Cannot get the internet via wired or wireless connection trialling Ubuntu 12.04

What Ethernet and wireless chips does the system use?

Sorry, I'm at work but I believe it's NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000 NIC) and Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN - Broadcom 802.11a/b/g WLAN.

Yeah thanks Windows information. Broadcom make hundreds of network chips. Its like saying you have a 'Ford' and want parts for it. They aren't all the same and the information Windows gives it's users is equally vague.

In Ubuntu if you open a terminal by pressing CTRL + ALT + T you can run:

sudo lshw -C network

And be told the chip. We can then get drivers. With the system being an HP I'm guessing it's a cheap BCM43xx but again, we need the exact chip.

Thanks very much for this so far! I'm currently at work and my laptop is at home so won't be able to get this information for at least 3 hours - would it be jumping the gun if I asked how to proceed once I obtain the exact chip or is your advice contingent upon this information? I don't want to miss out on any more of your advice.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx

But if it's something else head to your favourite search engine and type:

Ubuntu nameofchiphere

You'll find guides

Thanks again for your assistance! You were most certainly correct about the chip - it's a BCM4318 chip. However, I went ahead with the procedure following the instructions provided via the link and it didn't work. As you will see the webpage for the b43 driver for this chip states that there is a known issue with this chip, namely "AP mode does not work because of packet loss in high transmission rates. Hard to debug & fix." ( http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43) which, my utter inexperience to one side, I presume at least may have contributed to my attempt not working?

For further information, I went ahead and followed the procedure listed under "b43 - No Internet access" on the Ubuntu Community webpage (at least, I think I did as it was all very confusing). After finishing Step 3, the text in the Terminal box finished with 'Failed to create output directory: no such file or directory'. I went ahead with the next step anyway, which was to restart my laptop, and the CD-Rom popped out with the following text on the screen:

BusyBox v1.18.5 (Ubuntu 1:1.18.5-1ubuntu4.1) built-in-shell (ash)
Enter help for a list of built-in commands

(initramfs\ mount:mounting/dev/loop0 on //filesystem.squashfs failed input/output error

Can not mount /dev/loopo (/cdrom/casper/filesystem.squashfs) on //filesystem.squashfs

I also have to admit that I'm not even sure if I entered the text properly as instructed - with step 1, after entering the first command line (cd /cdrom/pool/main/b/b43-fwcutter/) is it correct to press the enter button to get to the next line to enter the second command line (sudo dpkg -i b43-fwcutter*) as this prompts some text on the second line before the cursor? See, again, I am absolutely brand new to all of this.

So where does this all leave me? Is my short-lived experience with Linux over?

Again, I really must thank you for your help - it is hugely appreciated.

Oh, and with Step 1, installing the b43-fwcutter package, I presumed the it was on my Ubuntu install media, namely the DVD I am using.

Thanks again.

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.