# [SOLVED] Help: configuring Dell i17R Inspiron wifi

## jlpoole

I just purchased a Dell Inspiron i17R and installed Gentoo on it on 11/4.  I have the regular network card working and I'm trying to get the wifi (not wimax, yet) working. 

Question: Is it possible to have both a hard wire connection and wifi connection running simultaneously on a laptop where both interfaces are part of the motherboard?

Question: How to do cause the wifi interface to expose itself?

Here's what I have:

```
themis ~ # uname -a

Linux themis 2.6.34-gentoo-r12 #4 SMP Sun Nov 7 14:44:52 PST 2010 i686 Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

themis ~ #

```

```
themis ~ # iwconfig

lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

themis ~ # ifconfig

eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr f0:4d:a2:44:04:89

          inet addr:192.168.168.25  Bcast:192.168.168.255  Mask:255.255.255.0

          inet6 addr: fe80::f24d:a2ff:fe44:489/64 Scope:Link

          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1

          RX packets:157782 errors:57 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:22

          TX packets:103923 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:1

          collisions:1185 txqueuelen:1000

          RX bytes:210933866 (201.1 MiB)  TX bytes:15786777 (15.0 MiB)

          Interrupt:17

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback

          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0

          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host

          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1

          RX packets:188 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0

          TX packets:188 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0

          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0

          RX bytes:4856 (4.7 KiB)  TX bytes:4856 (4.7 KiB)

themis ~ #

```

lspci -v output, in part:

```
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation WiMAX/WiFi Link 6050 Series (rev 57)

        Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 1321

        Flags: fast devsel, IRQ 17

        Memory at f0500000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=8K]

        Capabilities: [c8] Power Management version 3

        Capabilities: [d0] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+

        Capabilities: [e0] Express Endpoint, MSI 00

        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting

        Capabilities: [140] Device Serial Number 00-23-15-ff-ff-25-1f-40

        Kernel modules: iwlagn

04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. Device 2060 (rev c1)

        Subsystem: Dell Device 0457

        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17

        Memory at f0400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]

        I/O ports at 2000 [size=128]

        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

        Capabilities: [48] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+

        Capabilities: [58] Express Endpoint, MSI 00

        Capabilities: [6c] Vital Product Data

        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting

        Capabilities: [180] Device Serial Number ff-44-04-89-f0-4d-a2-ff

        Kernel driver in use: atl1c

        Kernel modules: atl1c

```

lshw, in part:

```
        *-pci:1

             description: PCI bridge

             product: 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2

             vendor: Intel Corporation

             physical id: 1c.1

             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.1

             version: 06

             width: 32 bits

             clock: 33MHz

             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list

             configuration: driver=pcieport

             resources: irq:17 ioport:4000(size=4096) memory:f0500000-f05fffff ioport:c0400000(size=2097152)

           *-network UNCLAIMED

                description: Network controller

                product: Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250

                vendor: Intel Corporation

                physical id: 0

                bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0

                version: 57

                width: 64 bits

                clock: 33MHz

                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress cap_list

                configuration: latency=0

                resources: memory:f0500000-f0501fff

        *-pci:2

             description: PCI bridge

             product: 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 6

             vendor: Intel Corporation

             physical id: 1c.5

             bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.5

             version: 06

             width: 32 bits

             clock: 33MHz

             capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list

             configuration: driver=pcieport

             resources: irq:17 ioport:2000(size=4096) memory:f0400000-f04fffff ioport:c0600000(size=2097152)

           *-network

                description: Ethernet interface

                product: AR8152 v1.1 Fast Ethernet

                vendor: Atheros Communications

                physical id: 0

                bus info: pci@0000:04:00.0

                logical name: eth0

                version: c1

                serial: f0:4d:a2:44:04:89

                size: 10MB/s

                capacity: 100MB/s

                width: 64 bits

                clock: 33MHz

                capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation

                configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=atl1c driverversion=1.0.0.2-NAPI duplex=half firmware=N/A ip=192.168.168.25 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=10MB/s

                resources: irq:17 memory:f0400000-f043ffff ioport:2000(size=128)

        
```

lspci output, in part:

```
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation WiMAX/WiFi Link 6050 Series (rev 57)

04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Attansic Technology Corp. Device 2060 (rev c1)
```

If someone will provide me instructions on how to extract pertinent settings from the kernel config to post in this thread, I'll do so.  I tried looking at /usr/src/linux/.config and then realized that subparts exist under directories and subdirectories.  I tried to configure for the Intel 6050.  Should I be seeing another interface, e.g. wan0 or eth1, in the output from iwconfig?

When I try using wicd, the only interface that shows is the hard-wired eth0.  That's why I'm wondering if eth0 has to serve either a hard wire or a wireless; I'm suspecting not, since on another Gentoo server I have the motherboard eth0 working happily with a USB wifi.

What do I need to do to get a wifi interface to reveal itself?  Load a module?  I recall only have a choice of "M" on one of the kernel configurations when I ran menuconfig.

I'm so close, yet so far.Last edited by jlpoole on Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:08 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## jlpoole

I should note that the instruction manual for this model (Windows only) says that you can depress the F2 key which also serves as a toggle to turn on/off the wifi.  Ykes... this looks Windows centric.   

Has any else run Gentoo with wifi on a Dell Inspiron i17?

----------

## jlpoole

Progress Update:

In the BIOS, there is a configuration key for setting the "key" to turn on/off various network components, e.g. bluetooth, cellular wifie (WIMAX), wifi.  I changed the default setting of "All" to the wimax only and now I'm seeing good things:

```
themis ~ # iwconfig

lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11abgn  Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated

          Tx-Power=15 dBm

          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off

          Encryption key:off

          Power Management:off

themis ~ #

```

I'll update later if I am successful.  But buyer beware... when functionality is controlled by hardware buttons, life becomes a lot more difficult for the would-be Linux user.

----------

## jlpoole

Wifi is now working.  I emerged networkmanager then the wifi scanner worked and I could log onto a network.

Caution: for other people using Dell laptops that have the feature of push button wifi activation/deactivation (F2 key:

The default setting on my BIOS was to have the key F2 key control "all" wifi, this included bluetooth, wifi, and WiMax (subscription service).  By changing the key to apply to a service you do not need, or possibly just deactivating the key, I cannot remember if "none" was an option, your wifi interface should then be accessible.

----------

