wireless connectivity

[Chris G]

On Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 08:08:44AM +0300, Avraham Hanadari wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> Just installed 10.4 in a desktop machine; just Ubuntu, no dual boot. 
> Seems to be fine, BUT I have no wireless connection. My previous 
> experience with Ubuntu has always been with dual boots and perhaps the 
> installation took a peek at the Windows connection, because it seems to 
> me the wireless connection was right there at the beginning. This time 
> there is not even the classic selection of various wireless servers in 
> the neighborhood. I am presented with a frankly bewildering aray of 
> lettered choices and am quite completely lost.
> 
I have to agree about the bewildering choices.  When wireless doesn't
work (for whatever reason) it's *incredibly* difficult to diagnose
what's wrong.

Is there a HowTo anywhere that really walks through the whole WiFi
setup because I have looked and found little step by step diagnosis.
One can find fixes for specific problems but nothing that says 'step 1
- do this', 'if x happens then step 2 - do that' etc.

As it is I haven't a clue what to do in several different cases:-

    1 - Nothing useful seems to happen, even though I know there's a
    wireless network in the vicinity.

    2 - It tells me there's a wireless network, I have a 'key' but
    haven't a clue what sort of key it is (this is a very common
    situation and the network 'owner' very rarely has a clue what to
    do) 

    3 - What the 'network' applet in the panel is *supposed* to do, is
    this documented anywhere?

-- 
Chris Green