Re: Wifi

[Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com>]

On 3/8/2014 10:02 PM, Tom Furie wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 08, 2014 at 09:51:52PM -0600, Stan Hoeppner wrote:
>> On 3/8/2014 2:18 PM, Patrick Alouidor wrote:
>>> Hello all. I'm not sure if it me but I have a fresh install of Debian 7
>>> on laptop Toshiba C-55A5310. and For some reason I cannot enable my wifi
>>> switch. I have been pressing the F keys but no luck. please This is my
>>> first Laptop ever and I wanted to put something stable on it and now I
>>> cannot get my wifi to turn on. My I please get some form of assistance
>>> on wifi.
> 
>> You mention a "wifi switch".  There is no such thing.  The laptop has a
>> "wireless ethernet adapter" usually of the 802.11 a/b/g/n standard.  It
>> will "connect" to a "wireless router" or "wireless access point".
> 
> Given the context I would surmise that "wifi switch" means a switch on
> the laptop to enable/disable the wireless adapter, whether that be an
> actual switch, button, or key-combo.

I would surmise his "wifi switch" is his wifi enabled cable/DSL router
that also has an inbuilt 4 port fast Ethernet or GbE switch, stated in
big bold letters on the box, prompting him to call it a "wifi switch".
Is your guess right or mine?

He didn't mention WEP/WAP key setup or any other manual configuration
steps/issues, which leads me to, again, guess, that he's trying to do
WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) auto configuration.  So maybe by "wifi
switch" he means the WPS button on the WiFi router.  And maybe Network
Manager/WICD use the function keys to initiate WPS auto negotiation.  I
never do "auto" anything so again this is a guess.  And I'd guess based
on his post that WPS is exactly what he's attempting.

The whole point of my post was to eliminate the guessing and get right
to helping the guy at the technical level, or lack thereof, which he
requires.  It's pretty clear from his lack of correct terminology and
technical details, no initial troubleshooting performed by him, that
he's a total nub.  All of the replies to this point, but mine, assume he
knows how to get a bash shell to run commands and perform other common
tasks.  He may not even know that much.  In fact, given he assumes
everyone knows why he's punching the function keys, it's pretty certain
he's a nub.  And that's fine.  But we need to know his knowledge level
in order to best assist him.

-- 
Stan