I am complete new to Linux.
My computer: HP Pavillion zv5373EA
Dual boot: XP home and Ubuntu 6.10
My wired card: Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC.
My wireless card: Broadcom 54g MaxPerformance bcm4306 802.11g
Normally, I use my wireless connection.
My network settings: wired connection not enabled, wireless connection enabled, configuration DHCP
Cards seem to be recognized (device manager).

Internet research teaches me that I should use bcm43xx-fwcutter tool to use the Windows driver in Linux. I downloaded the program from another computer (because evidently I cannot use the package manager)and learned that I need alien to convert the rpm format to the format that Ubuntu uses. I found a code to install it but learned that Ubuntu makes an internet connection to download certain information. So, I am totally blocked. Ubuntu says no to recognize the given commands. Ubuntu without internet connection is no Ubuntu. Local support teams are not a real help. So, I direct my cry for help to the world.

Heeeeeeelp!

Who makes my internet connection work in Ubuntu 6.10?

Can you not temporarily use a wired connection to connect and setup the software, then once it's all installed, you can go back to Wireless...?

If you're on a fresh install and not "attached" to Ubuntu, maybe try Linux Mint instead. It is a fork of Ubuntu (so it's essentially the same), except it comes with all the Wireless and ndiswrapper etc, plus a nice GUI for it.

I just installed it on a new computer, same problem as you're talking about (no network without the wireless) and everything I needed was "out of the box" - took me 5 minutes to get the Wireless working.

It also has the required WPA packages if you're using that security type on your network.

http://www.linuxmint.com

I describe the steps in broad strokes to you.

The first step is conecting by your wired and to download what you need.

If this does not work, directly tries to make work the wireless since for you it is your main connection.

It is necessary to have basic knowledge to use the shell.

There are two ways to load drivers:

1. Windows driver (NdisWrapper)

He is very simple to load driver (.inf) of Windows from the shell:

- sudo ndiswrapper - i <file.inf>

You can consult the help command on shell with 'man ndiswrapper'.

2. Linux driver

It looks for the chip that uses your card. For it it executes in the shell 'lsusb' or 'lspci' according to the case to see the connected hardware. It identifies the hardware and it looks for if it exists to driver linux with ID that it appears in the listing.

If driver exists it follows the steps that in him are indicated.

In both cases:

If initially in the network administrator it recognizes a wireless connection but its not works you perhaps then you must unload driver by defect that uses the system. Otherwise it will make interference with driver that you install. You can consult drivers that is being loaded with 'lsmod'. It looks for the section of 'usb'. In order to eliminate a module: 'rmmod <module>' and so that it has persistence, for example on Ubuntu, exists the file '/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist' to avoid the load of modules on startup.

First of all you don't lose the patience. Wireless is a very boring subject in Linux, I behind schedule two months in making work my usb adapter.