Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

Aprz · 2008-06-23 23:04:36

Got it to work with ndiswrapper eventually. I think it's because I didn't have dbus or something because it started to immediately work after I got dbus, but I'll trace my step to find out if that was the actual problem.

I'm doing this all as root and my wireless is Broadcom 4311. I know some desktop environments come with wireless managers like KDE and Gnome and I am not sure if that is important or not, but I use Openbox. I would like to stick with trying to do things through command line.

I tried following the wireless setup wiki as best as I could, but I have been unsuccessful.

I've tried using ndiswrapper which appears to have split eth1 into wmaster0 and wlan0. I've tried using b43-fwcutter and bcm43xx-fwcutter also.

I did create /lib/firmware/ where I do see a folder called b43 which contains several files. b43 and bcm43xx was one (I tried bcm43xx first) of my modules in /etc/rc.conf, but I put an ! before it since it wasn't working. I didn't use both at the same time.

wlan0 (what used to be eth1) is in my interface in /etc/rc.conf and I did assign dhcp to it like I did with eth0 (which eth0 works fine ). I do have the lines with wlan_wlan0=..., but I don't think that is important until I can actually scan and see wireless hotspots (which is where my problem is at right now).

When googling I found a little guide from the Ubuntu forum: here, but that was unsuccessful too. I didn't follow that one exactly, instead of using cabextract, I used wine. That felt like it work because it prompt the installation for the driver and I could see the folder for that too in the C:\

Good news (I think) is it is reckognized as wireless, but I just can't get it to find anything (I've tried it at several obvious wireless connections spots such as my house or work where I used to use it when I was a Windows/Mac user).

So I am wondering where I went wrong? More specifically, which is more appropriate to use: ndiswrapper, b43-fwcutter, bcm43xx-fwcutter, installing it as if it was Windows using wine/cabextract, or something else? Um, if I left out any info then ask, but I can't think of anything I left out at the moment.

Last edited by Aprz (2008-06-24 20:54:24)

skottish · 2008-06-23 23:29:43

Your card is up. The drivers are correctly installed. Something isn't right with your network settings. Have you tried netcfg2? The documentation is a little strange, but there is a thread here by that name that will help a lot.

--EDIT--

It's now just netcfg in the repos, but the main thread on it is still called netcfg2.

--EDIT 2--

I'm all full of lies:

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=43863&p=1

Last edited by skottish (2008-06-23 23:53:48)

Aprz · 2008-06-23 23:31:37

No, I have not tried netcfg2, but I'll try it right now.

timetrap · 2008-06-24 00:31:46

Looks like you tried a little bit of everything!

I would suggest using wicd to manage your card.

Here is what I did to get my 4311 working:

wget http://bu3sch.de/b43/fwcutter/b43-fwcutter-011.tar.bz2
tar xjf b43-fwcutter-011.tar.bz2
cd b43-fwcutter-011
make
cd ..

export FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR="/lib/firmware"
wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2
cd broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0/kmod
sudo ../../b43-fwcutter-011/b43-fwcutter -w "$FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DIR" wl_apsta.o

From:http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Dri … stallation

Installed wicd

#pacman -S wicd

I then edited my /etc/rc.conf and made these changes to the MODULES and DAEMONS arrays

MODULES=(!bcm43xx b43 etc...)

DAEMONS=(!network wicd etc...)

reboot and you're ready (not strictly necessary, but helpful)

now just run wicd

/usr/lib/wicd/gui.py

It took me about 5 minutes to do everything (I have done this a couple of times)

I have also used the ndiswrapper method . . . it works but the new b43 module is really stable and well done. I would never go back to ndiswrapper.

I subscribed to this topic. Let me know if you have any further issues.

Last edited by timetrap (2008-06-24 00:55:00)

M177ER · 2008-06-24 03:46:20

I had the same problem. The card was up had the b43 loading and could see the networks but couldn't connect. i installed wicd and connected the first time. Follow what timetrap said or use the wiki for wicd.

wonder · 2008-06-24 07:36:59

M177ER wrote:

I had the same problem. The card was up had the b43 loading and could see the networks but couldn't connect. i installed wicd and connected the first time. Follow what timetrap said or use the wiki for wicd.

you forgot to up your interface.

ifconfig wlan0 up
iwlist scan

timetrap · 2008-06-24 10:17:41

wonder wrote:

you forgot to up your interface.

If you want to manually connect to a wireless router:

ifconfig wlan0 up
iwlist scan
iwconfig wlan0 mode managed
iwconfig wlan0 essid <base station name>
iwconfig wlan0 key <WEP Key>
dhcpcd wlan0

wicd and netcfg just do that for you basically. And they can save settings.

underpenguin · 2008-06-24 16:13:55

I know timetrap had success with the fwcutter, but I got my 4311 up easily with ndiswrapper, so if you continue to have problems, I suggest trying that, its not bad at all.

timetrap · 2008-06-24 16:33:10

underpenguin wrote:

I know timetrap had success with the fwcutter, but I got my 4311 up easily with ndiswrapper, so if you continue to have problems, I suggest trying that, its not bad at all.

I think that ndiswrapper is a great utility, but from the latest kernel (<2.6.24) b43 is the prefered method.

That being said, if you already have it working under ndiswrapper ... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

wonder · 2008-06-24 17:22:01

@timetrap why do you made another wiki with b43? already exists in wireless wiki.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless#b43

Last edited by wonder (2008-06-24 17:22:10)

timetrap · 2008-06-24 17:48:49

Oh . . . I searched, but I guess I didn't look hard enough. How do I delete the page?

wonder · 2008-06-24 17:57:15

put a reference to that link.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wireless#b43

timetrap · 2008-06-24 18:06:55

I setup a redirect . . . anyway back on topic . . . Aprz how is your wireless coming along?

Aprz · 2008-06-24 19:51:29

Just woke up and plugged in my computer for Internet connection. I'm going to be trying all of this today so I'll probably let you all know in a few minutes or hours if I make this more complicated than needed be.

Edit: I had to try what Time had twice because I didn't have sudo or make (I just guessed pacman -S make sudo which worked fine) and everything looked like it was working. Wicd went up, but it still detected no wireless Internet. I know there is wireless Internet at my house. I can connect on my other computers. :\ I am thinking I have just messed around so much with my wireless Internet that I have files all over the place just messing things up. This is my first time using Linux so most of the stuff I have on here is just experimental (I tried to have a little taste of everything). I may just reinstall Archlinux (was planning to do this once I could figure out how to get wireless Internet) and have a fresh start and try what Time said again. Of course, before I do this, I will try Ndiswrapper again.

Edit: Yes! I got wireless Internet to work through Ndiswrapper! Thank you, everyone.

Last edited by Aprz (2008-06-24 20:50:27)

timetrap · 2008-06-24 22:35:22

Glad to hear it!

Arch Linux

#1 2008-06-23 23:04:36

Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#2 2008-06-23 23:29:43

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#3 2008-06-23 23:31:37

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#4 2008-06-24 00:31:46

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#5 2008-06-24 03:46:20

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#6 2008-06-24 07:36:59

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#7 2008-06-24 10:17:41

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#8 2008-06-24 16:13:55

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#9 2008-06-24 16:33:10

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#10 2008-06-24 17:22:01

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#11 2008-06-24 17:48:49

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#12 2008-06-24 17:57:15

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#13 2008-06-24 18:06:55

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#14 2008-06-24 19:51:29

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

#15 2008-06-24 22:35:22

Re: Wireless Trouble w/ Broadcom 4311[/Solved]

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