Re: Wifi

[Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com>]

On 3/8/2014 10:20 PM, Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> On Sun, 2014-03-09 at 04:02 +0000, 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.
> 
> JFTR
> 
> When I searched the Internet for Toshiba C-55A5310, I didn't found the
> information what chip is used.
> 
> http://www.toshiba.com/us/computers/laptops/satellite/C50/C55-A5310

Toshiba has produced the C55-A5310 using 3 different OEM supplied 802.11
cards: Atheros, Intel, and Realtek.  This is the same case across their
line.  In any given 3/6/12 month period they change their wireless NIC
supplier to get best price, same with SATA HDD, media drive, SO-DIMM,
etc.  Anything socketed and standardized.

I find on page 156 of the users guide that Fn+F12 "enables/disables the
wireless antenna".

http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/support/manuals/userguides/su4001258/GMAD00349010_13Apr24.pdf

So this explains why the OP was hitting the function keys.  This antenna
function may/not be controlled by an OS driver, so it may/not work with
Linux without the appropriate Toshiba driver, if one exists.  However,
whatever Linux driver his 802.11 NIC uses should have the ability to
turn the antenna on/off via command line or network manager.

But until we get more info from the OP there's nothing more we can do
but guess.

-- 
Stan