Difference between revisions of "Broadcom Wireless"

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(Created page with "'''''Note:''' As of version 0.708, newer Broadcom wireless adapters require no additional software to work. These instructions are for systems with VERY old Broadcom 430x WiFi ca...")
 
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'''''Note:''' As of version 0.708, newer Broadcom wireless adapters require no additional software to work. These instructions are for systems with VERY old Broadcom 430x WiFi cards.''
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While newer Broadcom cards should work without issue, some laptops (particularly older HP/Compaq, Dell D-series, and the newest Apple hardware) include Broadcom wireless cards that don't work out of the box. If you have an Apple Mac, you have Broadcom hardware. To determine if you have one of these cards on any other brand of laptop, follow the instructions on the [[Network Card Determination]] page - if you see a Broadcom B43xx device, follow these steps to make it work:
  
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In its earlier days, Broadcom was not terribly friendly to Linux and did not provide drivers for their 4300 series wireless cards. Unfortunately, their wireless cards were quite popular with the likes of Dell, HP/Compaq, and IBM, so there are a lot of older laptops with these cards in them. Fortunately, there is a tool called "ndiswrapper", which allows you to use a Windows driver with Linux. Follow these steps to make your Broadcom 430x wireless adapter work:
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===Boot in "generic" mode===
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First, we need to boot in generic mode so that the new driver will work properly and survive a system reset. For further details on generic mode, see the [http://ubermix.org/customization.html Customization] page on the ubermix site.
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# Plug in to a wired connection to the internet.
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#Reboot the device and press ESC immediately after your computer manufacturer's splash screen disappears (you should see a flashing cursor in the top left corner for a few seconds - press the escape key within 3 seconds to view the menu.)
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#Select "Normal Boot" from the menu (but don't press enter) and press the "e" key on your keyboard
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#Select the line in the box that begins with the word "initrd" and move the cursor to the end of the line.
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#Backspace over the four letters "aufs" and replace them with "generic". Do not add any spaces. Then press "ctrl+x" on your keyboard to boot
  
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#First, we need to determine which Broadcom wireless chip you have in your computer. To do this, open a terminal (ctrl-alt-t) and type "lshw -C network" (no quotes). After a fer seconds, your network interfaces will appear. Look for an wireless adapter listing "Broadcom: as the vendor. There, you will see a number that starts with "BCM". This is the network interface model number.
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===First, try the b43 firmware===
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#Next, plug your laptop into a wired ethernet connection, and open Firefox. Navigate to http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/ndiswrapper and try to hunt down your particular card. You will probably have the best luck with finding your laptop brand in the "List of Companies". If that doesn't work, look through the "PCI Device Database" or "List of known working/maybe devices". Be vigilant - look for similar brands models until you find one with the same Broadcom number.
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If you are using something other than Apple hardware, try the following first:
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#Once you locate your laptop and/or adapter, there should be a link to an "EXE" file containing the driver. Download by clicking the link, and choose "Open with Archive Manager" (note: if this doesn't work, you may have to install the driver on a Windows machine, then look for the "bcmwl*" inf file in Windows/System)
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# Go to '''System''' and select '''Synaptic Package Manager'''. If you don't see Synaptic Package Manager, then open a terminal (ctrl-alt-t) and type "sudo synaptic" followed by the enter key.
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#Once the Archive Manager opens, you will see a list of files in the downloaded archive. Locate a file that starts with "bcmwl" and ends in ".inf". Click on it and click "Extract", then save the file in your user folder.
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# Click in the '''Quick filter''' box at the top, and type '''b43'''
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#Next, switch back to the terminal (or open a new one with ctrl-alt-t) and type "sudo apt-get install ndisgtk" answer "Y" when it asks you if you are sure you want to install.
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# Select the box next to '''firmware-b43-installer''' and choose '''Mark for installation'''
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#Once complete, type "sudo ndisgtk" to launch the driver installer.
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# Select the box next to '''firmware-b43legacy-installer''' and choose '''Mark for installation'''
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#Click the "Install New Driver" button, followed by the "Location" button, and then locate and double-click on the ".inf" file you extracted in step 4. Finally, click the "Install" button.
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# Click on '''Apply'''
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#Once installed, the application should say "Hardware present: yes", and you can reboot. If it doesn't, you have the wrong driver file - go look for another.
 
