Hello,
I just changed from win 10 to opensuse leap with XFCE and I’m afraid that my wifi is not activated by default on this ACER emachine E520 (old laptop).
The wifi hardware indicator and buton is off and I can’t switch it on manually (it does not turn on when pushed).
When I right click on the network manager I only see ethernet connection.
Does that mean that I need Windows to get wifi on that computer or that I have to try some commands to get it to workd ?
@platax Hi and welcome to the Forum 
Can you install rfkill and then as root user run the command rfkill list should show you if it’s hard-blocked (hardware switch) or soft-blocked, if soft-block then a software switch and likely an acer wmi kernel module config, but can use rfkill unblock command as well to unblock.
You can report the network hardware details (including wifi) with
inxi -NaThat should at least show the chipsets and associated drivers (if loaded). The ‘rfkill list’ command will show if disabled for some reason.
PS: You can share that information by copying output to a text file, save to a memory stick, and post here via an internet connected device.
Thank you.
This is what I get
inxi -Na
Network:
Device-1: Broadcom BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY
vendor: Foxconn T77H030.00 Wireless Mini PCIe Card driver: b43-pci-bridge
v: N/A modules: ssb bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:4315 class-ID: 0280
Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
vendor: Gateway driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 1000 bus-ID: 05:00.0
chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
No blocking apparently
sudo rfkill list
0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
Missing firmware?
dmesg | egrep "firmware|b43"Thanks, this is what I got :
dmesg | egrep "firmware|b43"
[ 14.430849] b43-pci-bridge 0000:04:00.0: Sonics Silicon Backplane found on PCI device 0000:04:00.0
[ 18.365030] b43-phy0: Broadcom 4312 WLAN found (core revision 15)
[ 18.406630] b43-phy0: Found PHY: Analog 6, Type 5 (LP), Revision 1
[ 18.406651] b43-phy0: Found Radio: Manuf 0x17F, ID 0x2062, Revision 2, Version 0
[ 18.430722] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430762] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430797] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430820] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430825] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode15.fw" not found
[ 18.430832] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43-open/ucode15.fw" not found
[ 18.430836] b43-phy0 ERROR: Please open a terminal and enter the command "sudo /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware" to download the correct firmware for this driver version. For an off-line installation, go to http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Network_Adapters_(Wireless)/Broadcom_BCM43xx and follow the instructions in the "Installing firmware from RPM packages" section.
[ 24.150813] b43-pci-bridge 0000:04:00.0: Sonics Silicon Backplane found on PCI device 0000:04:00.0
[ 25.875444] b43-phy0: Broadcom 4312 WLAN found (core revision 15)
[ 25.917807] b43-phy0: Found PHY: Analog 6, Type 5 (LP), Revision 1
[ 25.917828] b43-phy0: Found Radio: Manuf 0x17F, ID 0x2062, Revision 2, Version 0
[ 25.938190] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 25.938258] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 25.938288] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 25.938311] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 25.938316] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43/ucode15.fw" not found
[ 25.938377] b43-phy0 ERROR: Firmware file "b43-open/ucode15.fw" not found
[ 25.938421] b43-phy0 ERROR: Please open a terminal and enter the command "sudo /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware" to download the correct firmware for this driver version. For an off-line installation, go to http://en.opensuse.org/HCL/Network_Adapters_(Wireless)/Broadcom_BCM43xx and follow the instructions in the "Installing firmware from RPM packages" section.
