Wireless network problem after upgrade to 8.04

[Ken McLennan]

G'day there Derek,

>> PRO/Wireless 3945ABG wireless network card and connected reliably
>> without problem.
>>     
>
> Connected to what?
>   
    Connected to the wireless modem in my desktop downstairs. The 
desktop is just an internet gateway/fileserver running XP.

>> I followed the 
>> suggestions I found and changed from "roaming" to the settings I wanted
>> - Ad-Hoc network using dhcp with no password. I also added a
>> "wireless-mode Ad-Hoc" line to /etc/networks/interfaces. All without
>> success.
>>     
>
> That's why I asked the above question.  If you are using DHCP, I can't see
> how you can be using "Ad-hoc".  
    Shrug. I dunno whether it's right or wrong, but it's been working 
that way since I bought the laptop about 18 months ago. I had 'dhcp' set 
in nm-applet, and 'Ad-Hoc' set via iwconfig. I dunno which has 
precedence and perhaps some settings are ignored. I don't know how 
network settings do their thing, I just know that they do (sometimes).

> A wireless adapter connecting to a wireless
> access point/router should always be in "managed" mode.  Putting _anything_
> in /etc/network/interfaces defeats Network Manager.
>
>   
    I don't have an access point and my desktop is working as a router. 
It has 2 NIC's - a wireless for the laptop connection, and a wired for 
the 'net. It's always worked just fine. I once tried to set it up as an 
access point, with a password and really technical stuff like that, but 
I buggered it somehow and went back to what I have now.

>>     I followed other instructions that I found here & there without
>> success. I then swore & cursed loudly with the same result. "iwconfig
>> eth1 mode Ad-Hoc" continually got error messages about the device being
>> busy. The network-config gui told me that eth1 didn't exist, and showed
>> no address; eth1-avahi gave an address but whenever I pinged from there
>> I was told it didn't exist.
>>     
>
> You don't want that anyway.  It's a zeroconfig address that has absolutely
> no value I've ever found.
    Ahhh right!!!   That might explain why I can never get any sense out 
of it. I still have no idea how avahi works (not tried looking it up 
either, I'm sure I could find out if I wanted to).

Thanks for helping, hope I've clarified what I said =)

See ya
Ken McLennan
Qld, Australia