From: adam@address.invalid   
      
   [combining two replies to TJ in this subthread]   
      
   TJ wrote:   
   > On 09/27/2012 09:33 PM, Adam wrote:   
   >> The immediate problem turned out to be the cat5e   
   >> cable between the computer and router, which had been working properly   
   >> for years.   
   >>   
   > Seems strange that it would work on some distros and not others,   
      
   It didn't work properly for any wired connection.  The distros that   
   worked were using a wireless connection.  This is the older computer   
   ("eris") that's normally in the other room that's used for trying other   
   distros, temporarily in the LR while my newer computer's away for an   
   in-warranty repair.   
      
   > Mentioned before, one computer worked with wireless using the drakx   
   > tools, but another didn't. [...] The one that didn't work with the drakx   
   > tools did work fine with the gnome networkmanager plasma app.   
      
   I'll give that a try.  I wouldn't have thought of trying it.   
      
   > But my point was that there doesn't seem to be any reason why you can't   
   > have both fixed IPs and DHCP, if you want.   
      
   Hmm... yes, that probably would work.  However, two of the distros on   
   this machine set up wireless connections with fixed IPs relatively   
   easily, so I know that's possible.  Mageia and another distro seem   
   considerably harder to configure the same way.   
      
   > I tried the proprietary driver with the device I couldn't get to work   
   > with Mageia 2 with the drakx tools, and I couldn't get it to work,   
   > either. Suggestion: if you haven't already, install the   
   > kernal-firmware-nonfree package. It contains firmware not included on   
   > the DVD because it's not open source.   
      
   Thanks for the suggestion; I'll give it a try.  (Can't try anything   
   until I reboot into Mageia, though.)   
      
   > Some distros include the firmware, some don't.   
      
   Several distros told me "You need the rt2661.bin driver, available from   
   the following website."  Fortunately I had another working connection so   
   I could download it.   
      
   > Good thing this discussion is labelled OT. It belongs in a Mageia group.   
      
   That's exactly why I left the OT in the subject.  Also, I figured this   
   discussion of it would only go on until I had a wireless connection   
   working with it.  From other posts here, I gather Mageia is only a   
   little off-topic.  This box currently has another distro in the same   
   situation (wired OK, wireless not yet) but I know that would definitely   
   be OT here. :-)   
      
   Adam   
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