[ 2991.869645] b43-wlan ERROR: Dual-core devices are not supported
[ 2991.869663] b43: probe of ssb0:0 failed with error -524
I then tried what was pointed in the terminal feedback :
sudo /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware
Downloading b43 firmware
####################################################################################################################### 100.0%
Extracting b43 firmware
This file is recognised as:
filename : wl_apsta.o
version : 784.2
MD5 : 29c8a47094fbae342902d84881a465ff
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ac1bsinitvals42.fw
Extracting b43/ucode24_lcn.fw
Extracting b43/ht0bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode24_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n20initvals36.fw
Extracting b43/ucode15.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/lcn405initvals35.fw
Extracting b43/ac1initvals42.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode43.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lp1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lcn402initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn3bsinitvals21.fw
Extracting b43/ht0initvals29.fw
Extracting b43/n2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/ucode25_lcn.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lcn404initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1bsinitvals27.fw
Extracting b43/lcn404bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/ucode22_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/lcn406initvals37.fw
Extracting b43/ac3initvals43.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode20_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lcn403bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals17.fw
Extracting b43/ht0bsinitvals29.fw
Extracting b43/ucode21_sslpn.fw
ucode time: 21:35:19
Extracting b43/sslpn1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode27_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/ucode29_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/ucode21_sslpn_nobt.fw
ucode time: 21:35:19
Extracting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
Extracting b43/ucode19_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lcn401bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals14.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_sslpn_nobt.fw
ucode date: 2012-08-15
Extracting b43/n16bsinitvals30.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lcn402bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/ucode19_sslpn_nobt.fw
Extracting b43/ucode40.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/ac2initvals41.fw
Extracting b43/n16initvals30.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_lp.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn3initvals21.fw
Extracting b43/lp1initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/ac2bsinitvals41.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode34_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/ucode37_lcn40.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/n1bsinitvals20.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn4bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/ucode11.fw
Extracting b43/n2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/pcm4.fw
Extracting b43/ucode13.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn1initvals27.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals14.fw
Extracting b43/lp1bsinitvals22.fw
Extracting b43/n18initvals32.fw
Extracting b43/lcn405bsinitvals35.fw
Extracting b43/ucode41.fw
Extracting b43/lcn400initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lcn401initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/ucode33_lcn40.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode32_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/lcn400bsinitvals33.fw
Extracting b43/lcn404bsinitvals35.fw
Extracting b43/n19initvals34.fw
Extracting b43/ac3bsinitvals43.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals25.fw
Extracting b43/ucode26_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lcn404initvals35.fw
Extracting b43/lp2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/n19bsinitvals34.fw
Extracting b43/ucode20_sslpn_nobt.fw
Extracting b43/ac0bsinitvals40.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn4initvals22.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn2bsinitvals19.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/lp2initvals19.fw
Extracting b43/n18bsinitvals32.fw
Extracting b43/lcn0bsinitvals25.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals11.fw
Extracting b43/lcn2bsinitvals24.fw
Extracting b43/n0absinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/pcm5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode35_lcn40.fw
Extracting b43/ucode14.fw
Extracting b43/ucode36_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode17_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/ucode25_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lcn406bsinitvals37.fw
Extracting b43/ac0initvals40.fw
Extracting b43/ucode30_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/n20bsinitvals36.fw
Extracting b43/ucode42.fw
Extracting b43/lcn407initvals38.fw
Extracting b43/lcn1initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ht0initvals26.fw
Extracting b43/ucode38_lcn40.fw
Extracting b43/lcn407bsinitvals38.fw
Extracting b43/lcn403initvals33.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_sslpn.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16_mimo.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals17.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals24.fw
Extracting b43/lp1initvals20.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode22_mimo.fw
Downloading b43legacy firmware
####################################################################################################################### 100.0%
Extracting b43legacy firmware
Sorry, the input file is either wrong or not supported by b43-fwcutter.
This file has an unknown MD5sum 4c555068310076e85908835c721911f5.
b43 firmware successfully installed.
b43legacy firmware successfully installed.
The issue comes from here I guess :
Extracting b43legacy firmware
Sorry, the input file is either wrong or not supported by b43-fwcutter.
This file has an unknown MD5sum 4c555068310076e85908835c721911f5.
Or there might be some clue here :
[ 18.430722] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430762] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430797] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
[ 18.430820] b43 ssb0:0: Direct firmware load for b43-open/ucode15.fw failed with error -2
Though I have no idea what to do from here.
Missing firmware…well done. 