openSUSE 11 and bcm43xx-fwcutter/ndiswrapper?

barryhenry76 wrote:
> I followed the steps above to activate my wlan card on a laptop that I
> just got. I installed OS 11 today and after following the above
> mentioned, I got the blue light on the laptop to come on, I just can't
> see any wireless networks. For my other laptop w/ a broadcom bcm 43xx
> and OS 10.3 I have to use wifi-radar, knetworkmanager won't work...do I
> maybe need another program?

What does the output of dmesg have to say about your wireless?

If you input the command 'iwlist s', are any networks shown?

I use NetworkManager to set up my networks.

Larry

[some-guy]

you probably had to install different firmware look here: b43 - Linux Wireless

[barryhenry76]

#dmesg
b43-phy0: Broadcom 4306 WLAN Found
phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'pid'
Broadcom 43xx driver loaded [ Features: PMLR, Firmware-ID: FW13]

#iwlist s
wlan 0 No scan results

[barryhenry76]

Originally Posted by some-guy

you probably had to install different firmware look here: b43 - Linux Wireless

I followed exactly what this site recommended for the kernel that I'm using.

[miggols99]

How would wicd be? I've heard it's a good replacement for NetworkManager...and if I wanted to get hold of it..how?

[janoholm]

First of all thanks for the great work done on this wonderfull system ! I have been using SuSE since version 9, and this 11.0 with new KDE is very good.

But now to the problems with this Broadcom-device which is in my old HP Pavilion zv5000EA. In 10.2 I was able to use ndiswrapper, but in 10.3 it was not stable.

Now in 11.0 I would give the bcm43-driver a try. I read and followed the instruction in linuxwireless.org and found I should use:
b43legacy-driver,
firmware 3.130.20.0
b43-fwcutter v.011

I copy/paste all the commands from the site and intallation went ok, but the device will not connect. Tried with/without encrypt WPA_PSK on the router, tried Knetworkconnect and ifup, and always getting nearly the same output:

uname -a:
Linux linux-l1bn 2.6.25.4-8-pae #1 SMP 2008-05-26 15:23:05 +0200 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux

lspci |grep BCM:
02:02.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4303 802.11b Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)

iwconfig wlan0:
wlan0 IEEE 802.11b ESSID:"Greven"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.452 GHz Access Point: 00:0C:84:01:69:38
Tx-Power=27 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thrff Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption keyff
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

iwlist wlan0 scan:
wlan0 Scan completed :
Cell 01 - Address: 00:0C:84:01:69:38
ESSID:"Greven"
Mode:Master
Channel:9
Frequency:2.452 GHz (Channel 9)
Quality=56/100 Signal level=-54 dBm Noise level=-47 dBm
Encryption keyn
IE: WPA Version 1
Group Cipher : TKIP
Pairwise Ciphers (1) : TKIP
Authentication Suites (1) : PSK
Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s
Extra:tsf=00000013ad15c256

dmesg | grep b43:
b43legacy-phy0: Broadcom 4301 WLAN found
input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input8
b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input10
b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED

cat /var/log/messages |grep "b43legacy-phy0" |tail:
Jun 20 09:13:14 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Jun 20 09:13:14 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Jun 20 09:13:14 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
Jun 20 09:13:14 linux-l1bn klogd: b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED
Jun 20 09:16:51 linux-l1bn klogd: input: b43legacy-phy0 as /devices/virtual/input/input10
Jun 20 09:16:51 linux-l1bn klogd: b43legacy-phy0: Loading firmware version 0x127, patch level 14 (2005-04-18 02:36:27)
Jun 20 09:16:51 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:tx
Jun 20 09:16:51 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:rx
Jun 20 09:16:51 linux-l1bn klogd: Registered led device: b43legacy-phy0:radio
Jun 20 09:16:52 linux-l1bn klogd: b43legacy-phy0: Radio hardware status changed to DISABLED

cat /var/log/messages |grep "wlan0" |tail:
Jun 20 09:24:13 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun 20 09:24:13 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 20 09:24:13 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun 20 09:24:13 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 20 09:24:14 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38 timed out
Jun 20 09:24:29 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun 20 09:24:29 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 20 09:24:29 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
Jun 20 09:24:29 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38
Jun 20 09:24:30 linux-l1bn klogd: wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0c:84:01:69:38 timed out
l

Should I try ndiswrapper because of this old 4301/03-device?

Jan

[some-guy]

NetworkManager should support b43 and b43-legacy, what happens if you try to make it work with a WEP key using these commands

su
iwconfig wlan0 essid [insert wlan network name here] key [insert WEP key here]
ifconfig wlan0 up
dhcpcd wlan0

Do you get internet?
If you do it's surely a problem with NM

[miggols99]

It works fine unencrypted, and I'm sure WEP will work (since it can be used via the CLI) it's definately a problem with NM because I simply cannot connect to my WPA-PSK network, even with my Intel wireless card on my laptop!

[janoholm]

Sorry if I interrupt this thread by telling my story

I have switched to ndiswrapper today and was able to get that up and runing at 11.0.

I followed the instruction here on opensuse with:
ndiswrapper -i <*.inf>
ndiswrapper -m
modprobe ndiswrapper

I did >: iwlist wlan0 scan at an early time and was now sure, that the wireless lan was runing, as I could see me own and others wireless routers.

But I had some problems keeping it runing, because I tried a lot after the YAST-configure, switching between ifup and NM. Also problems with the LED-bottom! Had to boot in windows to be sure the switch was on.

Jan

[cookdav]

Originally Posted by janoholm

uname -a:
Linux linux-l1bn 2.6.25.4-8-pae #1 SMP 2008-05-26 15:23:05 +0200 i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux


Should I try ndiswrapper because of this old 4301/03-device?

Jan

The kernel-version you show indicates that you have NOT
yet upgraded from RC1 to final. You should do that FIRST,
then re-assess what problems remain. [Presumably, you
have direct-wired connection available for the upgrade?
If not, acquire a new copy of final CD/DVD.]

To upgrade across the net, do:

zypper ref && zypper dup

[It is a LARGE update!]