I found Ubuntu to be very smart about finding and fitting drivers for wireless stuff.  As I recall, Ubuntu prompted me clearly for
all the things it initially thought were mysteries, and I was able to select proprietary or non-proprietary drivers at my option.
The cards I remember having setup issues with were Intel units sold for Dell (and others).  I selected proprietary drivers that I
use in XP and Ubuntu was happy to adapt and run them.  On an Ubuntu upgrade, I had to do it again,  but it was a BTDT session.
Subsequent Ubuntu updates have not affected any of my drivers.

Easiest when one does a fresh new install where Ubuntu is looking for all drivers, but easy and maybe the same if using the "install
new hardware" thing, whatever it's called.

If all else fails, I have a Proxim Orinoco Gold PCMCIA a, b, g card for sale that is about the best and most commonly compatible
thing you can find.  Actual Linux drivers are available for this card.


Chuck



> -----Original Message-----
> From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org
> [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org]On Behalf Of
> auditodd at comcast.net
> Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 3:00 PM
> To: Jason Hsu
> Cc: tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> Subject: Re: [tclug-list] HELP! How do I get a wireless card to work?
>
>
> Buy a better (more Linux friendly) wireless card?
>
> Sorry, couldn't resist.
> I had two Linksys PCMCIA cards. One worked, one didn't.
> Fought for hours with the one that didn't and finally gave up and sold it to someone who needed wireless on a Windows laptop.
>
> It's just easier to buy a card that is known to work with Linux.
>
> I think I still have the PCMCIA card in a drawer somewhere.
> I don't have a laptop any more that supports PCMCIA.
>
> ----------
> Todd Young
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jason Hsu" <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com>
> To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> Sent: Friday, October 2, 2009 5:31:25 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
> Subject: [tclug-list] HELP!  How do I get a wireless card to work?
>
> I have a Linksys WPC54GS v1.1, and I'm trying to install it in Ubuntu.  I have the weight of the world on my shoulders,
> because this is for an IEEE study group called Project Phoenix (group working on an open source blood pressure monitor),
> and everyone else has little or no Linux experience.
>
> I've done Google searches on how to install this wireless card.  I go through the procedures (like ndiswrapper and
> bcm43xx-fwcutter, but the mumbo jumbo either don't work, or there's one little thing in them that I can't do, and I can't
> figure out why not.
>
> I have used a Linksys WUSB54GC in Puppy Linux in the past, and it worked right out of the box.
>
> What's wrong?  Where can I get a general understanding of how things work without wading through tons of mumbo jumbo?
>
> --
> Jason Hsu <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com>
>
> _______________________________________________
>