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#1 2010-04-03 15:49:04

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

After countless days during the last two years I officially give up and salute all of you that got this chip working.
I tried broadcom-wl, I tried b43, I tried compat-wireless (always the bleeding edge), I tried all the wiki's directions and in the end the best I can get is a working chip on the first iwlist scan command--- on the second I'm left with the infamous

wlan0     No scan results

and a mocking WIFI blue led.
Is the problem the router? No. My ipod and every other wireless device (Nintendo DS, other laptops, mobile phone, atomic toaster) works. Is the chip faulty? No. Windows works fine (I actually dual-booted just to dismiss that).
Maybe killing a chicken would do the trick? Who knows!

Anyway here's my specs if someone from the future can send me the driver (Beer keg reward offered big_smile)
Dell E5400 with 2.6.33-ck kernel (-arch doesn't work either)

% lspci -nn| grep 14e4:43
%0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)

In the 10 years or so of waiting for wifi in my laptop I guess I can read some books or catch some fresh air. cool

Forgot about this
It happens even when the kernel is set to CONFIG_B43_FORCE PIO. Isn't this shweet?:D

$dmesg | tail ***after doing iwlist scan***
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.

Scanning with the broadcom-wl-patched driver gives this little puppy:

b43-pci-bridge 0000:0c:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
lib80211: common routines for IEEE802.11 drivers
lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'NULL'
wl: module license 'Mixed/Proprietary' taints kernel.
Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
wl 0000:0c:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
wl 0000:0c:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
lib80211_crypt: registered algorithm 'TKIP'
eth1: Broadcom BCM4315 802.11 Hybrid Wireless Controller 5.60.48.36 
eth1: no IPv6 routers present

Last edited by el mariachi (2010-04-03 17:58:24)

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#2 2010-04-03 15:59:35

brianhanna
Member
Registered: 2009-10-30
Posts: 157

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

broadcom-wl worked for me with that chip but it was still a pain.  I'd much rather spend $30 on a well-supported card (so that's what I did).

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#3 2010-04-03 16:01:21

Xyne
Administrator/PM
Registered: 2008-08-03
Posts: 6,963
Website

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

I know someone who can help you but it will cost at least 3 chickens and an albino baby.


My Arch Linux StuffForum EtiquetteCommunity Ethos - Arch is not for everyone

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#4 2010-04-03 16:50:21

nomorewindows
Member
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 3,362

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

I have a 4311 which I tampered with
I was able to get it working with ndiswrapper, and wicd.
Which means we take the windows driver and have it make us one that works with the fwcutter and loads the best firmware.
Trying to get it to work with iwconfig iw...scan wasn't working to connect to an encrypted router
Wicd allows switching between wired and wireless...this worked well enough that it actually connected to a commercial router whereas it wouldn't do with ubuntu's proprietary fwcutter. 
I think this was the howto I used: http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 to figure out how to use it with the ndiswrapper driver.  Use ndiswrapper to break out the firmware and pick the driver according to these instructions.  Then use wicd to connect. 

pacman -S b43-fwcutter ndiswrapper ndiswrapper-utils wicd
---------------------------------------
If you can find the fw files that the kernel (do a dmesg) is looking for, use them instead of ndiswrapper: They are much more responsive than potentially buggy windows drivers will ever be.

Last edited by nomorewindows (2010-12-28 03:07:52)


I may have to CONSOLE you about your usage of ridiculously easy graphical interfaces...
Look ma, no mouse.

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#5 2010-04-03 17:25:46

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Xyne wrote:

I know someone who can help you but it will cost at least 3 chickens and an albino baby.

3 chickens down one albino kid to go
EDIT: Whoop found one on eBay. Now where is that wireless Wizard?:lol:

@nomorewindows: Thanks for the tip. When I recover from my trauma I will surely try that


EDIT: Forgot about this... Oh and this also happens when the kernel is compiled with the CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO set, now isn't that shweet?:D

b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.
b43-phy1 ERROR: Fatal DMA error: 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000400, 0x00000000, 0x00000000
b43-phy1 ERROR: This device does not support DMA on your system. Please use PIO instead.
b43-phy1 ERROR: CONFIG_B43_FORCE_PIO must be set in your kernel configuration.

Last edited by el mariachi (2010-04-03 17:44:40)

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#6 2010-04-03 18:34:51

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

wow sacrificing chicken really works xD and so does resetting the BIOS back to defaults (no that I had changed anything).
So... now I get a connection with the broadcom-wl driver BUT (it couldn't be THAT easy right?) the signal from my bedroom is so stupidly weak! How can I power up this broadcrap chip? My ipod catches a signal with 60/70% strenght, not the humiliating 20% my laptop is giving me.

Two years trying to make this crap work and all it needed was some vodoo tricks. Take that computer fixers cool

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#7 2010-04-03 18:45:02

Xyne
Administrator/PM
Registered: 2008-08-03
Posts: 6,963
Website

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Reliable sources tell me that for each pint of goat's blood you drink, the connection strength will increase by 9.4±0.3%, but they didn't indicate which type of goat they used in their experiments nor how long the effects can be expected to last.


How strong is the signal right next to your router?


