Ubuntu

Will Ubuntu Support my Wireless Notebook

Asked by David Madison

I have a Dell Vostro 1000 notebook with the ram upgraded to 2GB and an upgraded 120 GB hard drive. I can blow away files on the original 80 gigger and be back online sixty seconds later with the replacement drive. I would REALLLY like to escape Windows by getting a Linux operating system. My concern is the internal wireless card.

Bedridden, the wireless router is downstairs, and my wife does not have the computer smarts to recycle the power without written instructions. An operating system that will not support my internal wireless card strands me. Will Ubuntu strand me or let me surf the internet?

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Luky Winarto
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Revision history for this message
hardcorelinux (hardcorelinux) said : 		#1

Do you have a Dell Wireless 1390 WiFi card. It should be a BroadCom chip. You can use NDISWrapper or b43 restricted driver.

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#2

The WiFi connection is internal to the notebook. There is no external card.

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hardcorelinux (hardcorelinux) said : 		#3

Really doesn't matter, the chipset is the only important thing.

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#4

It matters to me because I cannot afford to guess which chipset I have. I do not know what a chipset looks like. It is probably somewhere inside the notebook, but I do not want to void the notebooks warranty by disassembling it to see if I can find something that looks like a chipset, whatever that might be. I want to buy and install software that is compatible with the computer I bought less than a year ago.

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Luky Winarto (luckyborneo) said : 		#5

In terminal:
$ lspci | grep Wireless

You will find your chipset from your wireless card

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#6

Dude! I don't have a wireless card! Wireless capability is built into the computer.

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Luky Winarto (luckyborneo) said : 		#7

Okay David, just run that command on terminal. You will see your chipset of wireless that built into your notebook.

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#8

Ok. How do I run that command? Where do I find a terminal? Is it my notebook? In Windows somewhere? Is it a DOS command?

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Best Luky Winarto (luckyborneo) said : 		#9

I'm really sorry not to read carefully of your question before. First, take Ubuntu Live CD, boot from CD first and let Ubuntu to boot. This will not install on your hard drive, just running Live CD from your CD/DVD rom. If you can use your wireless, than Ubuntu support your wireless. Perhaps you can read this sites:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/DellVostro1000

I think it is the same with your notebook. Good luck...

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#10

Life is a gamble. I'll buy the CD and try to get Ubuntu working as the operating system.

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David Madison (proplyd) said : 		#11

Thanks Luky Winarto, that solved my question.