Fedora 7 Having issues with Broadcom wireless & Audio on Compaq V3424AU

ashesh0326 · 08-28-2007, 11:17 PM

Hey people,

I newly bought a HP-Compaq V3424AU laptop, the specs of which can be found here: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/in/en...-80457300.html

I formatted and installed the system with XP, and Fedora 7. However, much to my disappointment, the system's wireless ethernet card (Broadcom) does not work in linux. I went to the network configuration, and there I did find a series of recognized wifi cards, but none matched mine.
Can anyone tell me how to go about the problem?

Also, this laptop has a high definition audio card (Connexant), and though the audio system is correctly recognized by the system, there is no sound at all.

However, the wireless problem is more important since surfing the net from within linux will allow me to google for solutions and try them on the fly; which I otherwise have to do by googling in windows and then trying out the solution in linux.

Can anyone provide a solution?

scheidel21 · 08-31-2007, 02:18 PM

Well according to the specs on the link you gave us, the laptop has no wireless card, but I am going to guess if it actually has one it is a broadcom 43xx series card, you can confirm this by running lspci, and you should see it in there. If it is a 43xx series card then use ndiswrapper with the windows driver, or if using a kernel that is >=2.6.20 then use the bcm43xx driver.

As for the sound try downloading alsa 1.0.14 source from the alsa project page and compiling it. I have an hp dv9000z with nvidia HDA (connexant) and this solved my sound issue.

ashesh0326 · 09-03-2007, 02:36 AM

Thank you so much for the reply scheidel21. My laptop does have a wireless card and it's a BCMWL5 card. I got the .inf file and successfully used ndiswrapper to install it. Now, once the driver has been installed, I don't know what more to do. I've gone through forums, but with no help.

I try setting up a new network connection using Fedora's networking utility. I get the option of choosing what kind of a connection it is, and hence, I select wireless. There, I'm asked to choose my card from a drop down list that has many names of preinstalled cards, or cards that Fedora 7 recognizes. But nothing about the BCLWL5. Not even 43xx.

I'm pretty confused as to how to proceed in this situation. Can you please help?

scheidel21 · 09-03-2007, 02:02 PM

Run lsmod after booting the machine in linux, make sure that the bcm43xx driver IS NOT loaded in the list and that the ndiswrapper module IS loaded, after doing that if bcm43xx is loaded unload it with rmmod then blacklist the bcm43xx module (exact CLI command for FC7 may need to be looked up) then if ndiswrapper is not loaded do modprobe ndiswrapper. Once ndiswrapper is loaded check ifconfig you should see wlan0 or something similar. I am not sure of the exact differences between FC and Debian but maybe this might help http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=581161 the section on ndiswrapper and wpa_supplicant at least. I know it means no FC network manager, but if it works that's a good thing. good luck I'll try to help you more if I can.

ashesh0326 · 09-07-2007, 02:00 AM

Thanks for the help, but I'm still pretty confused as to what to do.
lsmod gives the following output:

Quote:

[root@localhost mnt]# lsmod
Module Size Used by
autofs4 24645 2
rfcomm 43481 0
l2cap 30145 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 57125 4 rfcomm,l2cap
sunrpc 159133 1
nf_conntrack_netbios_ns 7105 0
nf_conntrack_ipv4 15049 1
xt_state 6593 1
nf_conntrack 61001 3 nf_conntrack_netbios_ns,nf_conntrack_ipv4,xt_sta
te
nfnetlink 10841 2 nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack
ipt_REJECT 8641 2
iptable_filter 6977 1
ip_tables 16389 1 iptable_filter
xt_tcpudp 7233 8
ip6t_REJECT 9537 2
ip6table_filter 6849 1
ip6_tables 17541 1 ip6table_filter
x_tables 18757 6 xt_state,ipt_REJECT,ip_tables,xt_tcpudp,ip6t_REJ
ECT,ip6_tables
fuse 45909 4
dm_multipath 21705 0
ipv6 276673 21 ip6t_REJECT
parport_pc 29797 0
lp 15977 0
parport 38025 2 parport_pc,lp
loop 19785 0
snd_hda_intel 24281 4
snd_hda_codec 202689 1 snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_dummy 7877 0
snd_seq_oss 33345 0
snd_seq_midi_event 11073 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 50353 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 11852 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss 43489 0
snd_mixer_oss 19393 2 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 74565 4 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 24773 3 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd 53189 13 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
serio_raw 10821 0
soundcore 11553 2 snd
pcspkr 7105 0
k8temp 9537 0
hwmon 7365 1 k8temp
bcm43xx_mac80211 397857 0
i2c_nforce2 9793 0
ssb 35012 1 bcm43xx_mac80211
snd_page_alloc 13769 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
k8_edac 17921 0
forcedeth 48585 0
sdhci 21069 0
edac_mc 27665 1 k8_edac
fw_ohci 19649 0
mac80211 136005 1 bcm43xx_mac80211
mmc_core 30661 1 sdhci
i2c_core 24641 1 i2c_nforce2
fw_core 42625 1 fw_ohci
cfg80211 12105 1 mac80211
sr_mod 20197 0
cdrom 37217 1 sr_mod
joydev 13441 0
sg 37213 0
dm_snapshot 20709 0
dm_zero 6209 0
dm_mirror 24277 0
dm_mod 57229 9 dm_multipath,dm_snapshot,dm_zero,dm_mirror
pata_amd 16717 0
sata_nv 23365 4
ata_generic 12101 0
libata 115417 3 pata_amd,sata_nv,ata_generic
sd_mod 23873 5
scsi_mod 137549 4 sr_mod,sg,libata,sd_mod
ext3 125385 2
jbd 59881 1 ext3
mbcache 12357 1 ext3
ehci_hcd 35405 0
ohci_hcd 23749 0
uhci_hcd 26833 0

As we can see, there are a couple of places where we see something similar: bcm43xx_mac80211, and this has got me confused. Should I unload this one as well? Also, I cannot see any bcmwl5 anywhere, and thats the one that should be present right?

