[SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

tozedascoves · 2021-08-17 10:51:10

Hello everyone

I have a problem with the BCM4331 card.

So I was given a 2012 Macbook Pro (8,2) and I've successfully installed Arch without any problems. Everything seems to work out of the box except for the network card.

Ethernet connection is good but the wireless is very slow and clunky.

What I've done so far:

Right now I'm using the bcma-pci-bridge (I believe it's the b43 driver?)

Also tried installing the broadcom-wl and broadcom-wl-dkms drivers. With these ones I get a better wifi speed (similar to the OSX one( but I also get random freezes and wifi disconnections) also blacklisted all the other modules so there wouldn't be any problems.

I think I've searched the entire Internet looking for a permanent solution but to no avail.

Please tell me if you need any more info

Thank you

System:    Host: mac Kernel: 5.13.10-arch1-1 x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: GNOME 40.3 Distro: Arch Linux 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Apple product: MacBookPro8,2 v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required> 
           Mobo: Apple model: Mac-94245A3940C91C80 v: MacBookPro8,2 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Apple v: 87.0.0.0.0 
           date: 06/13/2019 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 49.6 Wh (99.0%) condition: 50.1/75.2 Wh (66.6%) 
CPU:       Info: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-2860QM bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache: L2: 8 MiB 
           Speed: 2055 MHz min/max: 800/3600 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2055 2: 1347 3: 1434 4: 867 5: 798 6: 1415 7: 1160 
           8: 1467 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: Apple FaceTime HD Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo 
           Display: wayland server: X.org 1.20.13 driver: loaded: i915 note: n/a (using device driver) - try sudo/root 
           resolution: <missing: xdpyinfo> 
           Message: Unable to show advanced data. Required tool glxinfo missing. 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel 
           Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.13.10-arch1-1 running: yes 
           Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.0 running: yes 
Network:   Device-1: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM57765 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe driver: tg3 
           IF: enp2s0f0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 
           Device-2: Broadcom BCM4331 802.11a/b/g/n driver: bcma-pci-bridge

Last edited by tozedascoves (2021-08-18 17:58:42)

seth · 2021-08-17 15:05:15

Probably stick w/ broadcom-wl, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Broadc … 1_with_b43

Sanity check:

find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

If you're using network manager, its scanning attitude can be an issue:
#1 for https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … domization (disable it)
#2 https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … ets_(WiFi) (alternatively just don't use NM…)

tozedascoves · 2021-08-17 15:30:29

seth wrote:

Probably stick w/ broadcom-wl, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Broadc … 1_with_b43
Sanity check:
find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f
If you're using network manager, its scanning attitude can be an issue:
#1 for https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … domization (disable it)
#2 https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … ets_(WiFi) (alternatively just don't use NM…)

Hi! Thank you for your answer.
I've installed broadcom-wl and blacklisted b43.

Output of that command:

~ find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f
bluetooth.service                        | bluetooth.target.wants
cronie.service                           | multi-user.target.wants
dbus-org.bluez.service                   | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service | system
dirmngr.socket                           | sockets.target.wants
display-manager.service                  | system
getty@tty1.service                       | getty.target.wants
gpg-agent-browser.socket                 | sockets.target.wants
gpg-agent-extra.socket                   | sockets.target.wants
gpg-agent-ssh.socket                     | sockets.target.wants
gpg-agent.socket                         | sockets.target.wants
haveged.service                          | sysinit.target.wants
lm_sensors.service                       | multi-user.target.wants
mbpfan.service                           | sysinit.target.wants
NetworkManager-wait-online.service       | network-online.target.wants
NetworkManager.service                   | multi-user.target.wants
numlockon.service                        | multi-user.target.wants
p11-kit-server.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-media-session.service           | pipewire.service.wants
pipewire.socket                          | sockets.target.wants
pulseaudio.socket                        | sockets.target.wants
remote-fs.target                         | multi-user.target.wants
sshd.service                             | multi-user.target.wants
xdg-user-dirs-update.service             | default.target.wants

seth · 2021-08-17 15:45:59

Only networkmanager, but networkmanager.
Check the links I posted before and in doubt post a complete system journal that covers the network issues (sudo journalct -b)

For a 2.4GHz network, bluetooth might interfere.

tozedascoves · 2021-08-17 16:32:11

seth wrote:

Only networkmanager, but networkmanager.
Check the links I posted before and in doubt post a complete system journal that covers the network issues (sudo journalct -b)
For a 2.4GHz network, bluetooth might interfere.

