Wireless will not search

I am using Suse 11.0 with KDE 4.0 on a Dell Latitude D800 with a Broadcom BCM 4306. I am using the same driver (bcmwl5) that I used previously with this machine with 10.2 in which I did not have these problems.

linux-jf1w:~ # ndiswrapper -l
bcmwl5 : driver installed
device (14E4:4320) present (alternate driver: ssb)


linux-jf1w:~ # ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0D:56:36:8F:51
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:11

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:272 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:272 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:22096 (21.5 Kb) TX bytes:22096 (21.5 Kb)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:10:C6:CA:2A:A7
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)
Interrupt:5 Memory:fafec000-fafee000


linux-jf1w:/home/weblarry # iwconfig
lo no wireless extensions.

eth0 no wireless extensions.

wlan0 IEEE 802.11g ESSIDff/any
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.462 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Bit Rate:54 Mb/s Tx-Power:32 dBm
RTS thr:2347 B Fragment thr:2346 B
Encryption keyff
Power Managementff
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

If I remember correct the ndiswrapper on 10.2 did not list the (alternate driver ssb).

If I remember correctly, to use ndiswrapper you have to blacklist (or unload) both the b43/b43-legacy and ssb. If ssb is still loading it might conflict.

Can I ask what problem you're seeing? The outputs you've posted look normal for an unconfigured card.

It seems I can not activate the wireless network, it will not receive a signal. You are probably right, I checked ndiswrapper for drivers before I installed the driver but I checked the install proceedure and it tells you to check after the driver install. I will blacklist the ssb driver and get back with you.

I removed the drivers and checked the ndiswrapper and it showed to be empty. I did a reinstall and the same drivers showed like before. I did a rmmod on the ssb and a message said it was part of bm43. I did a rmmod b43 and blacklist my b43 and recheck my ndiswrapper -l. There was no change it still showed my bcmwl5 driver loaded with alternate driver ssb. I figure the blacklist would stop ssb from loading anyway and it did. My card was not recognised. I commented out the blacklist of b43 and my card is back. I must have a driver that does not like this distro. I am ready for any ideas or tries.

A couple of questions:

1) Did you actually load the ndiswrapper module? I'm assuming so, but you never state that you did and if you didn't, that would explain a lot

2) Have you looked in your log files to see if ndiswrapper is complaining about anything?

3) Is there any particular reason you're not using b43? If you install firmware, it might work fine.

4) Are you compiling ndiswrapper from source? If not, it might be worth giving it a go.

Hangdog42 the newer kernels have about 4 native drivers which none work on the broadcom (older) chipsets. You have to remove them and of course block them from loading on start up. It involves about four more steps to the proceedure. Everything is working good now.

Fantastic, I'm glad you figured it out. By the way, if you could outline the modules you had to block, it would be very helpful. The situation around Broadcom chipsets is rather confusing, and anyone who can document how they got it to work will be helping countless others.

Here is a solution I found to work for installing a broadcom driver bcmwl5 in ndiswrapper with Suse 11. My chipset was bcm 4306 but from what I have read this driver works for more than this model chipset. Here is where I went for my driver

http://www.suseblog.com/bcmwl5.tar.bz2

I usually move this driver to desktop for ease of memory.

All this work is done as 'root' from 'terminal'.

modprobe -r b43
modprobe -r b44
modprobe -r b43legacy
modprobe -r ssb

Install driver in ndiswrapper

mkdir /lib/windrivers
cd /lib/windrivers
mv /home/'your username/Desktop/bcmwl5.tar.bz2 /lib/windrivers
tar -xvjf bcmwl5.tar.bz2
ndiswrapper -l

If any drivers show you will need to remove them then make sure they are blacklisted.

cd /lib/windrivers/bcmwl5
ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf
ndiswrapper -m
modprobe ndiswrapper

Edit /etc/sysconfig/kernel

kwrite /etc/sysconfig/kernel

Look for the section MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT="" and make it look like this.

MODULES_LOADED_ON_BOOT="ndiswrapper"
save and exit

Now we need to edit /etc/rc.d/boot.local

kwrite /etc/rc.d/boot.local

Add at the end

modprobe -r b44
modprobe -r b43
modprobe -r b43legacy
modprobe -r ssb
modprobe -r ndiswrapper
modprobe ndiswrapper
modprobe b44
exit 0

Save and exit and do not forget the 'exit 0' at the end

exit terminal

Now open YaST and select network

Use default settings except for module insert ndiswrapper and set firewall to external. Exit YaST and reboot and on your next boot the wireless icon should show at the bottom right of the window.

i reall need help with working wireless on opensuse 10.3
i have SSID and its disable..how it will be enable..and searching for wireless line,, and i will be very thanks to all persons with helping

Originally Posted by loving_linux2008 i reall need help with working wireless on opensuse 10.3 i have SSID and its disable..how it will be enable..and searching for wireless line,, and i will be very thanks to all persons with helping

Please start a new thread about your problem and include details about your hardware and what problems you've been having.

i just need how i can connect to the wireless,iam using labtop1720 DELL.... and also i want to know how i can enable kwifimanager.

Go to 'Forums' at the top of this page and click on it. Scroll down till you get to
'Linux - Networking' and click. At the bottom of the posts on all forum pages is 'New Thread'. Click on this a select a subject that best fits your problem such as 'How to enable kwifi manager?'.

We are not being smart here but in order for you to get more people to look at your problem you need to start your own thread, they may read the first two posts of mine and decide they could not help me yet they may be able to solve your problem. This is only one of the ways this site stays so helpful.

and maybe i dont have the software for the wireless driver... i just i installed
yast2 -i ndiswrapper.. i used this for installing
maybe it need the correct driver...?/

Hi, ndiswrapper was never really reliable for me and ceased working under openSUSE 11.1...

Good news, definitely look at:

http://www2.zdo.com/archives/33-Broa...inux-2.6..html

Tilman

I am glad that you were able to get yours to work, this is my work around for the Suse 11.0 and the bcm 4306 chip.