Hi:

I've been trying to set up an old PCMCIA wireless card in my even older laptop since last week but i've got some problems. I dont know if i need to use NDISWrapper (or if linux is already using it) to solve them because the card is accepted and correctly identified by linux.

Problems:
- Extreamly low link quality: 4/100 couple of feets from the router; 30/100 actually seating on the router... and the other problem is that no matter where am i the signal keeps jumping from 0 to the previous link quality.

- No internet conection... No connection at all, just a link between the laptop and the host...

OS:
- Suse 10.0
- kernel 2.6.13-15

Hardware:
Laptop
- Compaq Presario 1700
- Intel Celeron 930MHz (128K cache)
- 256 RAM
- Toshiba HD (18 GB)

Card
- 3COM PCMCIA 3CRSHPW796

What I need:
- well, although i may want it some time in the future right now i dont care very much about the network (security and stuff) I just want a steady connection to internet by the time being...


What i've already did:
Well... i tried to configure the network from yast2, it correctly identified the card (as 3com 3CRSHPW796)i set up a managed network with its ESSID, encryption key, bit rate, etc...the 2 leds in the card birghtly flashed as they should, everything work well until i tried firefox, no internet, konqueror, no internet... then i tried to ping google.com, nothing ... i checked iwconfig, got the usual:
eth1 IEEE 802.11b ESSID:"2Wire720" Nickname:"Fred"
Mode:Managed ... ... ...
Link Quality:0 Signal Level:0 Noise Level:0 ...

after that I've tried ifup, ifdown, ifconfig (where i realized i never got an ip because it say:
eth1 addr:fe80::20d:54ff:fe9e:e281/64

well... after that I've been trying to re-edit network devices etc... nothing work...

im asking for help... im begging... any help... hint... anything will be greatly apreciated... if you need any spec, any number just tell me ill get it...

THANKS

Ps: sorry for the long post, and for my anemic english

Best Regards

Off the top of my head, it looks like one of several issues.

From my rote memory (trying to remember Yast settings), when you went to set up the wireless PCMCIA in Yast, did you check off the option to use PCMCIA?

Also, are you using a WEP or WPA key? Hexadecimal or asci key? If you are unsure, check the router/modem settings.

When you do iwconfig, look and see if you have a valid AP (not AP:ffffff) and if the WEP key shows accurately, or if it is garbled or displays exactly as it should.

Im using a WPA hexadecimal key... by the moment im unable to try the iwconfig nor the Yast because im making a frustraiting 12 hour Suse update, 10.0 => 10.1, you know... last resort... I'll check the AP and Yast as soon as possible... But i hope the update will do... Why does it takes so long?... 12 hrs?!... may be I should pick the programs I NEED rather than just checking everything... Who knows, maybe the Korean Hangui X Window system comes in handy some time...
Anyway, ill finish the installation and post the results...

Thank you very much