The Definitive 9.10 Broadcom Solution Guide

[nallen00]

Broadcom hardware only. Credit to respective solution providers included below. Feel free to chime in if I've missed something.

Broadcom BCM4311/12/21/22 Hardware (STA driver):
NOTE: ASSUMES FRESH INSTALL. FOR LAPTOPS, ONCE THE SYSTEM REBOOTS AFTER INSTALL, REBOOT AGAIN
AND TOGGLE THE WIRELESS BUTTON (YES, IT COULD BE THAT EASY).

Plug into the network via cable:

1. IF WIRED CONNECTION WORKS:
   
   1. Open System -> Admin -> Update Manager
   2. Check for updates, install, and reboot
   3. After reboot, open System -> Admin -> Hardware Drivers
   4. Look for "Broadcom STA wireless driver";
      
      1. IF DRIVER IS PRESENT AND ACTIVATED:
         
         1. Remove network cable, toggle wireless button, and log into network.
         
         
      2. IF DRIVER IS PRESENT BUT NOT ACTIVATED:
         
         1. Activate and reboot;
         2. After reboot, remove network cable, toggle wireless button, and log into network.
         
         
      3. IF DRIVER IS NOT PRESENT:
         
         1. Open System -> Admin -> Synaptic Pkg Mgr
         2. Search for "bcmwl-kernel-source" (if not available, move to step 2)
         
         
         
         1. Right-click and mark for installation
         2. Apply changes and reboot.
         3. Repeat steps 1.3-1.4.2
         
         
      
      
   
   
2. IF WIRED CONNECTION DOES NOT WORK:
   
   1. From LiveCD (solution provided by jomtois here - edited for clarity):
      
      1. Open Sytem -> Admin -> Synaptic Package Mgr
      2. Ensure 9.10 LiveCD is in the drive
      3. In Synaptic Package Mgr, open Settings -> Repositories -> Ubuntu Software
      4. Check "Installable from CD-ROM/DVD" and close
      5. Reload (disregard connectivity errors)
      6. Search for "bcmwl-kernel-source"
      7. Right-click and mark for installation
      8. Apply changes and reboot
      9. Repeat steps 1.3 thru 1.4.2
      
      
   2. From LiveUSB:
      
      1. Navigate to pool -> main -> d -> dkms
      2. Run "dkms_2.1.0.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb"
      3. Navigate to pool -> restricted -> b -> bcmwl
      4. Run "bcmwl-kernel-source_5.10.91.9+bdcom-0ubuntu4_i386.deb"
      5. Reboot
      6. Repeat steps 2.1.6 thru 2.1.9 and 1.3 thru 1.4.2
      
      
   
   

Broadcom BCM4301/03/06/09 Hardware (B43 driver):
NOTE: IF YOUR CARD IS A BCM4306 REV 2, OR ONLY HAS 802.11B CAPABILITY, IT USES
B43LEGACY. ALL OTHER MODELS USE B43. THE STEPS BELOW WILL BUILD BOTH B43 AND
B43LEGACY (AND GET FIRMWARE FOR BOTH TOO). THE KERNEL AUTOLOADER WILL
AUTOMATICALLY DO THE RIGHT THING AND LOAD THE CORRECT DRIVER FOR YOUR DEVICE.
ADDITIONAL INFO HERE. ASSUMES FRESH INSTALL. FOR LAPTOPS, ONCE THE SYSTEM REBOOTS
AFTER INSTALL, REBOOT AGAIN AND TOGGLE THE WIRELESS BUTTON (YES, IT COULD BE THAT
EASY).

Plug into the network via cable:

1. IF WIRED CONNECTION WORKS:
   
   1. Open System -> Admin -> Update Manager
   2. Check for updates, install, and reboot
   3. After reboot, open System -> Admin -> Hardware Drivers
   4. Look for "Broadcom B43 wireless driver";
      
      1. IF DRIVER IS PRESENT AND ACTIVATED:
         
         1. Remove network cable, toggle wireless button, and log into network.
         
         
      2. IF DRIVER IS PRESENT BUT NOT ACTIVATED:
         
         1. Activate and reboot;
         2. After reboot, remove network cable, toggle wireless button, and log into network.
         
         
      3. IF DRIVER IS NOT PRESENT:
         
         1. Open System -> Admin -> Synaptic Pkg Mgr
         2. Search for "b43-fwcutter" (if not available, move to step 2)
         3. Right-click and mark for installation
         4. Apply changes (answer yes when asked "Fetch and install firmware?")
         5. Reboot
         6. Repeat steps 1.3 thru 1.4.2
         
         
      
      
   
   
2. IF WIRED CONNECTION DOES NOT WORK:
   
   1. From LiveCD (based on solution provided by jomtois here - edited for clarity):
      
      1. Open Sytem -> Admin -> Synaptic Package Mgr
      2. Ensure 9.10 LiveCD is in the drive
      3. In Synaptic Package Mgr, open Settings -> Repositories -> Ubuntu Software
      4. Check "Installable from CD-ROM/DVD" and close
      5. Reload (disregard connectivity errors)
      6. Search for "b43-fwcutter"
      7. Right-click and mark for installation
      8. Apply changes (answer yes when asked "Fetch and install firmware?")
      9. Reboot
      10. Repeat steps 1.3 thru 1.4.2
      
      
   2. From LiveUSB:
      
      1. Navigate to pool -> main -> d -> dkms
      2. Run "dkms_2.1.0.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb"
      3. Navigate to pool -> restricted -> b -> bcmwl
      4. Run "bcmwl-kernel-source_5.10.91.9+bdcom-0ubuntu4_i386.deb"
      5. Reboot
      6. Repeat steps 2.1.6 thru 2.1.9 and 1.3 thru 1.4.2
      
      
   
   

Transfer Files from Another Computer
NOTE: IF NECESSARY, THE STA AND B43 PACKAGES CAN BE
DOWNLOADED USING THE LINKS BELOW. BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE
APPROPRIATE DEPENDENCIES.

