How do I connect Ubuntu to the internet via a Belkin 54g wireless router?

Ubuntu 8.04, 8.04.1, or 8.10 alpha 1?

I would imagine from the vague information you have given you need to add a WPA key to the network manager, or allow your machine access to the internet in the router settings.

Thanks Steven,

It's Ubuntu 8.04 as far as I can tell. I'm sorry to say I have no idea how to do any of the things you mentioned. This really is totally new to me. What is a WPA key, how do I add it and how do I get to the network manager? I have no idea how to change the router settings; I think I would need to go on line via some kind of Belkin address but since Belkin don't support Ubuntu, they won't help me.

Whether you have Ubuntu or Windows or Mac or whatever should make no difference. The belkin support people should know that. If you can connect to the router then the problem is the WAN setup (connection to the internet) which is handled by your internet service provider. To set this up you will need the settings from your ISP. Then set these up in the router. To access the router itself you just need to know the router address which should be in your documentation something like http//192.168.0.1 or http//10.1.1.1 , enter this information in the Firefox address line
you will then have to enter a user password connect to the browser (usually admin/admin)
Then there will be various settings, check the WAN settings. You will have to enter your ISP logon and password.
WPA is encrytion for your wireless. Set this up (if you don't want everyone in your neighbourhood sharing your connection with you :) )
Hope this helps

Thanks for your response but, sadly, I'm still stuck. The computer connects to the router either by ethernet or wirelessly and the router is set up according to all the various settings provided by my ISP. I've pinged the router and I get regular response but I can't connect to the internet even by using IP addresses. The primary and secondary DNS numbers are correct according to the ISP info. All other WAN settings appear to be correct. The fact that a Windows computer can connect proves this to be so, unless Linux software needs something to be changed. I've also tried the Ubuntu computer with a wired old-fashioned modem and it connects with no problem. It's as if the Ubuntu computer isn't telling the router to connect to the internet, so there must be a setting that's different from Windows computers. My ISP and the router manufacturer will only talk to me if I use Windows XP or Vista, so they can give me no further information. Ay further suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

you can try to make an account with gnu

2008/8/4 Matt Stribley <email address hidden>

> Question #38493 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/38493
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> Matt Stribley is still having a problem:
> Thanks for your response but, sadly, I'm still stuck. The computer
> connects to the router either by ethernet or wirelessly and the router
> is set up according to all the various settings provided by my ISP. I've
> pinged the router and I get regular response but I can't connect to the
> internet even by using IP addresses. The primary and secondary DNS
> numbers are correct according to the ISP info. All other WAN settings
> appear to be correct. The fact that a Windows computer can connect
> proves this to be so, unless Linux software needs something to be
> changed. I've also tried the Ubuntu computer with a wired old-fashioned
> modem and it connects with no problem. It's as if the Ubuntu computer
> isn't telling the router to connect to the internet, so there must be a
> setting that's different from Windows computers. My ISP and the router
> manufacturer will only talk to me if I use Windows XP or Vista, so they
> can give me no further information. Ay further suggestions would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are an answer
> contact for Ubuntu.
>

I have no a idea what a GNU is, unfortunately. The Linux computer works with an old fashioned modem and the Belkin router works with a Windows computer. My guess is that something in the settings in the Linux or Belkin software needs to be changed to make the Linux computer tell the Belkin router to dial up the internet. I can't afford to buy a new router (which might not solve the problem) and I really don't want to load Windows software onto the computer but that will be my only option if I can't make the computer & router talk to each other. Any ideas please, anyone?

Can anyone help please? I'll have to go back to Windows, which I really don't want but it looks like that's the only way I can get my computer to go on line. Surely someone else has had this problems & has found a way to make Ubuntu talk to a Belkin router or is the software in each so incompatible that no-one can get round it? That really puts me off because I wonder if I'll find the same problems if I try to download Linux based software to run files or applications that were made for Windows. I've been told that Linux based systems are better than Microsoft but I can't use my Linux computer!

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

One more go before I revert to Windows. If there's no answer I can only assume the problem is too difficult to solve and that Windows is the only way to go :(

Matt,

Please don't give up.

Is your router BROADCASTING its SSID (aka network name)? This is sometimes called a "hidden" network.

IF YOUR SSID is hidden, then set your router to broadcast SSID and try to connect again, if it isn't then work through the following.

 Answer these questions for me:

a. Windows could connect to the wireless network without a problem?

b. If yes to A., did you have to give a password to finish your connection?

c. If yes to B, do you know what kind of security it is using? (WEP 64, WEB 128, WPA, etc..)

d. In UBUNTU, if you answered yes to B, did you have to enter a password in Ubuntu?

I am able to chat with you if you need.

I am having pretty much the same problem

Belkin Wireless Router brand new out of the box, no passwords no anything...SSID is broadcasts, and I can connect to the router, I can even see other computers on the network and pull files from them watch videos etc through the network. The only thing that is not actually working is the internet. How ever when I boot into Windows (I hate doing that) I can get to the internet?! So it is something on the Ubuntu side. Any ideas??

-=Larry=-

Larry,

I am thinking, but that doesn't make any sense to me. I have never had any such problem. I can only suggest checking some of the howto:s on network configuration and work through them to see if it is a problem...

OH... have you tried a wired connection to your router to see if same problem exists? Would possibly narrow down problem if you are able to connect with a cable and have access to all you say + internet.

One other thing to try is to try a couple of differnet Live CDs to see if they have any problem connecting to internet. I would suggest perhaps "MEPIS", Fedora, PCLinuxOS, and Mandriva as a few good ones that may work out of box in Live CD for network connection.

I used arm-c instructions and it worked. Thank you for the help. Matt, arm-c is right...don't give up.

Thanks for the advice, Arm-c & Carol. 2 years on from my question, the original 2nd hand computer fell apart and the replacement had MS already loaded :( The router is about to move on with its owner, so I'll try Arm-c's instructions with whatever new router I get (not Belkin), so that I can give Linux another go.

Cheers,
Matt.