Hi everyone! I'm making the switch from Windows 10 to Linux Mint because my Windows installation is acting up. Right now, I'm using a temporary account to access my laptop, and I've installed the latest version of Linux Mint Cinnamon from a USB drive. However, I'm only able to connect to the internet through a wired connection. I can't find any option for Wi-Fi or hotspots, even though my drivers appear to be up to date. I'm looking for some help to get my Wi-Fi up and running. Thanks!
4 Answers
First off, you should run `lspci` in your terminal. This command will help you identify your network controller, which is essentially your Wi-Fi card. With that info, you can check the compatibility of your card with Linux on this page: https://wireless.docs.kernel.org/en/latest/en/users/drivers.html. It’s really useful!
I've noticed that many Ubuntu-based distros, including Mint, don't automatically download and install Wi-Fi drivers during the setup. They usually stick to open-source drivers only. Use `lspci` to check your Wi-Fi card and then you can look up the necessary drivers online. After downloading the correct one, it might be a good idea to restart your system.
Seems like a common issue! A lot of people with Broadcom wireless cards run into this since the drivers don’t install automatically. Plug in an Ethernet cable or use a USB Wi-Fi adapter, then open Driver Manager. It should detect your Broadcom card and offer to install the drivers for you. Good luck!
You can also try using the command `sudo lshw -c network` in the terminal to get details on your network adapter. After you find out what adapter you have, search online for something like "your_adapter_name Ubuntu" to see if it's supported. Here's a great guide: https://itsfoss.com/find-network-adapter-ubuntu-linux/.
Thanks for the tips! I’ll try using an Ethernet cable and check Driver Manager.