[SOLVED] Wireless is not working

[deepakdeshp]

Hello,
Wireless isnt working for this computer, a new convert to Mint 18.
System information

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inxi -Nn
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169
           IF: enp1s0f1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full
           mac: f0:76:1c:37:a6:4f
           Card-2: Broadcom BCM43142 802.11b/g/n
           IF: N/A state: N/A mac: N/A
chandra@chandra ~ $ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: chandra Kernel: 4.15.4-041504-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 7.2.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.4.3 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya
Machine:   Mobo: Acer model: EA50_HB v: V1.16
           Bios: Insyde v: V1.16 date: 09/25/2014
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3-4005U (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 6783
           clock speeds: max: 1700 MHz 1: 845 MHz 2: 798 MHz 3: 798 MHz
           4: 798 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Haswell-ULT Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1366x768@60.02hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 12.0.6 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel 8 Series HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Haswell-ULT HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.4-041504-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: 3000 bus-ID: 01:00.1
           IF: enp1s0f1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Broadcom BCM43142 802.11b/g/n bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: N/A state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (2.2% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD10JPVX size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 64G used: 9.4G (16%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 12.80GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda7
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 200 Uptime: 4 min Memory: 644.5/11936.2MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

[kc1di]

can this machine be connected via ethernet cable? if so once connected go to Menu >Administration> Driver Manager and give it a few minutes for find your hardware - then install the recomended driver Should be bcmwl-kernel-source. reboot see if it works.

If not issue this command and post the results here

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rfkill list

Good luck.

[deepakdeshp]

can this machine be connected via ethernet cable? if so once connected go to Menu >Administration> Driver Manager and give it a few minutes for find your hardware - then install the recomended driver Should be bcmwl-kernel-source. reboot see if it works.

If not issue this command and post the results here

Code: Select all

rfkill list

Good luck.

There were 3 different drivers in driver manager , I installed all the 3 drivers after connecting ethernet cable, rebooted and tested. No joy. rfkill shows all good too

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rfkill list
0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
1: acer-bluetooth: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no
2: hci0: Bluetooth
	Soft blocked: no
	Hard blocked: no

[deepakdeshp]

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iwconfig

shows no wireless extensions for the only interface it shows.

[kc1di]

The bcmwl-kernel-source driver is deffinately the correct one for that card.
This particular card seems to have been a bear to get going since 2014 or so.
one report says you need to disable the secure boot if it's turned on and it will work not sure about that since do not have that card to play with.
another says to disable bluetooth.
I'm tending to think that it may be a kernel issue- you could try reverting to the 4.4 kernel series and reinstall the bcmwl-kernel-source and reboot the machine see it it finds the card.
you can install the 4.4 series from the update manager by going to view and kernels. after it's installed, when the machine starts to boot keep hitting the ESC key until the mint grub window appears and select the 4.4.x kernel to boot. then do the reinstall reboot doing the same thing , if that works go back to the update manager and delete the 4.13 kernel.
Good luck.
P.S. one said they gave up on this card and bought an Intel card instead
I think that a usb dongle known to work with linux may be the answer.
list of USB wifi cards that work can be found here:
http://www.wirelesshack.org/top-linux-c ... pters.html

[deepakdeshp]

I'm tending to think that it may be a kernel issue- you could try reverting to the 4.4 kernel series and reinstall the bcmwl-kernel-source and reboot the machine see it it finds the card.

Thank you for your input. I will try the suggestions given by you tomorrow on my friend's laptop. He is unwilling to buy any external wi-fi adapters. His question is why should he buy it when wi fi works in Windows without any additional card?
The funny thing is that the card is detected and is listed by the command

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inxi -Nn

, yet it wont work with wi-fi routers.

[kc1di]

There are many cards that just don't have the right drivers or firmware for Linux - It's a manufacturer's problem , they would not release them to open source Thus there is no equivalent driver for them. It's unfortunate but that's the world we live in. That being said Broadcom has been pretty good in releasing drivers for many of their cards. But that one is quite old now and it may not be updated for the latest kernels.
Does it show any connections at all?

[deepakdeshp]

Does it show any connections at all?

I am not sure which connections are meant by you here.

[JeremyB]

Why don't you try a 4.4 kernel as I doubt bcmwl-kernel-source will build in the kernel being used

[kc1di]

Does it show any connections at all?

