SURPRISE ! - Ubuntu 12.04 is actually pretty good !

[#1]

$ sudo lshw -C network

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*-network:0 UNCLAIMED        description: Ethernet controller       product: IPN 2220 802.11g       vendor: InProComm Inc.       physical id: 2       bus info: pci@0000:02:02.0       version: 00       width: 32 bits       clock: 33MHz       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list       configuration: latency=64 maxlatency=32 mingnt=32       resources: ioport:a480(size=32) memory:e8201000-e820101f memory:e8200800-e8200fff   *-network:1       description: Ethernet interface       product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+       vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.       physical id: 3       bus info: pci@0000:02:03.0       logical name: eth0       version: 10       serial: 00:02:3f:09:fb:09       size: 100Mbit/s       capacity: 100Mbit/s       width: 32 bits       clock: 33MHz       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 duplex=full ip=192.168.1.73 latency=128 link=yes maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s       resources: irq:19 ioport:a000(size=256) memory:e8201400-e82014ff

sudo lspci -v

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02:02.0 Ethernet controller: InProComm Inc. IPN 2220 802.11g Subsystem: AMBIT Microsystem Corp. T60N871 802.11g Mini PCI Wireless Adapter Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11 I/O ports at a480 Memory at e8201000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) Memory at e8200800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

I don't get anything from dmesg | grep wlan0

[#2]

The InProComm IPN 2220 must be a fairly uncommon wifi card, and no proper Linux driver exists. So you are stuck with ndiswrapper.
There's a bug report about the ndiswrapper package being broken on 12.04.

[#3]

Seems to be a ndiswrapper issue I think???

sudo modprobe ndiswrapper

Quote

FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.

ndiswrapper is installed I can access adding windows drivers from a gui, perhaps ndiswrapper needs updated or something, I have seen posts to that effect but not actually how to do it. Also disabling the built in drivers might be something to do with it.

[#4]

Thanks for the link ejs, it would appear that is exactly the problem I am suffering from. From what i understand there it's advising to download the latest version and compile yourself rather than use the version that came with 12.04 
Installing the driver using ndiswrapper gui i get an error message.
Module could not be loaded. Error was:
FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.
Is the ndiswrapper module installed?
Although it does say after that that hardware is installed!
ndiswrapper -l gives the results neti2220 : driver installed device (17FE:2220) present
sudo depmod -a
sudo depmod -a
sudo modprobe ndiswrapper  to associate the driver
FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.

[#5]

The ndiswrapper kernel module is supposed to get compiled automatically for you - there's another bug about ndiswrapper dkms which is supposed to be fixed.

[#6]

It's ok thanks ejs I managed to get it sorted, I just had to install the ndiswrapper addons from the software centre and now everything works ok 

[#7]

First impressions are pretty good. The interface seems a bit clunky to me but I only have 512mb ram possibly time to get them swapped out. I think this lappy can take 2x1 gig sticks have to be second hand though its nearly eight year old this lap top. its hard to get out of the mind set of the old desk top, always looking for a drop down box with all the software in but I have to say the whole thing looks and feels very similar to blackberrys operating system. I wonder how much BB influenced it. Luckily for me I already have a BB phone and a playbook so typing in key words to find what I'm looking to do wasn't such a big change. I guess overall I can see where Ubuntu is going with this, especially after the uproar when they decided to go with this desktop. They seemed to have gone with the concept that because we all have tech in our houses and pockets that you can pick which OS to use they envisage it all being run with Ubuntu and went for a desk top that works well on all devices.

[#8]

Since you have 512MB, have you tried Xubuntu?
You install the Xubuntu meta package and this allows you to use the Xubuntu or Unity<spit> interfaces.
(Choose at logon time)
Xubuntu is a much lighter weight interface - and you get Menu's etc 

[#9]

Thanks ill have a look at that. Just realised what it reminds me of other than BB OS, can anyone remember when nero did a similar thing years ago? Nero used to get bundled with everything and they had a shot at nearly taking over an entire winsows install by having a home screen which indexed all you files for searching and common music and video tasks all on one home screen. Was heavy on memory and didn't really kick off from what I remember.

[#10]

@AverageWhiteBloke - you can find out your laptop's memory capability using the "shop by manufacturer" section of this Crucial memory page, and see what it recommends.

[#11]

Thanks mate I think I did that at crucial a while back and if I remember right it was 2x1 gig sticks. The hardest part was tieing the ram up with people who were selling second hand. I think crucial was about 70 quid delivered for the two. The bateeries also kaput you get about 2 mins out of it. Battery about 70 also so for that sort of money I could prob get another laptop second hand. Worth throwing some ram in though if it was cheap enough.

[#12]

I just upgraded my laptop with 2x1GB sticks for under £11 (inc. P&P) from eBay.
What is the make and model of your laptop ? - and I will see what I can come up with.

[#13]

Hey cheers, not at home right now but I think its an acer aspire 1742 Lmi the number may be incorrect. I got it about 7 8 years ago and its been no bother. Even when the battery was new getting an hour out of it was lucky. It has a Pentium four processor in which was more designed for a desktop and sucked the life from the battery.

[#14]

I upgraded my 1GB (Ubuntu PC) to 2 GB - waste of time as it's hard to get usage over about 850MB. 
I suggest one stick is enough - unless you are doing video processing etc.

[#15]

I have searched for memory for "acer aspire 1742", and so far got two results for "Acer Aspire One (A150-1742) Netbook" and "Acer Aspire One (D250-1742) Netbook", but neither can be what you have as they are listed as only having ONE memory slot (where you think yours has two), so more details when you get home would be useful.
Regarding 'A Fox is Evil's comment, my laptop is still running Ubuntu 10.10 and has been using 2x512MB memory for the last year, and in general 1GB was perfectly adequate.
However recently I have been using the machine heavily with perhaps 6 or 8 programs running simultaneously, and with more than a dozen webpage tabs open at the same time, and it was just going over the top and using the swap file - so I simply upgraded to 2GB.  I think for most people 1GB in Ubuntu should be enough, but if you are upgrading from a single 512MB, then fitting 2GB seems reasonable while you have the machine apart.