[CentOS] wireless laptop configuration

Thu Aug 14 16:19:16 UTC 2008
Akemi Yagi <amyagi at gmail.com>

On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 8:14 AM, Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com> wrote:
> Akemi Yagi wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 5:14 AM, Kevin Kimani <kevinkimani at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>> I have a wireless network but no wired network. I need to access the net
>>> for
>>> the necessary installation of the wireless drivers in CentOS 5.1. Could
>>> anyone let me know how i can go about it!! My card is Intel PRO/Wireless
>>> 3945
>>>
>>
>> The instructions on this page worked on a laptop with 3945ABG:
>>
>> http://www.distrostop.org/forums/index.php/topic,5694.0.html
>>
>> Note that you will need the centosplus kernel.
>
> I have the 3945 and use dkms drivers from rpmforge. No kernel mods needed.
>
> Install dkms from rpmforge:
>
> dkms-2.0.20.2-2.el5.rf.noarch.rpm
>
> and get the 3945 rpms there too:
>
> ipw3945-firmware-1.14.2-1.nodist.rf.noarch.rpm
> ipw3945d-1.7.22-4.nodist.rf.i386.rpm

Just one comment here.  Depending on the hardware, the ipw3945 module
may or may not work.  I tried this module on a Toshiba laptop
(3945ABG) and could not get it to work.  So, I went for the *iwl3945*
module which is enabled in the centosplus kernel (but not in the
distro kernel).  This one worked just fine.  [On a side note, iwl4965
is enabled in the distro kernel.]

If I read correctly what is on the intel site, *ipw* is being
deprecated.  Perhaps, we should ask dag to dkms'ize the iwl3945
module.  By the way, ATrpms mentioned by KB seems to have the kmdl
version.

Akemi