Member Avatar for SgtMe

Hi all,

I'm a total newbie to Ubuntu (12.04) - I've literally been using it a few hours. I have a samsung n220 netbook with an RTL8192e card, but its not recognised. I've been slaving away trying to get this thing working (connected to router via ethernet right now). I found out that NDISwrapper would be the easiest way to go about getting the Wifi driver to work. Can somebody post up all the steps i need to go through in noob speak? I need to install NDISwrapper, download the drivers and get it all together...somehow.

Many thanks,
Mark

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A concise, practical plan that fills gaps in the replies above and stays safe for someone working from an Ethernet connection.

First priorities: prefer a native Linux driver or a vendor Linux source build, and treat NDISwrapper as a last resort. Native kernel support avoids long-term fragility; a source driver built with DKMS keeps the module working across kernel updates. Since the OP is on a Samsung N220 with an RTL8192E device, the immediate objective is to identify the exact PCI ID and whether a kernel module already exists for that device.

Useful diagnostics to collect (from a working live session or the current install):

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 network
dmesg | grep -i firmware
lsmod | grep -i rtl

Those outputs show the device ID, any firmware errors, and currently loaded Realtek modules — information that determines whether a kernel module will work or a source build is needed.

If no in-kernel module handles the device, the recommended workflow is:

  • Install build tools and the matching kernel headers for the running kernel.
  • Obtain the Linux driver source that matches the chipset (prefer an official Linux branch or a well-maintained community driver).
  • Build and register it with DKMS so it is rebuilt automatically on kernel upgrades.

NDISwrapper option: it can work for Windows XP/7 drivers, but it is fragile (driver/architecture mismatches are common) and gives worse integration than a native module. That is what described, but it should be the fallback only after the Linux-driver route fails.

Recovering the grub/boot problem: the quickest non-destructive fix is to boot an Ubuntu live USB and run a boot-repair utility (use the “Recommended repair” option). Manual recovery via chroot and reinstalling grub is the alternative for advanced users. Reinstalling the OS clears the issue but sacrifices current data and configuration.

Notes: ’s pointer to available Windows drivers and ’s reminder about general Linux wireless resources are useful supplements. Back up important files before driver or boot repairs and prefer the native/DKMS route for a stable, maintainable Wi‑Fi setup.

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Member Avatar for chris.stout

You can get the Realtek driver
They have two drivers for it at the bottom, an XP/Vista driver and a Win7 driver. If one doesn't work the other might. I'm assuming you'll want to try the win7 driver first.

Unzip the file after you download it. That can be done using the unzip command in the terminal. If you right-click on it in your file manager there's probably an option to unzip it too.

If your install is 64 bit the driver files you need for ndiswrapper will be in "RTL819xP_WindowsDriver_2002.1.0106.2011.F1032.P0703_ISS_1.00.0168.L/RTL819xP_Driver/Win7X64"
If it's 32 bit they will be in "RTL819xP_WindowsDriver_2002.1.0106.2011.F1032.P0703_ISS_1.00.0168.L/RTL819xP_Driver/Win7X86"

If you're unsure if you're on 32 or 64 bit, open a terminal and run "uname -r".

Then follow through the steps [in Linux Questions Ndiswrapper guide] (http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/Networking/NdisWrapper_The_Ultimate_Guide) to get your driver working.

Member Avatar for rubberman

The best resource I know of for Linux wireless issues (links to drivers, installation instructions, etc) is www.linuxwireless.org

Member Avatar for SgtMe

Thanks for the replies...unfortunately I broke my Ubuntu earlier and in trying to fix it I managed to mash up everything so now I can't boot and it goes straight through to grub. Hopefully I'll fix it soon...If not I'll format the drive, reinstall windows and then try Ubuntu again (without breaking it!)

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