Arch Linux

thatnewyorker

Member

From: Brooklyn

Registered: 2009-01-24

Posts: 77

Can't connect to any wifi signal

I have a Lenovo S10 Ideapad. The wifi used to work fine for a long time under the broadcom-wl driver but after updating my severely outdated netbook, it doesn't anymore. The wl module ruins the network connection (wired and wireless). So I read that the b43 driver would be better to use, so I install it along with the b43fwcutter and to my surprise, wicd was able to see the network signals around me. Unfortunately, it can't connect to anything WPA secured, WEP secured or completely unsecured. If it isn't a bad password, then it fails to get the IP address. So I switched over to networkmanager and even that refuses to connect to any wireless signal.

Yes, I've read the wikis and have tried everything short of praying to a god for guidance.

I think the problem can be traced back to the shitty drivers which would mean I'm shit out of luck but if anyone knows a way to fix this, please tell me. I really don't want to have to go to Ubuntu to use my netbook outside my own home (not that theres anything wrong with Ubuntu but Arch is my true love).

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Rezero

Member

From: US

Registered: 2010-02-25

Posts: 30

Re: Can't connect to any wifi signal

Hey, I'm in the same boat. I have a Dell with a Broadcom chip, and recently It's been impossible connecting to any kind of wireless network. I tried both the wl and B43 drivers, WICD and networkmanager, and the 05.2010 Arch LiveCD with no results. Once in a blue moon it'll connect to a network for 5-10 seconds before being booted, but that hardly gives me enough time to open a web browser. A modern laptop is awfully pathetic without wireless capabilities

Last edited by Rezero (2010-10-28 20:01:54)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,693

Re: Can't connect to any wifi signal

What version of b43fwcutter did you use?
What is the specific Broadcom chip you have?

My system:

ewaller@odin:~/.cache/sessions 1094 %pacman -Qs b43
local/b43-fwcutter-git 19510101-1
    Firmware extractor for the bcm43xx kernel module - git revision
ewaller@odin:~/.cache/sessions 1095 %b43-fwcutter --version
b43-fwcutter version 012
ewaller@odin:~/.cache/sessions 1096 %

And my chip:

ewaller@odin:~/.cache/sessions 1098 %lspci | grep Broad
02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)

No problems here (WPA2). Using wicd.

Also, you have not mentioned wpa_supplicant.  It us running, yes?

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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
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