I have two pcmcia network cards (1 wired, 1 wireless) in a Dell Latitude CPx laptop (500 MHz, 256 M). The system boots but both network cards are disabled. I believe the cards are being disabled for the following reasons:

Wired card - (Xircom) is not attached to a network so when Knoppix fails to obtain an address via DHCP, the card is not activated.

Wireless card - chipset is a Realtek RTL 8185, the 'Unknown device 8185' leads me to believe a driver is not available in this release.

Does this sound reasonable?

I am in an area with wireless access (works fine with Win2K). Realtek has a Linux driver available on their web site, it may be time to learn how to make a slightly modified version of Knoppix...

Should I look into ndiswrapper?

The output from lspci -vv is below.

Thank you for your thoughts and comments!

gepetto

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge (rev 03)
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32
Region 0: Memory at f4000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=64M]
Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 1.0
Status: RQ=32 Iso- ArqSz=0 Cal=0 SBA+ ITACoh- GART64- HTrans- 64bit- FW- AGP3- Rate=x1,x2
Command: RQ=1 ArqSz=0 Cal=0 SBA- AGP- GART64- 64bit- FW- Rate=<none>

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX AGP bridge (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle+ MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=32
I/O behind bridge: 0000e000-0000efff
Memory behind bridge: fc000000-feffffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 28000000-280fffff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- NoISA+ VGA+ MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B+

0000:00:03.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1225 (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell: Unknown device 00aa
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 168, Cache Line Size: 0x20 (128 bytes)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at 28100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=05, sec-latency=176
Memory window 0: 20000000-21fff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: 22000000-23fff000
I/O window 0: 00001000-000010ff
I/O window 1: 00001400-000014ff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- ISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- 16bInt- PostWrite+
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

0000:00:03.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1225 (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell: Unknown device 00aa
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 168, Cache Line Size: 0x20 (128 bytes)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at 28101000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Bus: primary=00, secondary=06, subordinate=09, sec-latency=176
Memory window 0: 24000000-25fff000 (prefetchable)
Memory window 1: 26000000-27fff000
I/O window 0: 00001800-000018ff
I/O window 1: 00001c00-00001cff
BridgeCtl: Parity- SERR- ISA- VGA- MAbort- >Reset- 16bInt- PostWrite+
16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

0000:00:07.0 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02)
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle+ MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 0

0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01) (prog-if 80 [Master])
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32
Region 4: I/O ports at 0860 [size=16]

0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32
Interrupt: pin D routed to IRQ 11
Region 4: I/O ports at dce0 [size=32]

0000:00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 03)
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Interrupt: pin ? routed to IRQ 9

0000:00:08.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1978 Maestro 2E (rev 10)
Subsystem: Dell: Unknown device 00aa
Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32 (500ns min, 6000ns max)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 5
Region 0: I/O ports at d800 [size=256]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility P/M AGP 2x (rev 64) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: Dell Latitude CPt
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping+ SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 32 (2000ns min), Cache Line Size: 0x08 (32 bytes)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at fd000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Region 1: I/O ports at ec00 [size=256]
Region 2: Memory at fcfff000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Expansion ROM at 28000000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [50] AGP version 1.0
Status: RQ=256 Iso- ArqSz=0 Cal=0 SBA+ ITACoh- GART64- HTrans- 64bit- FW- AGP3- Rate=x1,x2
Command: RQ=1 ArqSz=0 Cal=0 SBA- AGP- GART64- 64bit- FW- Rate=<none>
Capabilities: [5c] Power Management version 1
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

0000:02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.: Unknown device 8185 (rev 20)
Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.: Unknown device 8185
Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at 1000 [disabled] [size=256]
Region 1: Memory at 22000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=1K]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

0000:06:00.0 Ethernet controller: Xircom Cardbus Ethernet 10/100 (rev 03)
Subsystem: Xircom Cardbus Ethernet 10/100
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Latency: 64 (5000ns min, 10000ns max)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at 1800 [size=128]
Region 1: Memory at 26000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Region 2: Memory at 26000800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Expansion ROM at 24000000 [disabled] [size=16K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-

0000:06:00.1 Serial controller: Xircom Cardbus Ethernet + 56k Modem (rev 03) (prog-if 02 [16550])
Subsystem: Xircom CBEM56G-100 Ethernet + 56k Modem
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: I/O ports at 1880 [size=8]
Region 1: Memory at 26001000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Region 2: Memory at 26001800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2K]
Expansion ROM at 24004000 [disabled] [size=16K]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-

end.