[ubuntu-za] Wireless card (D-Link DWA 525)

[Bill Cairns]

I have bought a wireless card for my computer (the old one not the my
brand new super 8 I7 with 8 Gigs and all). My idea is to use the old
computer as a back-up and file server.

The card is a “D-Link Wireless N 150 Desktop PCI Adapter” with model
number DWA-525.

In my trusting innocence, I had assumed that Ubuntu (I am running
12.04 at the moment but would like to upgrade to 12.10 on this machine
soon) would just happily accept the wireless card and that I would be
able to just run. (After all everything else just runs). But my
trusting faith was soon destroyed and I was forced to start learning
more about wireless cards than I ever wanted to know.

My main reference has been https://help.ubuntu.com/WifiDocs/Driver/Ndiswrapper

Like: it does not seem that there is a Linux driver for this card. The bad news.

Like: I might be able to run the Windows driver using something called
ndiswrapper which has a nice front end called ndisgtk. The good news.

Like: I will have to download all those which is difficult as the
computer does not have an internet connection. I mean if it did, I
would not need the wireless card would I? The bad news.

OK – I can string a cable from the router to the machine and do all
the downloading and installation. But before doing all that I thought
that I would ask you nice people if I am on the right track.

Does anyone have experience with this card? Is there a Linux driver
hiding somewhere that anyone knows about? Will the Windows driver that
came with the card work under ndiswrapper or do I have to start
looking at the chipset with lspci?

I would appreciate any advice on using this card or on wireless cards
in general. If really necessary, I can donate this card to a deserving
Windows 7 machine and get another card that is more appropriate for
Ubuntu.

Bill