BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

beatgammit · 2012-04-25 01:52:35

I'm very new to Arch (this is actually my first install), but I have experience with Linux. I'm having problems getting my wireless to work. I've had similar problems with Fedora, that I have since fixed, but now I would like to move to Arch.

My ethernet port is physically broken, so my wireless shows up as eth0. Anyway, here's the output of the appropriate commands (asterix means I left some stuff out, I'm typing from another laptop):

$ iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions

eth0 no wireless extensions

I similarly get "Interface doesn't support scanning." on both lo and eth0 from iwlist scan

$ ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethornet HWaddr ****
       UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
       *******

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
       inet addr:127.0.0.1***
       *******

$ lspci | grep "Wireless"
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Cnotroller (rev 01)

$ lsmod | sort | grep brcmsmac
brcmsmac 594624 0
brcmutil 6563 1 brcmsmac
cfg80211 160516 2 brcmsmac,mac80211
crc_ccitt 1331 1 brcmsmac
mac80211 215605 1 brcmsmac

This is running on the network install ISO running kernel 3.0:

$ uname -a
Linux archiso 3.0-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Aug**** x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II P650 Dual-Core Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux

It seems to me that the kernel isn't using the correct driver:

$ lspci -k
********
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)
            Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 1483
            Kernel modules: bcma, brcmsmac

I ran this to try to fix it, but nothing changed (except for it's listing in lsmod of course):

rmmod bcma

Since this is a live CD, I didn't blacklist and reboot (that wouldn't make any sense), so I hoped the rmmod would fix it (which some people have suggested).

Is there anything else I can do from the Live CD to get it working so I can get on with the install? I can copy some tarballs to it with a USB drive if there's no way to get it done with the net install image.

Thanks!

headkase · 2012-04-25 02:20:38

What is likely happening is that the firmware isn't loaded for your device. In AUR, there are some different b43 firmwares: AUR b43. The issue is that the latest firmware requires kernel >= 3.2. The netinstall disk only has kernel 3.0 as you know. You'll need the b43 firmware but you're in a chicken-and-egg: you need Internet to build the b43 package. Here are the files:

b43 firmware for kernel >= 3.2
b43 firmware legacy

Luckily we are the same architecture, x86_64, as for some reason the legacy built to that architecture.

Install legacy, try to get networking going, and once you've updated to kernel >=3.2 uninstall legacy and install the other firmware.

To install these packages, in a terminal in a folder containing them:

sudo pacman -U <package>

To uninstall, once you're on a newer kernel:

sudo pacman -R <package>

Regardless: go over the Broadcom Wiki Page in excruciating detail. The firmwares I've provided here are for the b43 driver which is included in the kernel.

Edit: you may need a non-net-install disc to just install the base system to then use these firmwares with.

Last edited by headkase (2012-04-25 02:23:12)

headkase · 2012-04-25 02:27:59

Try the firmware, if it doesn't work you can always uninstall it cleanly as it is provided as a pacman package. I have a BCM4311 and the firmware was what I needed.

beatgammit · 2012-04-25 03:01:24

Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought my card used brcmsmac, which is in the kernel now (and loaded, if lsmod is correct).

Do I still need the b43 firmware?
I'm not 100% sure on the difference between kernel modules and firmware with regard to wireless cards...

I'll start installing the base system now so I can try the b43 module.

headkase · 2012-04-25 03:18:55

In the case the firmware doesn't do the trick, at the end of the Broadcom Wiki page there is this note:

I could not get the BCM4313 chip on a Lenovo B560 to work before following these steps:
1) "Load defaults" in the BIOS. After that, the wireless was working under MS Windows. There are not many options in there, so I do not know what the reset may have changed, but it did the trick.
2) Blacklist the acer_wmi module. For testing, you can add the following to the kernel line in GRUB: acer_wmi.disable=1

That may help too. But you still should not use the net install: you'll need an installed system so you can poke and prod it outside of just a boot disc.

pauldcox · 2012-04-25 05:49:39

beatgammit wrote:

Since this is a live CD, I didn't blacklist and reboot (that wouldn't make any sense), so I hoped the rmmod would fix it (which some people have suggested).
Is there anything else I can do from the Live CD to get it working so I can get on with the install? I can copy some tarballs to it with a USB drive if there's no way to get it done with the net install image.

You're pretty much on the right track. Basically, on kernels before 3.3, bcma causes problems with brcmsmac. After you boot from the live CD, do this:

# rmmod brcmsmac bcma
# modprobe brcmsmac

If I remember right, bcma won't get loaded again once you reload brcmsmac, you just have to remove and reload brcmsmac for the interface to appear (it's been quite I while since I've done this). And obviously once your system is installed, you will need to blacklist bcma. However, once you upgrade to kernel 3.3+ you can remove the bcma blacklist and everything is fine. (I use brcmsmac also and don't use anything from AUR for it.)

beatgammit · 2012-04-25 08:37:55

I installed using the core install, blacklisted bcma, and everything worked as expected. I guess there was same badness with rmmod not doing what I expected, because everything just popped up as expected once it was gone.

Anyway, thanks so much for the help! I can now run pacman, so I'm a happy camper.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-04-25 01:52:35

BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#2 2012-04-25 02:20:38

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#3 2012-04-25 02:27:59

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#4 2012-04-25 03:01:24

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#5 2012-04-25 03:18:55

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#6 2012-04-25 05:49:39

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

#7 2012-04-25 08:37:55

Re: BCM4313- "no wireless extensions"

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