My Arch Linux StuffForum EtiquetteCommunity Ethos - Arch is not for everyone

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#8 2010-04-03 19:17:24

dcc24
Member
Registered: 2009-10-31
Posts: 732

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

My Dell Inspiron 1564 came with a fscking Broadcom 4312 chip. I've tried to make it work, make it stable for a few weeks. Finally I've given up and bought an Intel 5100AGN for $12 from eBay. I suggest you do the same smile


It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. (Mark Twain)

My AUR packages

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#9 2010-04-03 20:18:35

cesura
Package Maintainer (PM)
From: Tallinn, Estonia
Registered: 2010-01-23
Posts: 1,867

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Xyne wrote:

I know someone who can help you but it will cost at least 3 chickens and an albino baby.

That made my day

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#10 2010-04-03 20:42:00

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Xyne wrote:

Reliable sources tell me that for each pint of goat's blood you drink, the connection strength will increase by 9.4±0.3%, but they didn't indicate which type of goat they used in their experiments nor how long the effects can be expected to last.


How strong is the signal right next to your router?

Goats are hard to come by here but maybe sheep will do the trick too big_smile

as for the signal, it's very strong next to the router.

How hard is it to swap the card for a intel one?

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#11 2010-04-03 21:04:53

dcc24
Member
Registered: 2009-10-31
Posts: 732

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

el mariachi wrote:

How hard is it to swap the card for a intel one?

It takes 2 minutes. There is a single screw holding the card in place. Remove it, unplug the antenna heads, place the new card, plug in the antenna heads, screw it back.

Just make sure the card is the same "size" as your broadcom one (i.e. half-weight).


It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. (Mark Twain)

My AUR packages

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#12 2010-04-03 21:07:12

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

dcc24 wrote:
el mariachi wrote:

How hard is it to swap the card for a intel one?

It takes 2 minutes. There is a single screw holding the card in place. Remove it, unplug the antenna heads, place the new card, plug in the antenna heads, screw it back.

Just make sure the card is the same "size" as your broadcom one (i.e. half-weight).

That's what i've been trying to find out. The Dell site doesn't give a lot of clues
I have an E5400

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#13 2010-04-03 21:31:13

dcc24
Member
Registered: 2009-10-31
Posts: 732

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Open your laptop's case on the back (few screws). You'll see the harddisk, RAM slots and the wifi card.

Here are 2 wifi cards, one is full weight other one is half. http://www.st-pcs.com/images/big/Intel_WIFI_5100AGN.JPG

When looking for a new card, just make sure it's the same size.


It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. (Mark Twain)

My AUR packages

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#14 2010-04-03 21:35:07

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

well the dell site says the helf size is compatible so I bought one from ebay for 10€ that's a sushi buffet lunch lol
edit:yep half size it is:cool:

so long broadcrap suckers:P

Last edited by el mariachi (2010-04-03 21:59:58)

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#15 2010-04-03 23:10:55

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

But in the mean time... Is there a way to boost my signal to iPod levels?

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#16 2010-04-03 23:21:13

mits
Member
From: Bucharest/Romania
Registered: 2008-01-10
Posts: 129

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

I have on Dell 1555 with kernel 2.6.30.4 x86_64 and same wireless card:
04:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)
For me is no problem with broadcom-wl from AUR and how to from http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Broadcom_BCM4312

Last edited by mits (2010-04-03 23:22:16)

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#17 2010-04-03 23:53:36

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Thank but the issue now is poor signal reception. Broadcom-wl worked fine after some vodoo and magic hat tricks. Im looking for answers using my iPod... The connection is always being dropped due to (very) weak reception.

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#18 2010-04-04 00:25:10

Hohoho
Member
Registered: 2007-06-23
Posts: 222

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

I have the same exact wireless card yet everything works pretty well for me, ndiswrapper or broadcom-wl, though I did have to do a little voodoo to get the latter one to start.
Perhaps you simply have a defective card?

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#19 2010-04-04 00:50:25

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

It works fine under windows, which leaves defective driver or defective magic-hat. Hummm so many choices..
The 5100 is on its way so that will be fixed. I just wanted to burn this card and leave it for the crows after it has done its job at least once in its life

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#20 2010-04-04 03:36:18

snowpine
Member
Registered: 2009-05-01
Posts: 12

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

Straight from the horse's mouth: http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

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#21 2010-04-04 05:22:32

rohu1990
Member
Registered: 2010-04-03
Posts: 9

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

hey i successfully found solution smile i have done it with my wifi card please see this thread

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=94455

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#22 2010-04-04 10:22:31

el mariachi
Member
Registered: 2007-11-30
Posts: 595

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

@rohu1990: Thanks, but that's a solution to make the card do it's job, and that I was able to fix. Now I just need to force this ***hole do it's job THE RIGHT WAY big_smile

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#23 2010-04-07 01:29:51

novafluxx
Member
From: Florida
Registered: 2009-10-24
Posts: 16

Re: I officially lost my hope, or why I hate the broadcom 4312 chip

brianhanna wrote:

broadcom-wl worked for me with that chip but it was still a pain.  I'd much rather spend $30 on a well-supported card (so that's what I did).

I too purchased a ~$30 USD WiFi 802.11b/g card just for this reason...

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