I am not sure which connections are meant by you here.

what does th network manager show when you click on it.
Try the 4.4 kernel.

[deepakdeshp]

Does it show any connections at all?

I am not sure which connections are meant by you here.

.
what does th network manager show when you click on it.
Try the 4.4 kernel.

Hello kc1di,
kernel 4.14 is the latest series with lts now. So is there any reason to go back to 4.4? Now it is at 4.4.119. even though its just a hunch, I will try it .
Thank you for your time

[kc1di]

It's because the wireless card you have won't build against 4.13 mos likely won't on 4.14 either 4.4 is an Ubuntu lts kernel and will be support for a long time yet.
give it a try. the highest kernel in Mint is 4.13 - Mint and Ubuntu don't use the same kernel numbering system as Kernel.org. Ubuntu modifies the kernel so a kernel from Main line kernel.org is not the same exact thing. Hope that helps.
here is the Ubuntu kernel wiki : https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/FAQ
it explains Ubuntu's numbering and a little about How they modify the kernel for ubuntu , Mint uses the ubuntu Kernel.
Good luck.

[JeremyB]

You might have to sudo apt-get install --reinstall bcmwl-kernel-source in the new 4.4 kernel but I am not sure if dkms will install automatically to an older kernel when installed. For kernels 4.13-4.15 you will likely need to download from https://packages.ubuntu.com/bionic/bcmwl-kernel-source
You can check apt-get changelog bcmwl-kernel-source to see if it mentions being patched for 4.14 or 4.15

[kc1di]

You might have to sudo apt-get install --reinstall bcmwl-kernel-source in the new 4.4 kernel but I am not sure if dkms will install automatically to an older kernel when installed. For kernels 4.13-4.15 you will likely need to download from https://packages.ubuntu.com/bionic/bcmwl-kernel-source
You can check apt-get changelog bcmwl-kernel-source to see if it mentions being patched for 4.14 or 4.15

It worked for me here if you allow driver manager to install it after you boot to 4.4

[deepakdeshp]

The bcmwl-kernel-source driver is deffinately the correct one for that card.
This particular card seems to have been a bear to get going since 2014 or so.
one report says you need to disable the secure boot if it's turned on and it will work not sure about that since do not have that card to play with.
another says to disable bluetooth.
I'm tending to think that it may be a kernel issue- you could try reverting to the 4.4 kernel series and reinstall the bcmwl-kernel-source and reboot the machine see it it finds the card.
you can install the 4.4 series from the update manager by going to view and kernels. after it's installed, when the machine starts to boot keep hitting the ESC key until the mint grub window appears and select the 4.4.x kernel to boot. then do the reinstall reboot doing the same thing , if that works go back to the update manager and delete the 4.13 kernel.
Good luck.
P.S. one said they gave up on this card and bought an Intel card instead
I think that a usb dongle known to work with linux may be the answer.
list of USB wifi cards that work can be found here:
http://www.wirelesshack.org/top-linux-c ... pters.html

I installed kernel version 4.4.117 using UKUU , then I re booted into that kernel ,went to driver manager where it was showing bcmwl-kernel-source driver in driver manager as recommended driver. I installed it and rebooted. Now wi fi works beautifully.
Earlier I had installed latest version of Kernel 4.14 series also but it did not work. I was thinking that if the driver is available in kernel version 4.4, then it should defintely available in the later series like 4.14 That doesnt seem to be the case , and I dont know why it isnt like that. Also how did you find that bcmwl-kernel-source will need to be installed?
Many thanks to you and JeremyB

[JeremyB]

If you look at results for

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lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 net

I think you will find [14e4:4365] and if you look at https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/b43 and scroll down to 14e4:4365, it shows that wl is the only working driver. The reason bcmwl-kernel-source doesn't work in the 4.15 kernel is that Ubuntu hasn't added the 4.15 kernel patches to the bcmwl-kernel-source package in the Ubuntu 16.04 repositories yet as the 4.15 and it might be August before they do as that it when Ubuntu 16.04.5 is released and it will have the 4.15 kernel

[kc1di]

Glad you got it going. UKUU is a good tool but it's better to stick with the authorized Ubuntu kernels for now. as they will have the Ubuntu patches and mods added. Verison 4.13 works also if installed via the update manager as that pulls the one with ubuntu's changes. in any event we live and learn. Enjoy