Arch Linux

twelveeighty

Member

From: Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2011-09-04

Posts: 1,134

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

I've packaged the new version from Canonical upstream: 6.30.223.30 now on the AUR.

As before, uninstall the current version first before installing this one. Upgrading doesn't seem to work so smooth.

tjbp

Member

Registered: 2010-11-06

Posts: 43

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

Anyone else experiencing a regression with roaming support in the latest version? When in range of multiple APs on the same SSID the chip appears confused - it suddenly decides a random AP with not much signal has maximum signal strength and insists on connecting to it. The result is almost 100% packet loss. Confining myself to a part of the building with only one AP in range works fine.

It corrects itself after a few minutes, but interestingly while it's confused a iwlist scan returns the inaccurate results instantly, instead of hanging for the usual second or so.

Curiously this exact behaviour was what drove me away from b43.

Last edited by tjbp (2013-06-26 14:34:04)

twelveeighty

Member

From: Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2011-09-04

Posts: 1,134

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

Folks, I have created the new package broadcom-wl6-dkms: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/broadcom-wl6-dkms/ . This package also includes the latest upstream version for 3.10 compatibility. I have not tested this against a 3.10 kernel, but the driver runs fine on the current kernel.

Please test it and I'll ask for a merge sometime next week.

To use the new version, I recommend first uninstalling the old wireless-bcm43142-dkms driver with pacman -R wireless-bcm43142-dkms. Then reboot. Then install the new broadcom-wl6-dkms driver. Reboot again.

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

Folks, I have created the new package broadcom-wl6-dkms: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/broadcom-wl6-dkms/ . This package also includes the latest upstream version for 3.10 compatibility. I have not tested this against a 3.10 kernel, but the driver runs fine on the current kernel.

I think this is a much better package name for this version of braodcom-wl.  I have a BCM43228, and it is working fine with 3.10.0-1-00147-gbd2931b-dirty.  Though my machine works fine with the 5.100.* version, that wouldn't build against the 3.10 git tree, and lack of internet connectivity is kind of a show stopper.  So I really appreciate your hard work in getting this ubuntu specific module working on Arch Linux.

It amazes me that since ubuntu apparently has the sway to get broadcom to release a new module version, that when they were give something ubuntu specific, they did not turn around and then complain and try to use that same influence to get a module that was distribution agnostic.  Though then when I think about it, this does not suprise me at all.

Legogris

Member

Registered: 2012-09-11

Posts: 38

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

On my 2013 Macbook Air, this worked fine with kernel 3.9.7-1. After an update to 3.9.8-1, this stopped working. No network interfaces is visible and I see the following in my boot log:

Jul 02 14:19:45 temperance systemd[1]: Job sys-subsystem-net-devices-eth0.device/start timed out.
Jul 02 14:19:45 temperance systemd[1]: Timed out waiting for device sys-subsystem-net-devices-eth0.device.
-- Subject: Unit sys-subsystem-net-devices-eth0.device has failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
-- Documentation: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/catalog/be02cf6855d2428ba40df7e9d022f03d
-- 
-- Unit sys-subsystem-net-devices-eth0.device has failed.
-- 
-- The result is timeout.
Jul 02 14:19:45 temperance systemd[1]: Dependency failed for Automatic wireless network connection using netctl profiles.
-- Subject: Unit netctl-auto@eth0.service has failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
-- Documentation: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/catalog/be02cf6855d2428ba40df7e9d022f03d
-- 
-- Unit netctl-auto@eth0.service has failed.
-- 
-- The result is dependency.

Downgrading to 3.9.7-1 works for now.

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

@Legogris, did you rebuild the modules with dkms after the upgrade?  I noticed that the other wl package (the 5.100.whatever maintained by Gaeton Bisson) didn't actually need to be rebuilt every kernel release.  I was fine with the same module from 3.9 to 3.9.7, but when 3.9.8 hit, I had to rebuild.

Legogris

Member

Registered: 2012-09-11

Posts: 38

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

@Legogris, did you rebuild the modules with dkms after the upgrade?  I noticed that the other wl package (the 5.100.whatever maintained by Gaeton Bisson) didn't actually need to be rebuilt every kernel release.  I was fine with the same module from 3.9 to 3.9.7, but when 3.9.8 hit, I had to rebuild.

That was it, thanks!
Kernel upgrade -> reboot -> dkms install broadcom-wl/6.30.223.30 ->reboot did the trick.

ruleoneonezero

Member

Registered: 2013-08-20

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

Anyone else experiencing a regression with roaming support in the latest version? When in range of multiple APs on the same SSID the chip appears confused - it suddenly decides a random AP with not much signal has maximum signal strength and insists on connecting to it. The result is almost 100% packet loss. Confining myself to a part of the building with only one AP in range works fine.

I'm experiencing similar problems. High packet loss in the presence of multiple AP's. Not sure about the ssid bit though i think that might be it.
Has anyone found a fix to the problem ? Apart from the slightly inconvenient solution of having to confine yourself to a part of the building with only one AP

Last edited by ruleoneonezero (2013-08-20 06:04:29)

tjbp

Member

Registered: 2010-11-06

Posts: 43

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

Anyone else experiencing a regression with roaming support in the latest version? When in range of multiple APs on the same SSID the chip appears confused - it suddenly decides a random AP with not much signal has maximum signal strength and insists on connecting to it. The result is almost 100% packet loss. Confining myself to a part of the building with only one AP in range works fine.

I'm experiencing similar problems. High packet loss in the presence of multiple AP's. Not sure about the ssid bit though i think that might be it.
Has anyone found a fix to the problem ? Apart from the slightly inconvenient solution of having to confine yourself to a part of the building with only one AP

Unfortunately I don't have a solution besides configuring a BSSID to prevent it from connecting to a weaker AP. Interestingly the exact same behaviour was the reason I stopped using the b43 driver - so perhaps there's a wider problem higher in the stack...

ruleoneonezero

Member

Registered: 2013-08-20

Posts: 2

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

@tjbp: Ya I tried setting the BSSID but that didnt fix the problem for long.
I guess I'll try and creep into a corner. Hopefully that'll work for me too.

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [SOLVED] Drivers for Broadcom 4365 WiFi module (Dell Vostro 3560)

@tjbp, it would be a problem with the binary portion that the b43 and wl modules share as well.  When you use the firmware cutter to get the b43 firmware, it is actually just taking the firmware from the broadcom wl module.  Unfortunately if this is the case, then it would be impossible to debug...