Dell D610 wireless - need some help

English Network/Internet
#1

I am bringing up a new install of 11.4 32 bit on an old laptop.
I installed from DVD, updated (via YAST), switched to KDE 4.7, have Packman loaded and have switched to it.

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # uname -a
Linux DellD610-Linux32.capenet 2.6.37.6-0.9-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2011-10-19 22:33:27 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

I have been unable to get the wrieless Lan to work.
It is a Broadcom device,

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # lspci -vnn | grep 14e4
03:03.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4309 802.11a/b/g [14e4:4324] (rev 03)

I have been following the info at b43 - Linux Wireless

From there, I have concluded that I need the b43legacy driver and associated firmware.
I have the b43 and b43legacy drivers and firmwares loaded onto the system.

On boot, the kernel wants to load the b43 driver and associated firmware.
The wlan0 device is somewhat functional

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # iwconfig wlan0
wlan0     IEEE 802.11bg  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off

and I can turn the keyboard “WiFi” leds on and off , but WLAN scanning does not work and will not associate with an AP.
I tried removing b43 and installing b43legacy, but the firmware does not seem to switch to the older fw compatible with b3legacy and the interface no longer responds to iwxx commands.

I tried blacklisting the b43 driver and rebooting, which correctly does not load b43 (or firmware) and then modprobe b43legacy, but then no firmware loads.

If I am reading linuxwireless.org correctly, then it would appear that there is a bug in the kernel auto loader, where it is improperly deciding to load b43 rather than b43legacy.

Any suggestions on how to get b43legacy and the correct firmware to load? If I can verify they do work, then I can open a bug report.

Does anyone have WiFi actually running on a Dell D610?

Thanks

#2

On 12/29/2011 07:26 AM, cmcgrath5035 wrote:
>
> I am bringing up a new install of 11.4 32 bit on an old laptop.
> I installed from DVD, updated (via YAST), switched to KDE 4.7, have
> Packman loaded and have switched to it.
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # uname -a
> Linux DellD610-Linux32.capenet 2.6.37.6-0.9-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2011-10-19 22:33:27 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
> --------------------
>
>
> I have been unable to get the wrieless Lan to work.
> It is a Broadcom device,
> Code:
> --------------------
> DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # lspci -vnn | grep 14e4
> 03:03.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4309 802.11a/b/g [14e4:4324] (rev 03)
> --------------------
>
>
> I have been following the info at ‘b43 - Linux Wireless’
> (http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43)
>
> From there, I have concluded that I need the b43legacy driver and
> associated firmware.
> I have the b43 and b43legacy drivers and firmwares loaded onto the
> system.

There is a mistake in the wiki. The device needs b43, and the kernel knows that.

> On boot, the kernel wants to load the b43 driver and associated
> firmware.
> The wlan0 device is somewhat functional
> Code:
> --------------------
> DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # iwconfig wlan0
> wlan0 IEEE 802.11bg ESSID:off/any
> Mode:Managed Access Point: Not-Associated Tx-Power=20 dBm
> Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
> Encryption key:off
> Power Management:off
>
>
> --------------------
> and I can turn the keyboard “WiFi” leds on and off , but WLAN scanning
> does not work and will not associate with an AP.
> I tried removing b43 and installing b43legacy, but the firmware does
> not seem to switch to the older fw compatible with b3legacy and the
> interface no longer responds to iwxx commands.
>
> I tried blacklisting the b43 driver and rebooting, which correctly does
> not load b43 (or firmware) and then modprobe b43legacy, but then no
> firmware loads.
>
> If I am reading linuxwireless.org correctly, then it would appear that
> there is a bug in the kernel auto loader, where it is improperly
> deciding to load b43 rather than b43legacy.

As I said earlier, the error is in the wiki. To make sure, please run the
command ‘dmesg | grep ssb’, find the line that refers to an 802.11 core, and
post that line. The revision number determines is b43 or b43legacy is used. If
it is <= 4, then b43legacy is used - 5 or greater means b43.

After you modprobe b43, then run the command 'dmesg | egrep “ssb|b43” and post
the output.

#3

Thanks, I had wondered about that . Indeed it is a BCM 4306 rev5 core in a BCM 4309 device.


DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # lsmod | grep b43
b43                   186863  0 
mac80211              266082  1 b43
cfg80211              155017  2 b43,mac80211
ssb                    53715  1 b43
mmc_core               84491  2 b43,ssb
pcmcia                 54463  2 b43,ssb

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # lspci |grep Network
03:03.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4309 802.11a/b/g (rev 03)

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # dmesg |grep b43
    8.231027] b43-pci-bridge 0000:03:03.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17
    8.915075] b43-phy0: Broadcom 4306 WLAN found (core revision 5)
    9.111685] Registered led device: b43-phy0::tx
    9.111718] Registered led device: b43-phy0::rx
    9.111750] Registered led device: b43-phy0::radio
   39.230044] b43-phy0: Loading firmware version 478.104 (2008-07-01 00:50:23)
DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # dmesg |grep ssb
    8.231082] ssb: Core 0 found: ChipCommon (cc 0x800, rev 0x04, vendor 0x4243)
    8.231090] ssb: Core 1 found: IEEE 802.11 (cc 0x812, rev 0x05, vendor 0x4243)
    8.231098] ssb: Core 2 found: PCMCIA (cc 0x80D, rev 0x02, vendor 0x4243)
    8.231106] ssb: Core 3 found: V90 (cc 0x807, rev 0x02, vendor 0x4243)
    8.231113] ssb: Core 4 found: PCI (cc 0x804, rev 0x09, vendor 0x4243)
    8.234597] ssb: Sonics Silicon Backplane found on PCI device 0000:03:03.0

So my problem remains that the device seems to be operating but does not want to associate with
my g/n AP or even do a scan.

DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # iwconfig wlan0
wlan0     IEEE 802.11bg  ESSID:off/any  
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
DellD610-Linux32:/home/joy # iwlist scan
lo        Interface doesn't support scanning.

eth0      Interface doesn't support scanning.

wlan0     No scan results

My AP is a RT-N16 running dd-wrt. Running a Wiviz survey from there, I don’t see the wlan0 MAC searching for a connection.

I entered the NetworkManager Plaismoid and manually entered a Wireless connection setup for this AP.
Manually because the “scan” button returns nothing, so I just entered the SSID for the AP.
Toggling the Wireless Enabled box in NetworkManager does properly toggle the keyboard LED.

The router Wiviz survey does not see this laptop searching, but does see one, probably at a neighbors.

Any next suggestions?
Thanks, by the way.

#4

On 12/30/2011 07:46 AM, cmcgrath5035 wrote:
>
> My AP is a RT-N16 running dd-wrt. Running a Wiviz survey from there, I
> don’t see the wlan0 MAC searching for a connection.
>
> I entered the NetworkManager Plaismoid and manually entered a Wireless
> connection setup for this AP.
> Manually because the “scan” button returns nothing, so I just entered
> the SSID for the AP.
> Toggling the Wireless Enabled box in NetworkManager does properly
> toggle the keyboard LED.
>
> The router Wiviz survey does not see this laptop searching, but does
> see one, probably at a neighbors.
>
> Any next suggestions?

I do not have a BCM4309 device, but I do have a PCI version of a BCM4306. It has
only 802.11b/g capability, but the 802.11a part has never worked.

I no longer run 11.4 and cannot test if this card works, but it does under 12.1.
To install the latest drivers into 11.4, please install the compat-wireless-kmp
package for your kernel. I think it is in the wireless repository.

#5

Thanks for ideas.
I added Index of /repositories/driver:/wireless/openSUSE_11.4 to my repository list, then opened Yast-Software Management.
the compat-wireless-kmp automatically showed as an update, so I installed.

I rebooted to ensure new version of driver would load, but not change - still does not scan.

I’ll try a 12.1 live CD to see if for some reason that works

#6

On 12/30/2011 02:36 PM, cmcgrath5035 wrote:
>
> Thanks for ideas.
> I added ‘Index of /repositories/driver:/wireless/openSUSE_11.4’
> (http://tinyurl.com/4zeew82) to my repository list, then opened
> Yast-Software Management.
> the compat-wireless-kmp automatically showed as an update, so I
> installed.
>
> I rebooted to ensure new version of driver would load, but not change -
> still does not scan.
>
> I’ll try a 12.1 live CD to see if for some reason that works

You will need to load the firmware as it will NOT be on the CD.

#7

I am not sure why, but the 12.1 32 bit Live CD would not start up.
After KDE started up, the CDROM thrashed forever.
Perhaps due to only 512KB memory…?
Anyway, I went ahead and upgraded (via DVD) to 12.1 from 11.4.
That was sort of messy as well, as my 11.4 was at KDE 4.7.4 so I had trouble getting KDE up.
Slugged thru it, now have working wireless!
Thanks for your guidance.

#8

On 12/30/2011 09:46 PM, cmcgrath5035 wrote:
>
> I am not sure why, but the 12.1 32 bit Live CD would not start up.
> After KDE started up, the CDROM thrashed forever.
> Perhaps due to only 512KB memory…?
> Anyway, I went ahead and upgraded (via DVD) to 12.1 from 11.4.
> That was sort of messy as well, as my 11.4 was at KDE 4.7.4 so I had
> trouble getting KDE up.
> Slugged thru it, now have working wireless!
> Thanks for your guidance.

Glad to hear it is working.

#9

On Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:26:02 +0000, cmcgrath5035 wrote:

> Does anyone have WiFi actually running on a Dell D610?

I’ve got two of them, one with 12.1 and one with 11.4 - IIRC, one has the
Broadcom card you’ve got, and the other has an Intel card (the D610 comes
with both as options).

Jim

–
Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Administrator
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