# Starting wireless adapter after boot without modules

## Sternmull

Hello,

i try to install Gentoo on an old notebook. Booting with "gentoo nodetect" was the only way the boot process did not hang. So after the boot i have no modules loaded.

Now i fail to get the wireless adapter to work. I loaded the ipw2200 module and i can see that worked as it is listed by lsmod. But i still dont have a /dev/eth0 and ifconfig and iwconfig only know lo. What can i do to get the network interface?

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## chithanh

Verify with

```
lspci -k
```

that you have actually loaded the correct driver. I think only recent autobuild InstallCDs come with the necessary firmware.

If the Gentoo InstallCD does not work, you can use any other working Linux LiveCD to install Gentoo.

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## cach0rr0

ipw2200 works from systemrescuecd i believe. I *think* I did the build for a Latitude D610 solely over wireless, dont recall. 

my usual routine for wireless:

```

cat /proc/net/wireless

```

if nothing, dont have the right driver. 

soon as the driver is loaded, and /proc/net/wireless shows the device (or /proc/net/dev if for some screwy reason it isnt seen as wireless)

```
ifconfig <ifname> up
```

and check dmesg for errors. it will normally gripe if you're missing firmware, in a very obvious fashion

on my D610 the wireless interface is eth1, as the wired interface gets eth0

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## Sternmull

Oh, no. I must have been to tired to pay attention to the output of modprobe  :Sad: 

Today i tried again and saw that it was unable to find the firmware. I could not find the firmware on the gentoo CD so i manually copied it from a USB stick into /lib/firmware. Then after a "modprobe ipw2200 && ifconfig eth0 up" i finally got my eth0  :Smile: 

Isn't it a bit strange that the firmware is not on the CD? I think its a quite common driver.

Thank you for your patient help. The "cat /proc/net/wireless" and "lsmod -k" was something new and helpfull to me.

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## d2_racing

Installing Gentoo from a wifi card is not a good idea.

You should install your box with a wired interface and then later you may play with your wifi card  :Razz: 

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