# [SOLVED] New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online



## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

hello,

i just installed pclinuxos on an old ibm thinkcentre desktop. the o/s installed just fine, and it looks great. 

i'm having some trouble getting it online, however. this is my first linux installation, so i'm not terribly familiar with it. my router is showing the connection, and i have 1 green and 1 orange ethernet lights on the back of the ibm next to the cable. 

i have no idea how to access the internet/network settings in linux, or what to do once i get there to get this pc online.

can anyone help walk me through this? 

thank you in advance.


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## K-B (Oct 24, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Open the PCLinuxOS menu, go to the System configuration section (sorry, I'm at work right now, I can't remember the exact menu sequence), find the one called "PCLinuxOS Control Center" and click it. That's the equivalent of Windows Control Panel. There are different sections for setting up different things, find the Network & Internet or whatever it's called, and complete the wizard for setting up your internet connection. 
Is your internet connection Cable, or DSL?


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Go back to the basics - 
Turn everything off. Unplug the modem and router from the wall and leave them unplugged for a few minutes.
Plug in/turn on the modem and leave it alone for a few minutes. Plug the PCLOS PC directly to the modem. Turn it on. Then see if you can get connected.

Once you have that working, turn off the PC, connect the router, turn it on, wait, then plug in the PCLOS PC and turn it on. It's important to have the cable connected first, then turn the PC on.

Kyle, I know that disabling IPV6 is a common practice with Ubuntu when using older modems. I don't recall hearing anyone mention that with PCLOS. How often does that come up?


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## K-B (Oct 24, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Hey Bill, yes that is an issue just like any other distro, I hadn't thought about it. Newreel may want to try doing that. Here's the PCLinuxOS thread on disabling IPV6:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&topic=26908.0


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

thanks guys. i'll give it a shot and let you know what happens.

by the way, the actual internet connection isn't the problem, as i have 2 other computers online via the same router/modem. my guess is that it's settings within the o/s that i'm just completely unfamiliar with.

i thought that it would connect up by default, sort of like mswindows.

thanks again - i'll give it a shot. 

take care,
-newreel


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## K-B (Oct 24, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

It usually does. I have a DSL (PPoE) modem with Linksys WRT54G connected and you do the basic configuration during the installation (just like Windows) and then it "just works"/


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

K-B,

In post 2 above, you said "find the Network & Internet or whatever it's called, and complete the wizard for setting up your internet connection."

i don't see anything that even remotely resembles a "wizard" for setting up internet connections. 

Under Control Center / Internet & Network, these are the choices:

-connection preferences (configure generic network perferences, like timeout values)
-desktop sharing (configure desktop sharing)
-file sharing (enable or disable file sharing)
-local network browsing (setup lisa, reslisa and the ioslaves)
-proxy (configure the proxy servers used)
-samba (a module to configure shares for microsoft windows)
-service directory (configure service directory)

As far as the other suggestion (disabling IPV6) I typed the command into the command line exactly as it stated in the link (minus the quotation marks) and got an error message that said something like "command not recognized".

I'm hurtin here. I really need to get this thing online.


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## fredobrien (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Hi Newreel. "PCLinuxOS Control Center" Go to set up a new network interface (lan, isdn, adsl,) should be top left or #1. Complete the wizard for setting up your internet connection. If you can not find (new network) something is not right. Fred


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*



newreel said:


> K-B,
> 
> In post 2 above, you said "find the Network & Internet or whatever it's called, and complete the wizard for setting up your internet connection."
> 
> ...


I think you might be in the KDE Control Center. You should see at the bottom of the screen a little PCLOS-like icon (not at the bottom left but towards the application bar) which is the PCLOS control center. Thats different.


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

hi there,

okay i have located the PcLinusOs control center. from within that window, the only option that makes sense is "network and internet" (on the left side-bar.

the options in the "network and internet" menu are:

- set up a new network interface (lan, sdn, adsl...)
- alter miscellaneous internet settings
- reconfigure a network interface
- monitor network connections
- delete a network interface
- set up a proxy server for files and web browsing
- share the internet connection with other local machines
- configure vpm connections
- manage hosts...

i tried the first option, and answered the questions as best i could. when i was done it said "congratulations your settings are done" or something. you need to reboot. so i rebooted.

i still can't get online - i am choosing firefox as the search engine.

again, this is 1 of 3 different computers i have hooked up through the router. the other 2 computers are online just fine, so i don't think the problem lies with the physiscal connection.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Not sure because I am new to PCLOS, but you might need to install ndiswrapper. K-B will have to provide more info there because he is more familiar with PCLOS than I am.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

newreel -
Did you do as I suggested? Unplug everything, then plug them back in as described?
The fact that you have 2 Windows PC's working means nothing. I'm not a networking guru, but I have learned thru personal experience a couple of things. 

