Wifi on a Acer Travelmate 5310 not working

English Hardware
1

Hi.

My dad has an old Acer Travelmate 5310 with a broken Windows Vista that I’m trying to resurrect by installing openSUSE 13.1 and Xfce. The installation itself went fine but I’m having problems with getting wireless to work. Wired networking works fine but when I disconnect the wired network nothing happens.

I have tried to configure wireless networking in the Xfce network widget but it doesn’t make any difference, wireless networking is not enabled.

I’ve added some information below. I fail to see what’s wrong. Any ideas?

 Regards, Micke.

adastra:~ # lspci | grep WLAN
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

adastra:~ # lspci -vv -s 03:00.0
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
    Subsystem: AMBIT Microsystem Corp. Device 0422
    Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
    Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
    Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
    Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 17
    Region 0: Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
    Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
        Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
        Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=2 PME-
    Capabilities: [58] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
        Address: 00000000  Data: 0000
    Capabilities: [d0] Express (v1) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
        DevCap:    MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <4us, L1 unlimited
            ExtTag+ AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE- FLReset-
        DevCtl:    Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
            RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
            MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
        DevSta:    CorrErr- UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr+ TransPend-
        LnkCap:    Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s, Latency L0 <4us, L1 <64us
            ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
        LnkCtl:    ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
            ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
        LnkSta:    Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
    Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting
        UESta:    DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq+ ACSViol-
        UEMsk:    DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
        UESvrt:    DLP+ SDES- TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
        CESta:    RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr-
        CEMsk:    RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr-
        AERCap:    First Error Pointer: 14, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-
    Capabilities: [13c v1] Virtual Channel
        Caps:    LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
        Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
        Ctrl:    ArbSelect=Fixed
        Status:    InProgress-
        VC0:    Caps:    PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
            Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
            Ctrl:    Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
            Status:    NegoPending- InProgress-
    Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
    Kernel modules: ssb

adastra:~ # rfkill list
0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no

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2

Not sure why you are trying to configure anything. It used to work ‘out of the box’ on my even older Travelmate. I have just switched over to xfce on my current machine and NetworkManager shows all three of my neighbours wi-fi networks and would let me connect if I had the correct password.

3

Install the “broadcom-wl” package from the Packman repository.

4

I did this and it did not help. Network Manager still doesn’t show me any wireless networks to connect to. Kernel driver and modules changed though as you can see below. I’d be grateful for some more input on this.

anders@adastra:~/Desktop> /sbin/lspci | grep WLAN
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
anders@adastra:~/Desktop> /sbin/lspci -v -s 03:00.0
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
    Subsystem: AMBIT Microsystem Corp. Device 0422
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
    Memory at d8000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
    Capabilities: <access denied>
    Kernel driver in use: wl
    Kernel modules: ssb, wl

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5

There is another package that is also required from Packman. Install the b43 firmware package.
Please refer to the link below for setup help. It’s very informative.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Broadcom_wireless#Introduction

b43-firmware - Firmware files for Broadcom bcm43xx series based PCI/PCMCIA cards

This package provides firmware files required by the b43 WiFi Linux driver

A restart may be required.

6

You do not need the broadcom-wl package at all. This hardware is supported by the open source driver.

Make sure that the ssb and b43 drivers are not blacklisted and that the required firmware is installed.

This thread may be useful:
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/486353-Broadcom-BCM4311-not-working

7

Thanks deano_ferrari

That’s correct. If the broadcom-wl was used there is good chance that “ssb” and/or “b43” have been blacklisted.

Although the b43-firmware package has been installed. You still must install the firmware while in konsole or xterm.
After installing from konsole reboot the laptop.

I’ve included another web link below for reference to openSUSE 13.1 and the Broadcom 4311 chip.

http://opensuse-guide.org/wlan.php

**Important: **Failure to unload ssb may result in the wireless interface not being created.

To unload “ssb” if loaded

rmmod ssb

Load the wl module

modprobe wl

Use lsmod to see if “wl” has loaded lib80211. If not type:

modprobe lib80211

Then check again with lsmod. That’s it! Check the NetworkManager.

8

No, you don’t load the ‘wl’ module. It is supported by the open source driver… and that is what requires the firmware too. (The proprietary driver does NOT require it, as it’s built-in.

9

Understood.
Scratch my previous answer

Only install b43-firmware or** b43legacy-firmware**.

**Note: **
4311 Dualband 0x14e4 0x4312 Dell 1490

The closed source from Broadcom for his Dell is here: http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

10

Correction

My time ran out while editing. Although I mistakenly referred to the Dell 1490.
The driver also covers the Acer Travelmate 5310. However, I prefer the open-source driver with firmware.

To find the Device ID’s of Broadcom cards on your machine:

# lspci -n | grep 14e4
11

Thanks for the help deano_ferrari and Romanator! I removed the broadcom-wl package, installed b43-firmware, made shure the drivers where not blacklisted, rebooted and it works!

Regards, Micke.

12

Well done!. Thanks for posting of your success. :slight_smile:

13

Good job! Great to hear that your wireless is working.