STA Driver Source
http://packages.ubuntu.com/da/karmic/bcmwl-kernel-source

B43 Driver Source
http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/b43-fwcutter

Cheers.

[alpacadaddy]

Thanks for the response & info Nathan, but my nic is model 4318 and your info only refers to models 4301, 03, 06, 09, 11, 12, 21, 22...so I am not sure if it is applicable...

Thanks again and looking forward to learning more!

[nallen00]

Thanks for the response & info Nathan, but my nic is model 4318 and your info only refers to models 4301, 03, 06, 09, 11, 12, 21, 22...so I am not sure if it is applicable...

Thanks again and looking forward to learning more!

I just noticed something Isn't it a little suspicious that we have a guitar-playing emoticon and not a coffee-drinking one...? What with all the references to beans and what not

Annnyway, thanks for mentioning this. I'll do some research and either add it to the existing instructions, or create a new section. Will depend on how unique the solution is.

[Jason ON]

Didn't work for me, I had to put the LiveCD and load the software from there, and while Synaptic Manager lists both B43-fwcutter and the bcmwl-kernel-source (little green squares) and although I uninstalled and reinstalled both drivers hardware manager does not list the driver at all. I hit a loop then as the directions all lead back to the install.

Any thoughts?

I'm working with the Broadcom 4306 rev 3 chipset and the AMD64 install of Ubuntu if that matters. No matter what I do Hardware Drivers will not list the driver at all. The only time it had is with a fresh install but as soon as I activate it, it disappears and all I have is Software Modem.

[hyperhelium]

Thank you, Thank you, thank you.

[bbiandov]

I too have BCM 4318, the Admin > Hardware Driver shows up, is active but no wireless connection under Networking. It is NOT an issue with the button as that one is ON and one can see it visually (it is a mechanical switch rather than fn-F4 key combination)

I did try the other BCM 43xx guides knowing that they refer to slightly different BCM model and none worked.

I suppose there is something very strange about 4318 since I see posts here and there but no working solution.

Will appreciate an expert's view on this chipset

Thanks

[hijodedios2]

I have an HP Compaq Presario 2100 with what lspci -nnv reports as a Broadcom BCM4306 (rev 02) wireless card. Oddly enough, the PCI-ID is [14e4:4320], which http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 seems to think is the rev 03 version. Either way, after much searching I came up with a set of techniques roughly equivalent to your definitive guide. Still having no luck, I reinstalled and walked through the guide (wired connection worked, hardware drivers came up just fine with b43legacy and fwcutter, network manager reported a new attachment). I am able to scan and see network connections, but it stalls out actually connecting to my wireless router.

In the 2 days I've been playing with 9.10 the wireless card has connected twice. I am able to ping google, but by the time I bring up firefox the connection has dropped. Connecting again is neither predictable nor reproducible, including rebooting or restarting /etc/init.d/networking.

Looking at the system log I see a number of lines like:

kernel [228.308238] wlan0: direct probe to AP xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:27 try 1
kernel [228.308238] wlan0: direct probe to AP xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:27 try 2
kernel [228.308238] wlan0: direct probe to AP xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:27 try 3
kernel [228.308238] wlan0: direct probe to AP xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:27 timed out

My router is very definitely xxxxxx:26. iwlist reports :27, as well. Is there any known bug causing this behavior? What else should I check?

The router is a Linksys WRT54G using WPA2/PSK with AES encryption.

[Blackthorne2]

I am seeing the EXACT same behaviour as hijodedios2.

I have the 4312 with the STA drivers. I see the network, can choose to connect, am prompted for my WPA key, and I can actually see the netbook show up in my routers connection list, then the netbook drops the connection. Router is D-Link DIR-615 w/ latest firmware.


SO, it's connecting, authenticating, getting an IP, and then dropping the connection.

I am an Ubuntu noob, so if there are any logs troubleshooters here need dumped just let me know the commands and I will post em up.

[bbiandov]

Ok, so after some testing here is a verified guide for Broadcom BCM 4318 under Ubuntu 9.1

First I started by fresh install using ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso

After the install was done under hardware driver BCM43 was detected and after activating the driver, as expected, NADA. No wireless adapter reported by ifconfig.



However after rebooting, the wireless adapter showed up in ifconfdig.

Note that I did not even have to do Ubuntu Updates Manager. This worked straight out of the ISO.

FYI: Here is the Broadcom device that I have as it is reported by lspci:

1:07.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)

[zankapfel]

I have the same problem as Jason ON, the driver will not show up in Hardware Drivers.

The most frustrating part is that the first time I tried to boot from my USB install, it was there, and worked perfectly. Then one day it was just gone and I have no idea why. Reinstalling does absolutely nothing, I've tried over and over.

I'm using a Compaq Presario V6420US. I'm not sure what broadcom chipset it uses.