I haven't removed that as I was not sure. I'll also like you to look into this:

Quote:

[root@localhost mnt]# modprobe ndiswrapper
[root@localhost mnt]# ifconfig
lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:4580 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:4580 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:32255672 (30.7 MiB) TX bytes:32255672 (30.7 MiB)

[root@localhost mnt]# man ndiswrapper
[root@localhost mnt]# ndiswrapper -i /.../Broadcom/bcmwl5.inf
driver bcmwl5 is already installed
[root@localhost mnt]#

Sadly and expectedly, there is no wlan0 or anything anywhere. Can you please tell me how to go about the problem?

Thank you so much for all the help, and sorry for the late response from my side. I've not been well for the past few days.

ashesh0326 · 09-08-2007, 11:49 PM

Can anyone please help?

scheidel21 · 09-09-2007, 01:21 AM

unloading the bcm43xx module should get rid of all the bcm43xx related stuff so start with performing

Code:

#rmmod bcm43xx

Now blacklist the bcm43xx module, I think the code is

Code:

blacklist bcm43xx

Next you need to obtain the bcm5wl.inf from a windows driver installer. Go to the manufacturers website for your computer and download the windows installer for the wireless card drivers. get cabextract from your distros repository and install it then extract the windows installer. i.e. cabextract broadcomdriverinstaller.exe now in directory which this was extracted to you need to locate the .inf file after doing this add it to ndiswrapper.

Code:

#ndiswrapper -i /path/to/bcm5wl.inf

then verfify that ndiswrapper has the driver file

Code:

#ndiswrapper -l

If that all checks out and ndiswrapper had given you no errors then do

Code:

#modprobe ndiswrapper
#depmod -a ndiswrapper
#lsmod

after running lsmod you should see something similar to this

Quote:

Module Size Used by
tun 14208 1
xt_physdev 5328 1
iptable_filter 5440 1
ip_tables 22824 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 19464 2 xt_physdev,ip_tables
appletalk 42608 2
ax25 65276 2
ipx 33672 2
p8023 4480 1 ipx
rfcomm 43560 0
l2cap 28096 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 57156 4 rfcomm,l2cap
nfsd 254792 13
exportfs 8128 1 nfsd
lockd 65808 2 nfsd
nfs_acl 6016 1 nfsd
sunrpc 165128 9 nfsd,lockd,nfs_acl
ppdev 11720 0
parport_pc 31528 0
lp 16464 0
parport 42700 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
button 9888 0
ac 8008 0
battery 13128 0
acpi_cpufreq 10116 0
cpufreq_powersave 4160 0
cpufreq_conservative 10568 0
cpufreq_ondemand 9680 0
ipv6 279008 27
dummy 5384 0
fuse 46576 1
ebtable_broute 4544 0
bridge 60400 2 xt_physdev,ebtable_broute
ebtable_nat 4864 0
ebtable_filter 4864 0
ebtables 22528 3 ebtable_broute,ebtable_nat,ebtable_filter
dm_snapshot 18232 0
dm_mirror 23488 0
dm_mod 60816 2 dm_snapshot,dm_mirror
ndiswrapper 219456 0
sbp2 26568 0
snd_hda_intel 317600 3
snd_pcm_oss 48192 0
snd_mixer_oss 19776 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 89480 3 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 27336 2 snd_pcm
snd 68848 9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
pcspkr 5568 0
i2c_nforce2 10240 0
soundcore 13088 1 snd
i2c_core 25344 1 i2c_nforce2
snd_page_alloc 12816 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
sdhci 20876 0
mmc_core 29312 1 sdhci
tsdev 10816 0
eth1394 22792 0
joydev 13120 0
ext3 136400 2
jbd 63088 1 ext3
ide_cd 42720 1
cdrom 38120 1 ide_cd
sd_mod 23552 5
amd74xx 17264 0 [permanent]
ohci1394 35912 0
ieee1394 360312 3 sbp2,eth1394,ohci1394
ehci_hcd 34696 0
sata_nv 15044 7
forcedeth 43140 0
libata 104800 1 sata_nv
scsi_mod 150896 3 sbp2,sd_mod,libata
ohci_hcd 22916 0
usbcore 138792 4 ndiswrapper,ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd
thermal 17936 0
processor 37416 2 acpi_cpufreq,thermal
fan 7624 0

now you should see if you need to add anything to your ifconfig, for instance I had to add a wlan0 entry to my /etc/network/interfaces file to make sure wlan0 loaded at every boot. My entry looks like this.

Quote:

allow-hotplug wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp

I do not use FC so I cannot get into your distros specifics. But this should get your wireless working. Obviously to configure the wireless you need iwconfig or something like wpa_supplicant

Good luck

balabaskaran · 09-17-2007, 10:45 AM

Hi ashesh0326,

I got the same configuration as you(i.e., compaq V3424AU). I have successfully installed XP and was somehow able to find the drivers for the graphics. But I am unable to find drivers for the audio and the ethernet LAN. Can you please help with the URLs you have used for installing the audio, the modem and the LAN