Netgear WG511v2 drivers

English Network/Internet
#1

Hello forum,

I need the individual (like .inf .sys) driver files for my Netgear WG511v2 network adapter. The ndiswrapper needs these files and my original CD has a ‘Windows Only’ executable and since I cannot use that the divers are where??
Install will be on openSUSE 11.3.
Thanks for any idea on how to obtain the drivers.
Dick Davis

#2

On 05/10/2011 08:06 PM, skylineds wrote:
>
> Hello forum,
>
> I need the individual (like .inf .sys) driver files for my Netgear
> WG511v2 network adapter. The ndiswrapper needs these files and my
> original CD has a ‘Windows Only’ executable and since I cannot use that
> the divers are where??
> Install will be on openSUSE 11.3.
> Thanks for any idea on how to obtain the drivers.

You need to get the Windows drivers from the Netgear web site; however, before
you do that, I’m pretty sure that there is a Linux driver for that device.

I think that one is USB. If so, please post the output of ‘lsusb’. If PCI, then
post the Netgear part of ‘/sbin/lspcfi -nnk’.

#3

I went to the Netgear website earlier. All they have is the installation program for the card, this is not a USB but PCMIA. The needed drivers are extracted and installed by the executable (.exe). Tried installation using wine, but that fails due to the fact that wine does not communicate properly with the hardware on that laptop. I know the programs needed are WG512.INF and WG512.SYS. The question is where to get them
Dick Davis

#4

On 05/10/2011 09:36 PM, skylineds wrote:
>
> I went to the Netgear website earlier. All they have is the installation
> program for the card, this is not a USB but PCMIA. The needed drivers
> are extracted and installed by the executable (.exe). Tried installation
> using wine, but that fails due to the fact that wine does not
> communicate properly with the hardware on that laptop. I know the
> programs needed are WG512.INF and WG512.SYS. The question is where to
> get them

Please answer my question!!!

#5

Sorry about that lwfinger,
Here is the output from ‘sbin/lspci -nnk’

02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88w8335 [Libertas] 802.11b/g Wireless [11ab:1faa] (rev 03)
Subsystem: Netgear WG511v2 54 Mbps Wireless PC Card [1385:4e00]

Hope this shines a light on it.
Dick Davis

#6

On 05/11/2011 08:36 AM, skylineds wrote:
>
> lwfinger;2338071 Wrote:
>> On 05/10/2011 09:36 PM, skylineds wrote:
>>>
>>> I went to the Netgear website earlier. All they have is the
>> installation
>>> program for the card, this is not a USB but PCMIA. The needed
>> drivers
>>> are extracted and installed by the executable (.exe). Tried
>> installation
>>> using wine, but that fails due to the fact that wine does not
>>> communicate properly with the hardware on that laptop. I know the
>>> programs needed are WG512.INF and WG512.SYS. The question is where
>> to
>>> get them
>>
>> Please answer my question!!!
>
> Sorry about that lwfinger,
> Here is the output from ‘sbin/lspci -nnk’
>
> 02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
> 88w8335 [Libertas] 802.11b/g Wireless [11ab:1faa] (rev 03)
> Subsystem: Netgear WG511v2 54 Mbps Wireless PC Card
> [1385:4e00]
>
> Hope this shines a light on it.

Well, we know for sure that there is not a native Linux driver. As a result, you
will need to use ndiswrapper. You will need to install that package for your
kernel variety.

After you do that, then download the file “wg511v2_3_2.exe” from the Netgear web
pile, and run ‘wine wg511v2_3_2.exe’. You cannot install the driver this way,
but it will unpack the files you need. The “.inf” and “.sys” files will be in
directory “~/.wine/drive_c/windows/inf/WG511v2/”. Files WG511v2.INF and
WG511v2XP.sys are for 32-bit systems with wlndis51.inf and wlndis51.sys user for
64-bit systems. Remember that Linux is case sensitive.

To help you with the installation of ndiswrapper, look at the description in
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Ndiswrapper. In particular, read carefully the
paragraph entitled “Why (and why not) NDISwrapper”. Please be aware that
ndiswrapper consists of 2 parts - program ndiswrapper is used to set up the
Windows driver, and ndiswrapper.ko which is the Linux driver.

My final word of advice is not to waste much time getting this thing to work as
Windows drivers and ndiswrapper can be quite finicky. Instead, purchase a USB
device that works “out of the box”. One example would be the Netgear WG111V2
that can be bought on Ebay for $10 with free shipping.

#7

lwfinger,

Thanks,
Worked as advertised. Yeah I know about ndiswrapper, finicky is a nice euphemism, will have to do for now. Will get a USB device though.
Again thanks for your help,
Dick Davis

#8

I hope my timing is not too late, although I may have a solution for you.

I think we share similar goals in trying to find just the drivers for the WG511v2 wireless card. I simply wanted them for Windows XP so I wouldn’t have to install a half baked wireless configuration utility along with the drivers.

After some hassling with the InstallShield/Microsoft Installer Files, I’ve managed to pull the drivers themselves right out of the installers.

You can download them from this link. I’m sorry if it’s not the best file host, it’s the first one that came to my mind. :\

But hopefully this can help you get on your way. FYI, these are the 3.1.1.7 drivers.

Also, one last bit of advice… due to either the drivers or the card its self, it’s impossible to connect to any WPA2-PSK AES encrypted access point. It simply won’t work.