Setting up a Netgear N600 WIFI USB Adapter on Ubuntu may seem daunting, especially if you’re new to Ubuntu. However, with a step-by-step guide and a bit of patience, it can be done quite easily. This guide will walk you through the process.
To set up a Netgear N600 WIFI USB Adapter on Ubuntu, you need to first check if the adapter is recognized by the system using the lsusb command. Then, install the ndiswrapper driver using the apt-get command. Download and install the necessary driver files for your adapter, and finally, run a few commands to complete the setup.
Checking the Adapter
First, we need to ensure that Ubuntu recognizes your adapter. Open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T and enter the command lsusb. This command lists all USB devices connected to your system. In the output, you should see a line similar to Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0846:9011 NetGear, Inc. WNDA3100v2 802.11abgn [Broadcom BCM4323]. This line indicates that your adapter is recognized by the system.
Installing the Ndiswrapper Driver
The Netgear N600 WIFI USB Adapter uses the Broadcom BCM4323 chipset, which is supported by the ndiswrapper driver. To install ndiswrapper, you need to have an internet connection. If you don’t have a wired connection available, you might need to temporarily use another wireless adapter or connect to the internet via your mobile device.
Once you’re connected to the internet, you can install ndiswrapper by running the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common ndiswrapper-utils-1.9The sudo command allows you to run commands with administrator privileges, while apt-get is a package handling utility in Ubuntu. The update command updates the list of available packages and their versions, but it does not install or upgrade any packages. The install command installs new packages.
Downloading and Installing the Driver Files
Next, you need to download the necessary driver files for your adapter. You can download the driver files from this link. Once the download is complete, extract the files by right-clicking on the downloaded file and selecting “Extract Here”.
Now, you need to determine whether your system is 32-bit or 64-bit. You can do this by running the command arch in the terminal. The output will be either i686 (32-bit) or x86_64 (64-bit).
Navigate to the extracted driver folder on your desktop using the command cd ~/Desktop/Broadcom_bcm43xx_USB_32_64bit_v2. The cd command changes the current directory to the one specified.
If your system is 32-bit, install the 32-bit driver file using the command sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmn43xx32.inf. If your system is 64-bit, use the command sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmn43xx64.inf. The -i option in the ndiswrapper command installs a Windows driver.
Completing the Setup
After installing the driver, you need to run a few more commands to complete the setup:
sudo ndiswrapper -ma
sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe ndiswrapperThe ndiswrapper -ma command writes the configuration for all devices to /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper and /etc/modules. The depmod -a command creates a list of module dependencies, and modprobe ndiswrapper loads the ndiswrapper module.
Your Netgear N600 WIFI USB adapter should now be working. You should be able to connect to wireless networks using the network manager in Ubuntu.
Conclusion
Setting up a Netgear N600 WIFI USB Adapter on Ubuntu can be a bit tricky, but with the right instructions and a bit of patience, it’s definitely doable. Remember to follow the steps carefully and enter the commands exactly as they are written. If you encounter any issues or errors, don’t hesitate to ask for help on Ubuntu forums or other Linux communities.
To check if your adapter is recognized by Ubuntu, open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T and enter the command lsusb. Look for a line similar to Bus 001 Device 006: ID 0846:9011 NetGear, Inc. WNDA3100v2 802.11abgn [Broadcom BCM4323]. If you see this line, it means that your adapter is recognized by the system.
The Netgear N600 WIFI USB Adapter uses the Broadcom BCM4323 chipset, which is supported by the ndiswrapper driver.
To install the ndiswrapper driver, you need to have an internet connection. If you don’t have a wired connection available, you might need to temporarily use another wireless adapter or connect to the internet via your mobile device. Once you have an internet connection, open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common ndiswrapper-utils-1.9You can download the necessary driver files for your adapter from this link.
To determine if your system is 32-bit or 64-bit, open a terminal and run the command arch. The output will be either i686 (32-bit) or x86_64 (64-bit).
After downloading the driver files, extract them by right-clicking on the downloaded file and selecting "Extract Here". Then, navigate to the extracted driver folder on your desktop using the command cd ~/Desktop/Broadcom_bcm43xx_USB_32_64bit_v2. If your system is 32-bit, install the 32-bit driver file using the command sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmn43xx32.inf. If your system is 64-bit, use the command sudo ndiswrapper -i bcmn43xx64.inf.
After installing the driver, run the following commands:
sudo ndiswrapper -ma
sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe ndiswrapperThese commands write the configuration for all devices, create a list of module dependencies, and load the ndiswrapper module.
Once the setup is complete, you should be able to connect to wireless networks using the network manager in Ubuntu. Look for the network icon in the top-right corner of the screen and click on it to view available wireless networks. Select the network you want to connect to and enter the appropriate credentials if required.
If you encounter any issues or errors during the setup process, it is recommended to seek help on Ubuntu forums or other Linux communities. These communities have experienced users who can provide assistance and guidance for troubleshooting specific issues.
