wireless BCM4313 not working

[chefarov]

Hello all.
I have a Lenovo G560A laptop with :
Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313
and iwconfig doesnt display any wireless interface active

I have tried:
using b43:
http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Dri ... AC8-Debian & https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiD ... t%20access
->
modprobe b43 loads the driver but no interface shown in iwconfig
although here: http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Dri ... t=(bcm4313) mentions:
14e4:4727 -- partially supported 2.6.33 and later -- BCM4313 -- b/g -- ?wl/brcm80211

broadcom:
viewtopic.php?f=141&t=57056&p=326841&hilit=bcm4313#p326841
-> Step4 fails : building broadcom-sta-modules-* package fails and I cannot locate the log file

http://wiki.debian.org/brcm80211
-> Step6 fails: (

Code: Select all

modprobe brcm80211

):

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FATAL: Module brcm80211 not found.

in all kernel versions:
2.6.32-5-686
2.6.37-rc7-686
2.6.36-2.dmz.7-liquorix-686(currently being)

Any Ideas? Should I report this as a bug?

[rivenathos]

Are you using Mint Main or LMDE?

Mint Main - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx

The proprietary drivers can be activated under the desktop menu System > Administration > Hardware/Additional Drivers using an existing Internet connection (Ethernet or USB) for best results.

While you are still connected to your Ethernet connection, download and install the STA driver. Once installed, you can unplug your Ethernet cable.

LMDE - http://wiki.debian.org/brcm80211 (I saw where you already listed this one.)
While you are still connected to your Ethernet connection, follow the instructions on that wiki page. Once installed, you can unplug your Ethernet cable.

[TBABill]

If you're in Mint Debian the steps are different than Mint 9 or 10. The steps for Mint Debian are viewtopic.php?f=141&t=57056 I posted this link because your 2.6.32-5-686 kernel looks like the Debian Squeeze kernel.

The key to this, however, is removing the instances of the wl (wl = STA) and b43 and starting fresh. I'm not positive of every file you need to look into, but at a minimum you need to check /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and make sure the wl driver is not blacklisted. Then check /etc/modules to make sure b43 is not listed. If it is, just place # in front of it so the system will ignore it.

Beyond that hopefully someone can confirm either that's all you need to check or what additional files could be problematic BEFORE following the steps in the link above. But that card does need the STA driver for best performance as far as I know. My BCM4312 hardly works at all with the b43 last I tried it but is awesome with the wl.

If someone knows a simplified way to do all this, please post.

[chefarov]

I am sorry, I forgot to mention I am using LMDE.

Unfortunately I have already tried the links posted above (and I repeated that now to be sure).
Also I am currently unable to boot to the other kernels except 2.6.36 for some reason, so I can't reproduce the error with the squeeze link.

I am also trying not to enable wl when b43 is loaded or otherwise, so I first disable the one before I enable the other.

I should also mention that I have tried ndiswrapper with the proprietary drivers with no success. Even when I could load the ndiswrapper with modprobe (because now I get an error :
FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.
- although its listed in /etc/modules ).

All the alternatives of trying to install STA driver fail in this step:

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m-a a-i broadcom-sta

including ndiswrapper source ( I tried that to test m-a ... ). So maybe m-a is the problem ? Does anyone know where the log file is located because I cant find it ?

[TBABill]

Not sure where the logs are, but here's more info on module assistant http://wiki.debian.org/ModuleAssistant

All m-a a-i does is tell the system to automatically install, in this case, the broadcom-sta driver. If it's failing, are you connected to the net via ethernet connection at this point? Do you have non-free repos enabled?

[chefarov]

Hey TBaBill, thanks for your interest

Of course I am connected to the internet and I also have non-free repositories enabled.

I have finally found the associated log files generated when you try to install sth with m-a... (I guess), in:
/var/cache/modass

and the lines referencing to error in broadcom-sta drivers installation attempt are:

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make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.36-2.dmz.7-liquorix-686'
  CC [M]  /usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o
/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c: In function ‘_wl_set_multicast_list’:
/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1435: error: ‘struct net_device’ has no member named ‘mc_list’
/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1435: error: ‘struct net_device’ has no member named ‘mc_count’
/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1436: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.c:1442: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
make[3]: *** [/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386/src/wl/sys/wl_linux.o] Error 1
make[2]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta/i386] Error 2
make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.36-2.dmz.7-liquorix-686'
make[1]: *** [binary-modules] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/broadcom-sta'
make: *** [kdist_build] Error 2


As I understand its something wrong with my kernel installation ?


PS: the whole log is here : http://www.ellak.tuc.gr/hosted/log.txt for anyone interested...

[TBABill]

http://wiki.debian.org/brcm80211

You stated this failed under step 6, but there is only a step 6 for Lenny, not Squeeze (which is LMDE). Did you try the squeeze steps while booted into your 2.6.32 kernel to see if it would work, then try to find the solution to getting it working on a newer kernel? I still use 2.6.32 with a BCM4312 so I can't provide much beyond the steps outlined for Squeeze from the post in the LMDE sub-forum for that card.

[TBABill]

I think there are 2 possibilities for your card. Since yours supports 802.11b/g/n, the STA (wl) driver is one of 2 choices. The other is the brcm80211. They do install differently. My post above is for the 80211 and here is the link for the wl driver http://wiki.debian.org/wl?highlight=%28 ... %284312%29

[hemimaniac]

For all things Broadcom, I always head here, it has yet to fail me ( i suggest a fresh cup of < preferred beverage here> before you get right into it, as it is a lot of info to take in.