  
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Once your system has rebooted, your wireless adapter should work properly.
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When the install completes, reboot your machine and see if the adapter works. If so, and you aren't experiencing any problems, you're done. If it doesn't work or you experience poor performance, try installing the proprietary driver
  
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'''''Important note:''' This update makes changes to the boot configuration of the ubermix install on your device. If you wish for these changes to survive a reset or to customize the install key for use on additional similar devices, you MUST follow steps 1-6 under "Rebuilding the base image) on the 4 - Customization page. ''
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===If that doesn't work, try the Broadcom driver===
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Use the following if you are installing on Apple hardware, or if the above doesn't work:
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# First, boot in "generic" mode, as described above, then...
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If you are using ubermix 2.02 or greater:
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# Open a terminal by pressing ctrl-alt-t
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# Type /usr/local/lib/broadcom/setup.sh
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# Reboot
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If you are using an older version:
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# Go to '''System''' and select '''Synaptic Package Manager'''. If you don't see Synaptic Package Manager, then open a terminal (ctrl-alt-t) and type "sudo synaptic" followed by the enter key.
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# Click the '''Reload''' button at the top to refresh the package list.
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# Click in the '''Quick filter''' box at the top, and type '''bcmwl'''
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# Select the box next to '''bcmwl-kernel-source''' and choose '''Mark for installation'''. Synaptic will notify you that it is also installing "linux-firmware-nonfree" - this is OK.
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# Click on '''Apply'''
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When the install completes, reboot your machine and the adapter should work. and your wireless adapter should work.

Latest revision as of 23:12, 21 June 2014

While newer Broadcom cards should work without issue, some laptops (particularly older HP/Compaq, Dell D-series, and the newest Apple hardware) include Broadcom wireless cards that don't work out of the box. If you have an Apple Mac, you have Broadcom hardware. To determine if you have one of these cards on any other brand of laptop, follow the instructions on the Network Card Determination page - if you see a Broadcom B43xx device, follow these steps to make it work:

Boot in "generic" mode

First, we need to boot in generic mode so that the new driver will work properly and survive a system reset. For further details on generic mode, see the Customization page on the ubermix site.

  1. Plug in to a wired connection to the internet.
  2. Reboot the device and press ESC immediately after your computer manufacturer's splash screen disappears (you should see a flashing cursor in the top left corner for a few seconds - press the escape key within 3 seconds to view the menu.)
  3. Select "Normal Boot" from the menu (but don't press enter) and press the "e" key on your keyboard
  4. Select the line in the box that begins with the word "initrd" and move the cursor to the end of the line.
  5. Backspace over the four letters "aufs" and replace them with "generic". Do not add any spaces. Then press "ctrl+x" on your keyboard to boot

First, try the b43 firmware

If you are using something other than Apple hardware, try the following first:

  1. Go to System and select Synaptic Package Manager. If you don't see Synaptic Package Manager, then open a terminal (ctrl-alt-t) and type "sudo synaptic" followed by the enter key.
  2. Click in the Quick filter box at the top, and type b43
  3. Select the box next to firmware-b43-installer and choose Mark for installation
  4. Select the box next to firmware-b43legacy-installer and choose Mark for installation
  5. Click on Apply

When the install completes, reboot your machine and see if the adapter works. If so, and you aren't experiencing any problems, you're done. If it doesn't work or you experience poor performance, try installing the proprietary driver

If that doesn't work, try the Broadcom driver

Use the following if you are installing on Apple hardware, or if the above doesn't work:

  1. First, boot in "generic" mode, as described above, then...

If you are using ubermix 2.02 or greater:

  1. Open a terminal by pressing ctrl-alt-t
  2. Type /usr/local/lib/broadcom/setup.sh
  3. Reboot

If you are using an older version:

  1. Go to System and select Synaptic Package Manager. If you don't see Synaptic Package Manager, then open a terminal (ctrl-alt-t) and type "sudo synaptic" followed by the enter key.
  2. Click the Reload button at the top to refresh the package list.
  3. Click in the Quick filter box at the top, and type bcmwl
  4. Select the box next to bcmwl-kernel-source and choose Mark for installation. Synaptic will notify you that it is also installing "linux-firmware-nonfree" - this is OK.
  5. Click on Apply

When the install completes, reboot your machine and the adapter should work. and your wireless adapter should work.

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