Ok so here's how I reproduce the problem:

I turn on my computer, then try to install a flatpak (in this case the gnome-builder one).
When installing randomly the download starts to get slower and I'll loose connectivity to the internet at this point.
I can still use the computer but cannot get internet up again.
If I try to disconnect from the current network and connect again that's when I get the freeze without being able to tty or anything like it. It forces me to force shutdown.

So I cannot get the journalctl log when this happens. Any other way of knowing what might be doing this?

tozedascoves · 2021-08-17 16:36:14

Btw I've removed NetworkManager, I'm using connman right now and still the same problem.
Here's a journalctl from the moment I get disconnected.

https://pastebin.com/JR89aYsy

seth · 2021-08-17 16:36:40

Dump the journal of the boot into a file when the network is down (w/o trying to reconnect or reboot)

sudo journalctl -b > ~/broadcomsucks.txt

Then upload that file when you're online again.

Edit: there's no trace of any network connection, troublesome or not, in that journal segment…

ago 17 17:14:09 mac sudo[1663]: joao : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/joao ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/pacman -S journalctl

Last edited by seth (2021-08-17 16:40:25)

tozedascoves · 2021-08-17 17:01:34

Here's the latest journal:

https://pastebin.com/h4A8LzuV

The latest entries are because I connected my usb stick to copy the file. My network was already down...

Also, what's the meaning of that line you pasted from my journal?

Last edited by tozedascoves (2021-08-17 17:02:02)

seth · 2021-08-17 21:35:46

There's no obvious radio issue still, but you're connecting to a 2.4GHz network, so the bluetooth situation might be a problem, I'd suggest to stop and/or rfkill bluetooth and see whether that has impact on the network radio.

tozedascoves · 2021-08-18 11:46:30

Hello,

Thank you for your help. I've tried that but still got the same freeze.

Here's the thing, whatever driver I'm using

lspci -vnn -d 14e4:

will always tell me I'm using bcma:

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4331 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4331] (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4331 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4331]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
	Memory at a0600000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
	Capabilities: <access denied>
	Kernel driver in use: bcma-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: bcma

Any way I can change this behaviour?
I can load the wl kernel module but I cannot change the kernel driver in use.
Wiki tells me I should be using kernel driver brcm80211 but I just can't get it loaded.

How can I do that?

seth · 2021-08-18 15:42:37

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Broadc … ng/showing
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel … acklisting

tozedascoves · 2021-08-18 17:24:12

Hey seth!

Thank you so much for your help.
Ended up getting a usb dongle.
The time I was wasting with something that I couldn't figure out how to fix was not worth it.

Thank you anyway for all your help.

seth · 2021-08-18 17:26:16

As you might have inferred from the the fact that Broadcom has its own webpage: it's the worst kind of wifi chip to have :-(

Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-08-17 10:51:10

[SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#2 2021-08-17 15:05:15

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#3 2021-08-17 15:30:29

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#4 2021-08-17 15:45:59

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#5 2021-08-17 16:32:11

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#6 2021-08-17 16:36:14

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#7 2021-08-17 16:36:40

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#8 2021-08-17 17:01:34

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#9 2021-08-17 21:35:46

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#10 2021-08-18 11:46:30

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#11 2021-08-18 15:42:37

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#12 2021-08-18 17:24:12

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

#13 2021-08-18 17:26:16

Re: [SOLVED]Problem with Broadcom BCM4331 not working properly

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