HOWTO: Broadcom 4318 Wireless Cards

[compwiz18]

Hi again, so I've tried using wifi radar and I'm a little closer. I can easily connect to networks without WEP encryption, and wifi-radar can see my network when I list it, but after entering my WEP information it still doesn't work (can't get an IP address). I've trying connecting using the the terminal but that doesn't work either (if there is a WEP). Am I missing something basic? I have my WEP in hexadecimal - might that have something to do with it? Normally I'd just give up and not use a WEP at home but still need to able to use a WEP at school. Thanks for any help, you've almost got me all the way there.

Try this:

Hi Folks,

I did end up finding the problem for my setup. After searching this thread (again) it seems no one else has posted anything about this, so I will post here in the hope someone finds it useful. This is a follow-up to items #378 and #383 in this thread.

My problem can be summarised as: the encryption mode for my WEP needs to be set as "open", not "restricted". There does not appear to be any option for this in the network manager, so it must be done in the /etc/network/interfaces file. The interfaces file for my card now looks like:
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wireless-essid Starfleet
wireless-key open XXXXXXXXXX

I discovered this after reading the troubleshooting page on the ndiswrapper homepage. It seems that if you get to the point like me where you can see basestations, using "sudo iwlist scan", then you're only an encryption key away from being done. The problem I described below is symptomatic of this: if you can't set your essid, but you can detect your basestation, then it is almost certainly an encryption key problem. On the command line try:
sudo iwconfig wlan0 key open XXXXXXXXXX
sudo iwconfig wlan0 essid <your-essid>
then
sudo iwconfig
to see if it worked. Good luck!

Cheers,
Randall.

[banko]

FINALLY a process that worked for an idiot such as i!!!! Thank you so much, I was getting ready to chuck this thing threw a window

[compwiz18]

FINALLY a process that worked for an idiot such as i!!!! Thank you so much, I was getting ready to chuck this thing threw a window

No Problem Glad I could help

[compwiz18]

Has anyone gotten a bcm4318 to work in Edgy? I spent an hour last night, and it refused to go. When I've got more time, I'll try some more, but I'm just wondering if anyone has...

[learnjunk]

I am glad to say thank you for those who provided lot of information for making this card to work. It took me two days, 3 complete re-installs of Ubuntu before I can make this card to work. No need to say I am new to Linux..

FYI Computer Model: Compaq Presario V5115CA Notebook PC

Followed the following steps before running the 64 bit script with network manager provided in this Thread.

# sudo apt-get update
# sudo apt-get install network-manager-gnome
# Reboot system

Existing Problems:

-- In the gnome I still see No Network connection I am not sure why. I have no idea where I can find signal strength

-- Another icon which give SIOCGIFFLAGS error: No such Device still exists..

[compwiz18]

I am glad to say thank you for those who provided lot of information for making this card to work. It took me two days, 3 complete re-installs of Ubuntu before I can make this card to work. No need to say I am new to Linux..

FYI Computer Model: Compaq Presario V5115CA Notebook PC

Followed the following steps before running the 64 bit script with network manager provided in this Thread.

# sudo apt-get update
# sudo apt-get install network-manager-gnome
# Reboot system

Existing Problems:

-- In the gnome I still see No Network connection I am not sure why. I have no idea where I can find signal strength

-- Another icon which give SIOCGIFFLAGS error: No such Device still exists..

Are you using the Network Manager version? If so, that is probably why you are seeing No Connection and No Device Exists. Network Manager likes control, so it makes the rest of the system unable to see the device.

[Das Goat]

Randall, you fixed it!

this is what I was missing the whole time! I really didn't think it would work, since I have tried so many other fixes, but this is it!

When you can connect with out any encription, do this:

system > administration > networking

put your key in there. Let ubuntu time out with the new settings.

edit your interface file like Randall suggests:

iface wlan0 inet dhcp
wireless-essid Starfleet
wireless-key open XXXXXXXXXX

the key is to add the word 'open" before your key. I don't know why the network manager doesn't have this in there already, but it doesn't. and I don't know why wifi-radar doesn't add it either (I didn't test this, I only know it doesn't work) but I suspect that, as a Windows user, I am used to haveing the program do what i say. Perhaps there is a way to run wifi-radar as sudo that i don't know about or understand. But that is the fix! put open in there and it works!

I am going to reset all of my devices to use open, bring the network back up, and post to you all my successes (I KNOW it will work, i can feel it!).



PS: there is still no icon in network manager in the upper right that let me know the wireless is connected, but who cares if ti works, right?

[Das Goat]

It works! it really works! i converted my small network over to open and everything is working me on Ubuntu and my brother on *******, and the neibor will check in tomorrow, but i am sure he will work too once he converts over to "open".

I can't thank you enough! this post has rededicated my self to the whole Ubuntu challenge. I Promiss to wipe my system back to bare bones Ubuntu 6.06 and step by step create a How To for this system. It is the least i can do for all of the help you all have given me.

And oh yes, I am wireless and not nakid as a jay bird.

Weeeeee!

[Randall]

Hi Das Goat,

Glad to hear it worked! And I know just how you feel since I had been fiddling with my setup for about 2 weeks before I found the hint on the ndiswrapper homepage. It's very satisfying to have it working. Happy computing...

Perhaps this is an item that compwiz18 can insert back on the first page in the troubleshooting section. Unfortunately it isn't newbie friendly because it requires fiddling with the /etc/network/interfaces file, but better than nothing.

Cheers,
Randall.

[Das Goat]

just a quickie, everything still works fine, Ubuntu booted up and wireless works right away.This means...I'm a glutton for punishment. I am going to wipe my Ubuntu down and start again, writing down each step. hopefully, latter tonight I will post the guide.