Broadcom BCM4321 WIreless NIC not finding networks

[Laize]

Another update. I seem to have found the missing file, put it in the directory and ndiswrapper installed the driver.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that running $modprobe ndiswrapper seems to have gotten stuck in the terminal.

Nothing is locked up, but nothing is happening either. I don'te ven have a prompt. Process is just hanging.

[chili555]

One question, though. If these are for 4329, what are the odds they'll work for 4321?

I think we want 4329.

04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4321 802.11b/g/n [14e4:4329] (rev 01)

The pci.id is the identifier enumerated in the .inf file.

couldn't find "BCMWL564.SYS" in "/home/laize/4329"; make sure all driver files, including .inf, .sys (and any firmware files) are in "/home/laize/4329" -
installation may be incomplete

Ditch the files you have and try these. I'd erase what you have:

sudo ndiswrapper -e bcmwl5
sudo rm -rf /etc/ndiswrapper/*

The bad news is that running $modprobe ndiswrapper seems to have gotten stuck in the terminal.

See if you can Ctrl+c and get out or just close the terminal; as Mrs. Chili says, "X it out."

[chili555]

PS:

;-----------------------------------------------------------------
; x86 - Win9x, Win2K, WinXP
;
[BROADCOM]
%BCM430B_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XZ, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4303
%BCM430G_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4320
%BCM430G_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4318
%BCM430G_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4311
%BCM430A_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XA, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4321
%BCM430A_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XA, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_431A
%BCM430M_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XM, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4324
%BCM430M_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XM, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4319
%BCM430M_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XM, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4312
%BCM430G_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4310
%BCM430G_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4313
%BCM430N_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XNM, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4328
%BCM430N_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XNG, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_4329
%BCM430N_DeviceDesc% = BCM43XA, PCI\VEN_14E4&DEV_432A

Added for illustration and the education of the curious.

[Laize]

New drivers installed fine.

ndiswrapper still hangs every time I execute $sudo modprobe ndiswrapper

[chili555]

Any clues here?

dmesg | grep ndis

[Laize]

$ dmesg | grep ndis

[    7.437166] ndiswrapper version 1.57 loaded (smp=yes, preempt=no)
[    7.931625] usbcore: registered new interface driver ndiswrapper
[  162.825437] usbcore: deregistering interface driver ndiswrapper
[  162.831891] ndiswrapper version 1.57 loaded (smp=yes, preempt=no)
[  360.600329]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  360.600348]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  360.600365]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  360.600465]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  360.600478]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[  480.597239]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  480.597259]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  480.597275]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  480.597376]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  480.597388]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[  600.594155]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  600.594174]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  600.594191]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  600.594291]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  600.594303]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[  720.591083]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  720.591103]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  720.591119]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  720.591221]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  720.591233]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[  840.588005]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  840.588025]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  840.588042]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  840.588142]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  840.588154]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[  960.584892]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[  960.584911]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[  960.584928]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[  960.585028]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[  960.585040]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1080.581823]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1080.581843]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1080.581860]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1080.581960]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1080.581972]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1200.578718]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1200.578738]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1200.578755]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1200.578855]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1200.578867]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1320.575658]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1320.575678]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1320.575694]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1320.575795]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1320.575808]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1440.572553]  [<ffffffffa0f1dd48>] load_wrap_driver+0x138/0x1f0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1440.572573]  [<ffffffffa0f2d377>] wrap_pnp_start_device+0x37/0x1e0 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1440.572589]  [<ffffffffa0f2dca0>] wrap_pnp_start_pci_device+0x60/0x90 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1440.572689]  [<ffffffffa0f1f28d>] loader_init+0x9d/0x150 [ndiswrapper]
[ 1440.572702]  [<ffffffffa0f60073>] wrapper_init+0x73/0x1000 [ndiswrapper]

[Laize]

Saw ndiswrapper requires drivers that match architecture.

got 64-bit drivers and they installed.

modprobe ndiswrapper worked

Now to figure out how to set up the wireless network with it.

[Laize]

Ok here's the story so far of what I've been doing. (Uninstalling drivers properly after failure).

BCMWL5 32-bit (Chili's version) - terminal hangs on $modprobe ndiswrapper
BCMWL6 32-bit - terminal hangs on $modprobe ndiswrapper
BCMWL6 64-bit - ndiswrapper won't claim the wireless NIC

Looking for BCMWL5 64-bit so I can make it a whole set .

[Laize]

If there's one thing anyone should take away from this thread if they stumble across it via Google it's that you should avoid buying wireless NICs with the BCM4321 chipset.

[Laize]

Honestly, to heck with this.

Can anyone recommend me an excellent Wireless NIC that's preferably PCI, but USB will do?

My ideal card would be either PCI or PCIe with a high-gain antenna packaged with it. Because of the location of my access point I need to place the antenna on top of the desk.