no wireless recognition in guest Linux

[dwsdad]

Here's what I have:

Dell Latitude E6510

running Ubuntu 11.04

wired NIC

built-in wireless

VMware Player 3.1.5

I currently have XP running as a guest and it sees both wired & wireless and I am able to bridge my network connections.  I have set up Puppy & Ubuntu 11.10 guests.  Neither of the Linux guests see the wireless card.  Where am I going wrong with these?

[WoodyZ]

A Guest cannot see the Host's built in WiFi Network Adapter as it is not presented to the Guest only a wired Ethernet adapter is provided directly by VMware.  If you want to have a WiFi Network Adapter in the Guest OS then you'll have to provide your own in the form of a USB WiFi Network Adapter.

[milton123]

I was this kink of problem but WoodyZ is great. I have got my solution. Thanks WoodyZ.

Cheers, Yours Udin

[dwsdad]

Thanks for the reply.  Not that I dispute what you are saying, but if I look at my Virtual Machine Settings in my XP guest, I see 2 network interfaces.  I'm assuming (yeah, I know....very bad thing to do) that it is seeing both the wired and wireless.  Is it not?  If not, why the 2 connections?

[RDPetruska]

Because you have created 2 network adapters in your XP guest.  Without seeing the configuration, we cannot tell if each one connects to a different physical NIC, or if both are connected to the same, or if they are connected to the other VMware switches.

[dwsdad]

Ok.  Thanks for the help.  I'll get my hands on a USB wireless fob and see if that will work.

[WoodyZ]

dwsdad wrote: Not that I dispute what you are saying

You're free to dispute whatever I say however in this particular case what I've said is absolute fact and if you want WiF in the Guest as apposed to specifically bridging the VMware Network adapter to the Host's WiFi Network Adapter then you'll need to provide you're own USB WiFi Network Adapter and  connect it to the Guest directly.

[dwsdad]

OK, got me a Netgear USB adapter and plugged it in.  The host (Ubuntu 11.04) recognizes it and connects to the network using it.

I'm obviously missing something because none of my guests can connect to the network using it.  In fact, Ubuntu 11.10 and Linux Mint don't even see it, but it does appear in the Virtual Machine settings.  I'm assuming I need to disconnect it from the host, which I do and it still isn't working.  What am I missing?

[WoodyZ]

With the Virtual Machine running you connect it to the Guest as a USB Device and then access it from within the Guest OS just as you would do so like from the Host OS.

[dwsdad]

Well, partial success I guess.

I fired up Player and plugged in the Netgear WN111 after the guest OS was fired up.  Here's what I'm finding now.

Guest XP - recognizes the USB adapter and finds my secure wireless network, but won't connect; does not see the unsecure network at all

Guest Ubuntu 11 - does not even recognize the USB adapter.

Guest Mint Linux 11 - recognizes the adapter and finds all the secure & unsecure networks in my area, but will not connect to any - secured or unsecured.

I disabled all the NICs on the laptop (Ubuntu 11.04) and plugged in the Netgear adapter to make sure it WOULD connect off the host OS.  It did with no problem to any secure or unsecure network.

So, I know the host sees and can use the USB adapter.  I know at least 2 of the 3 guests can see it.  So why won't it connect?