This page describes how to install and Configure your Broadcom Device. Broadcom: 4311, 4312, or 4318 (1390 is working with ndiswrapper unless you have a kernel 2.6.20 then you can use bcm43xx-fwcutter)

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Device Identification

This is a 1390 card but yours might have a different name.

lspci
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-PCI Card (rev 01)

• If you are not sure what hardware you have visits this site: [http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/ Hardware Identification]

Native b43 driver

On kernels 2.6.24 and newer, you should use the b43 driver, which is included as a module in Debian kernel images.

Native bcm43xx driver

On kernels older than 2.6.24, you should use the bcm43xx driver, which is included as a module in Debian kernel images. The bcm43xx driver requires a firmware package which must be downloaded separately.

Installing the firmware (option 1)

• Add Contrib section to your apt source.list

aptitude update
aptitude install bcm43xx-fwcutter

*Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

• Verify that your card is there:

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 2)

• If you experience an error 404, go here [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=445133 Bug 445133]

If failed, Download this script which was taken from lenny package:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?msg=19;filename=install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh;att=1;bug=445133

• Remove old script and place a new one.

rm /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh
cp install_bcm43xx_firm
ware.sh /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/
chmod u+x /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh

• Retry install

apt-get install bcm43xx-fwcutter

• Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

• Verify that your card is there:

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 3)

• If iwconfig is not showing your card that means the drivers are not correct. We will need to try few sources of drivers.
• First source is dell site.
• Download dell drivers,

mkdir tmp
cd tmp
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE

• unzip

unzip R151517.EXE

• Extract drivers

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware bcmwl5.sys

• Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

• Verify that your card is there:

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 4)

• If that didn't work try following sources:

• [http://www.learnaboutlinux.net/files/bcmwl5.sys bcmwl5.sys from source 2]

• Extract drivers

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware bcmwl5.sys

• Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

• Verify that your card is there:

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 5)

1. [http://www.learnaboutlinux.net/files/wl_apsta.o wl_apsta.o from source 3] (treat wl_apsta.o just like bcmwl5.sys)

2. Extract drivers

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta.o

• Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

• Verify that your card is there:

iwconfig

Ndiswrapper

• If the generic bcm43xx driver didn't work.
• Usually because you don't have kernel version 2.6.20, you will have to use ndiswrapper.
• But because we already went through so many problems we will use the latest source code for ndiswrapper to make sure it works with our current kernel.

Install ndiswrapper

• Install what is neccessary:

aptitude install build-essential
aptitude install linux-headers-`uname -r` 

• uninstall all versions you might have:

aptitude remove ndiswrapper-common
aptitude remove ndiswrapper-utils

• Download the source, or check their website for latest source code [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=93482 check for new source code]

mkdir tmp
cd tmp
wget http://superb-east.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ndiswrapper/ndiswrapper-1.52.tar.gz
tar -xzvf ndiswrapper-1.52.tar.gz

Prevent conflict with bcm43xx

• Now to make sure there is no conflic with generic bcm43xx driver do this:

echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

• Go to your ndiswrapper directory and compile the source:

cd ndiswrapper-1.52
make
make install
make distclean

Install driver

• We already download this file R151517.EXE if not wget it again:

wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE

• Unzip:

unzip -a R151517.EXE

• Install driver. This time we use .inf file, and not the sys file.

ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

• List devices:

ndiswrapper -l

• You should see:

bcmwl5 : driver installed
        device (14E4:4311) present

• Do final steps:

ndiswrapper -m
modprobe ndiswrapper
echo ndiswrapper >> /etc/modules

Check the device

• Check if device is in a list:

iwconfig

• You should see something like:

wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:32 dBm
          RTS thr:2347 B   Fragment thr:2346 B
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

Connect to network

• Gnome- Double click on Network Connection (If you don't have an icon click on add to panel, then Select "Network Monitor" and click add)
• Name: Wlan0
• Click on configure
• Select Wireless connection
• Properties
• Pick a network, add a password, select dhcp and click ok
• You should be connected.

External Links

1. [http://www.learnaboutlinux.net/wireless_1390.htm generic bcm43xx and ndiswrapper (Explains it all)]

2. [http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=297092 ndiswrpapper for 1390 only]

CategoryWireless