Broadcom Wireless Getting Soft Locked

English Network/Internet
#1

This is kind of bizarre and it caught me out post install of 11.4, though I didn’t realize it.

When I installed 11.4 it was as part of multi boot with 11.3
11.4 was a clean install with it’s own partitions all formatted
Install of broadcom wl seemed to fail in 11.4
Going to Windows 7 and wireless was dead there
Back to 11.4 and it’s still dead so I do: sudo /sbin/modprobe -v wl
reboot, wireless is still dead > so Shutdown and startup > Windows and wireless is good then > 11.4 and wireless is good

I just had reason to reboot to 11.3 then back to 11.4 and wireless is dead.
rfkill showed

0: ideapad_wlan: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no
1: ideapad_killsw: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: yes
Hard blocked: no

rfkill unblock all
reboot and still dead in 11.4 and win7
back to 11.4 and sudo /sbin/modprobe -v wl
Shutdown > back to win7 > wireless works
Back to 11.4 and wireless works

Sorry it’s such a mishmash

04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
    Subsystem: Broadcom Corporation Device [14e4:04b5]
    Kernel driver in use: wl
#2

Can I ask if this is the default openSUSE driver you are loading or did you obtain it from Broadcom here:

Broadcom.com - 802.11 Linux STA driver

I use this driver on my Laptop and must compile it for each new Kernel. It works fine between openSUSE 11.4 and Windows XP, but don’t have Windows 7 on it. The built in openSUSE wireless driver has not worked for Wireless since openSUSE 11.2 as I recall, so I just compile the new one. Since I like to use the latest kernel version normally, it kind of puts a kibosh on updating the kernel version often due to the need to recompile this wireless driver every time as well. Sorry if I have missed some detail here.

Thank You,

#3

It the wl from Packman

And I think, almost certain it’s moving from the 11.3 system to 11.4 that’s the problem

I’ll test it again but it’s and try and clarify this, it’s just a pain in the rear getting it back to life and I can’t always afford the time
Thanks for your interest James

BTW. I never had trouble with this before. The partitions that now have 11.4 were previously Mint 9 and moving from 11.3 > Mint and or Win 7 never was an issue.

#4

So I am not sure just what moving to openSUSE 11.4 would do except all files must be compiled against kernel 2.6.37. If you have no other success, I would consider the Broadcom source files as a last resort.

Thank You,

#5

So, today, I reloaded openSUSE 11.4 onto a separate hard drive for my Dell Laptop and tried and tried to get the default Wireless to work with openSUSE without loading the proprietary Broadcom drivers, but it never would work. I then downloaded and reinstalled the Broadcom one and it is working for me right now. There was a root command you could run to tell the wireless hard ware type.

su -
password:
lspci -n | grep 14e4
 0c:00.0 0280: 14e4:4315 (rev 01)

This then corresponds to “4312 2.4 Ghz 0x14e4 0x4315 Dell 1395” on my Dell Laptop. If you run this command on your computer, what Broadcom version do you get for your wireless?

Thank You,

#6

Is this what you mean

lspci -n | grep 14e4
04:00.0 0280: 14e4:4315 (rev 01)
07:00.0 0200: 14e4:1713 (rev 02)
#7

I tested my booting options and 11.4 shutdown or reboot and back to 11.4, 11.4 reboot to windows and back to 11.4 is all fine.
It’s if I boot to 11.3 (the wireless works in 11.3, same broadcom driver) but go from 11.3 back to windows or 11.4 and it’s dead.
See post #1 for my fixing

#8

I have same broadcom wireless chip with u 4312:4315,this is what I figured out to work my wireless:
Install broadcom-wl driver & the kernel that match yr OS like : broadcom-wl-kmp-desktop.
Reboot,press the hardware wifi button to ‘on’,it doesn’t show as ‘on’,it’s ok,now add a Network Manager plasmoid on yr desktop,left click on it to open a dialog,now the ‘Enable Wireless’ box in this dialog should be able to tick,tick it,u’ll see yr hardware wifi button turn ‘ON’.
Just try it. :slight_smile:

#9

Dude
My wireless works. It just locks if I boot to 11.3 (Which isn’t going to happen now I have 11.4)
I was just making this post as a query/investigation
I’m usually able to find myself a solution - which I did in this case. I’m just not sure why it happens.
Our Lord of wireless @lwfinger on the other hand, may have some insight…

#10

Dude
My wireless works. It just locks if I boot to 11.3 (Which isn’t going to happen now I have 11.4)
I was just making this post as a query/investigation
I’m usually able to find myself a solution - which I did in this case. I’m just not sure why it happens.
Our Lord of wireless @lwfinger on the other hand, may have some insight…
Carl, I think that everyone is very interested in the Wireless subject and just want to provide some help if we can. I see that based on your numbers, that this shows a Broadcom Wireless and Wired adapters. And so the interesting part to me is why on my laptop I seemingly can only get the proprietary drivers to work. I admit that since the default openSUSE install never works at first, I do go directly to using the proprietary wireless drivers. In any event I am happy to hear you have your solution and that is all that matters.

Thank You,

#11

I had same problems with driver from packman (11.3, 11.4 RC 1), and some other problems at Mint and LMDE
However, now in 11.4 driver works. Before that, I was using driver from broadcom site, compiled and manually inserted into kernel.

Described procedure here: How to install Broadcom 43xx wireless driver in linux | Beli’s blog