Routers talk to their connected PC's via an IP address assigned by the router. 
The most reliable way to get a new PC talking to the router is to unplug (not just turn off) the router for a few minutes. It'll dump its settings. You turn the router back on and let it go thru its start-up. Then you connect the PCLOS PC and start it. The router and the PC should see each other, and the router can assign an IP address.
Sometimes it just won't work unless you start over.

Did you try unplugging everything and connecting the PCLOS PC directly to the modem? This is the most direct way of seeing if it's a modem-to-PC problem you're dealing with or a networking problem. By just plugging in to the router you're positioning yourself out at the tail end of a long list of things that could be wrong, which is not a good way to troubleshoot.

Who's your ISP? Comcast is one provider that makes the modem-to-PC advice I just gave you less useful. Comcast's modem looks for some Windows code when trying to establish a connection, and I've read on the forums that the best way to get online with Comcast and Linux is with a router. Using the router apparently gets you around the "Comcast looking for Windows" problem.

Did you try disabling IPV6? IPV6 is a newer internet protocol, something about the way packets are handled. Firefox uses IPV6 by default, and so do many Linux distros. If you're using an older modem that is not capable of handling the IPV6 protocol, you'll get either a horribly slow/inconsistent connection or none at all.

Another idea - this is a PC with a brand new PCLOS install, right? You've got nothing to lose by starting over? You might want to try installing again, with the PCLOS PC connected to your modem or router, and when it gets to the part about configuring an internet connection, go thru those steps before even finishing the installation. It's worth a shot.


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

It may very well be your adapter. Linux has poor support for WiFi due to its given security related issues.

What you want to focus on is chipset. Atheros is pretty well supported through MadWifi, and a lot of the others require the use of ndiswrapper to install the correct driver into the proper module.

gnome-network-manager, and kwifimanager are pretty seamless at connecting, once your adapter is recognized.


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

kbd usr,

I'm not connecting via wi-fi. I'm connecting via ethernet cable.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Reset the router (remember to write down any important settings) and see if you get any change.


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## kbd_usr (Jun 20, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*



newreel said:


> kbd usr,
> 
> I'm not connecting via wi-fi. I'm connecting via ethernet cable.


You should be able to use networkmanager then. If not, manual config with:

ifconfig [interface] up:

Be sure it's enabled via BIOS sttgs.


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

You know what?

I'm just noticing that my last post never made it on. That's a bummer, because it was a LONG one and took me quite a while to type. Oh well,

What I was trying to tell you guys, is that this is what happens when I go through the PCLinusOS Control Center:

CHOOSE THE CONNECTION YOU WANT TO CONFIGURE (I CHOSE DSL)
- ethernet
- cable modem
- dsl
- analog telephone modem
- others

SELECT THE NETWORK INTERFACE TO CONFIGURE: (I CHOSE INTEL)
- Intel Corp/EtherExpress PRO/100 (this is the only choice on this page)

PLEASE SELECT YOUR PROVIDER: (I chose unlisted since my country isn't listed)
- Unlisteded (Edit Manually)
- Albania
- Argentina
- Brazil
- And every other country in the world EXCEPT the United States

CHOOSE SETTINGS (I chose TCP/IP)
- something
- TCP/IP
-something
-something

DSL
ACCESS SETTINGS

ENTER ACCOUNT NAME: ____________________
ENTER PASSWORD: ____________________

What? What account name and password does it want? I'm on a DSL account here. I can hook ANY computer with an ethernet port up to my router and get online. So I left both of those fields blank. I also tried resetting the router. I have done everything you guys have suggested.

I wish I knew why this is such a problem.


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

newreel -
What would happen if you started over, and chose "ethernet" instead of DSL? Since you're trying to connect behind the router, you're just asking PCLOS to recognize the router output, not negotiate directly with your DSL provider.

I don't know if that makes any sense or not :4-dontkno


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

IT WORKED!!!

Thank you SO much for that suggestion! 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was telling you guys about all the various steps I was going through to try and set up the internet access because I figured I was doing something wrong. But the post never made it onto here for some reason. 

Thanks a million!

-newreel


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## Bartender (Jun 10, 2005)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Hiya, newreel -
It's fun to start the day with a post like yours!

Please keep notes, because your own experiences will be very helpful when the low-income folks you want to help turn to you for advice. 

I think the modern Linux distros like PCLOS are just flat amazing. And they're only gonna get better. But there are so few Linux users that sometimes the answers to relatively straightforward procedures aren't as easy to find as we would expect. Most common hiccups in the Windows world have been encountered by a few million people (give or take) and have been blogged, digg'ed, posted on company or university websites, etc. etc.

There's probably only been a few hundred or maybe a few thousand folks who have had to work thru a similar adventure in networking such as you just did!


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## newreel (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: New PCLinuxOS Install - Can't Get Online*

Well, I'm thrilled to be counted as perhaps one of the early "pioneers". I know I'm going to have questions, but that's how we learn, right?

I always keep fastidious notes, so I never have to ask the same questions twice!

Thanks again Bartender? I need a drink!

-newreel


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