUS WIN_FUNC(IoUnregisterPlugPlayNotification,1)
(void *tag)
{
      TRACE2("%p", tag);
      TODO(); /* Probably Not, legacy function abandoned in Windows 7 */
      IOEXIT(return STATUS_SUCCESS); /* Linux doesn't use it either */
}" if so can I just copy and paste? If so where is ntoskernal_io.c ie:home/root/ntoskernal_io.c???
Thanks for your time with helping me!
 

[putz]

noob420,

I have to back off.  It seems you installed a version of ndiswrapper you downloaded from somewhere rather than using PCLinuxOS's Synaptic Package Manager.  Ndiswrapper is available in our repositories and easily setup using the PCLinuxOS Control Center / Network & Internet / Set up new network interface function.

I cannot help with cmd.prompts; I just don't know enough.

Perhaps someone else can jump in to help.

Good Luck,

putz

[noob420]

OK found the button in control center for new connection. I followed and showed where the driver files (bcmwlhigh5.inf and bcmwlhigh5.sys) were (Home), clicked the .inf file, found driver in ndiswrapper list and got an Error Unable to find the ndiswrapper interface! Then after clicking OK drakconnect Unable to find interface for selected device (using ndiswrapper driver). Because I still don't have the internet in PCLinuxOS how can I fix this interface problem? did I do something wrong?

[putz]

noob420,

No, you did not do anything wrong.  That's the normal procedure which has worked for me up until this latest iso (2012.08 or 06).  I also have a copy of the 2012.02 iso that I tried and it worked fine.  Do you have any way to plug in an ethernet cable and get connected long enough to access our repository and install kernel 2.6.38.8-pclos3?  If you can, then do so, then reboot.  Installing the kernel will place another choice in the boot menu for that kernel.  Arrow down and select the new kernel and boot using it.  You should then be able to use the PCC / Network & Internet process and it will work... at least it did for me.

Good Luck,

putz

[menotu]

If you can connect to the internet using Windows,open a browser (or ftp) and go to the link listed below; that will open up the  heanet.ie  PCLinuxOS repo, and specifically the nonfree folder

http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/pclinuxos/apt/pclinuxos/2010/RPMS.nonfree/

When that folder is open scroll down and you'll see 22 ndiswrapper files

Download them all to a location where PCLinuxOS can see them (USB stick would do)  They are small files totaling 3.9MB for the lot.

Open up the PCC (Configure Your Computer) module and do another wifi install and when asked point it to where the ndiswrapper files are located  - if the first one doesn't try the next one and so on .....

[noob420]

Wow, thanks I'll try that. I did find an older iso and installed that and got my usb seen but couldn't get on the Internet. So I thought I could learn from this! I reinstalled the latest iso. I am going to get it working! LOL Oh a flash since I can't get to the Internet yet could I use the link site you gave me to download updates and install them?? Wait without Internet os won't know what it needs? I'll try what you said 1st. I do have a laptop I can use and a network cable, maybe I'll try hook them up together and use the laptop Internet connection. Should be fun as I never tried Internet sharing in XP or pclos. Wish this newbie luck! I do have lot's of free time and brain space!

[noob420]

I did find out I should be using ndiswrapper 1.57. I have downloaded the packages you said and also ndiswrapper 1.57, I didn't see it at http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/pclinuxos/apt/pclinuxos/2010/RPMS.nonfree/. Downloaded from softpedia. also have notes on how to install in S manager. Here goes!