Broadcom b43 wifi card wont connect in 14.2

akmar1 · 03-31-2017, 05:57 AM

I recently installed Slackware 14.2 on an older Dell b130 laptop with the broadcom b43 wifi card. This card worked with no problems in 14.1 but now it won't stay connected. It will connect for a few seconds then disconnect. I've installed the correct drivers(b43 fwcutter and the firmware) which is the same as I've used in previous Slack versions. I know there is a lot of info on this card out there but nothing I've tried works.

I also installed Linux Mint 18 on this computer and wifi works with no problems. Whats weird is if I boot Mint and reboot without turning off the power, I connect with no problems with Slack. If I turn the computer on and boot directly into Slackware I can't connect. In other words I have to boot Mint then reboot into Slackware in order to connect to wifi. I don't understand that at all.

Any help is appreciated.

Paulo2 · 03-31-2017, 09:16 AM

I had a similar problem with -current and after some search I found that the hardware was soft blocked.
Run rfkill to see if the hardware is blocked.

BW-userx · 03-31-2017, 09:24 AM

rfkill --- yeah my thoughts on that one. rfkill sets to hard block or soft block or both so no internet connections for security reasons?

yet no one that I know makes their install of their system with that program needed by the same name to check it and modify it if needed. One then needs internet to get that internet connection to get it installed (99% of the time) so this creates a stale mate or catch 22 situation.

you have to get rfkill installed so you can check it and change in order to get to the internet but you cannot get to the internet because rfkill is preventing you from connecting to the internet but you have to have a internet connection to get rfkill installed so you can change it so rfkill will let you into the internet but rfkill will not let you so your dead in the water.

talk about a dog that does not even have a tail to chase. you just stuck in the mud.

but he prob is right rfkill has you blocked if you have your drivers installed (properly).

I do not know if I installed it in Slack or not, but I have it so I might just have found someone that actually did something right with the system they put out to the public to use.

Code:

userx@slackwhere⚡~/Downloads/wmgtemp-1.2 $sudo rfkill list
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
        Soft blocked: no
        Hard blocked: no
1: hci0: Bluetooth
        Soft blocked: no
        Hard blocked: no

BW-userx · 03-31-2017, 09:36 AM

wait - that is not rfkill. I just reread your situation.

Code:

I recently installed Slackware 14.2 on an older Dell b130 laptop with the broadcom b43
 wifi card. This card worked with no problems in 14.1 but now it won't stay connected.
 It will connect for a few seconds then disconnect.

it keeps dropping the line.

1.
have you tired a different provider or if wifi @ home -- humm reset your router -- I think that is a - "other side" situation. they are providing a bad link so it drops and resets. if at home your signal is being lost. could try checking for a lose wire too. unplug it and plug it back in.

2.
could try creating a new user and se if it does that to him or her as well.

3.
delete the home config files or rename them (if any exist) to prevent loss if needed to put them back. and restart your system. log out and back in again or reboot. login to let the network manager re create whatever it needs to use for that user.

mmmm

what else can one do? anyone...

hazel · 03-31-2017, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx

you have to get rfkill installed so you can check it and change in order to get to the internet but you cannot get to the internet because rfkill is preventing you from connecting to the internet but you have to have a internet connection to get rfkill installed so you can change it so rfkill will let you into the internet but rfkill will not let you so your dead in the water.

That's why most laptops have an ethernet port!

Paulo2 · 03-31-2017, 11:12 AM

Just

OP posted
"I've installed the correct drivers(b43 fwcutter and the firmware) which is the same as I've used in previous Slack versions."
I don't know if this is the case, but it's better build those packages for the actual Slackware version.

About rfkill:
it has soft and hard blocks. Hard block, at least for my hardware, is for the physical button that my notebook has (HP Compaq Presario).
Soft block, I didn't know about it until -current and some search that led me to rfkill.

BW-userx · 03-31-2017, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

That's why most laptops have an ethernet port!

that only helps if you got a cable and somewhere else to plug it into else it too is useless. like mine is.

it is not like they cannot include that pkg in the install -- after all it has the protocol stopping one from using their connections.

it is ridiculous to not have rfkill the pkg be installed.

akmar1 · 03-31-2017, 11:53 AM

I ran rfkill list and it reports that wireless LAN is neither Hard or Soft blocked. I can't figure out why it works after rebooting from Mint, but won't if booted directly into Slackware. The wifi active light is on on the computer, my router is visible on the available list, it connects momentarily and then disconnects. I also set up an ad-hoc network on a different computer and it will connect to that for about 15 seconds and then drops again.

Weirdness.

BW-userx · 03-31-2017, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akmar1

I ran rfkill list and it reports that wireless LAN is neither Hard or Soft blocked. I can't figure out why it works after rebooting from Mint, but won't if booted directly into Slackware. The wifi active light is on on the computer, my router is visible on the available list, it connects momentarily and then disconnects. I also set up an ad-hoc network on a different computer and it will connect to that for about 15 seconds and then drops again.

Weirdness.

slack: are you using networkmanager and have you chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager . I think you had to have but it is a process we are going through here.

you could try removing network manager and reinstalling it.

Code:

removepkg networkmanager
installpkg /path/to/networkmanager.x.x.x.tgz

/media/slack-mirror/slackware64-14.2/slackware64/xap/network-manager-applet-1.2.2-x86_64-1.txz

that is mine.

IT ALSO might be that your driver is outdated if you are using the same one you did in 14.1 . now it is 14.2 sooooo maybe looking into an updated source for it will be a good thing.

Shadow_7 · 03-31-2017, 12:22 PM

Normally when connectivity works, but is quirky, it's the firmware. Have you tried the other firmware versions?

https://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/

I have an old dell inspiron 1130 that works with this firmware:

https://downloads.openwrt.org/source...0.10.5.tar.bz2

But debian grabs this firmware by default:

https://downloads.openwrt.org/source...00.138.tar.bz2

And to make things more difficult, the b43-fwcutter program in debian wheezy works great with --unsupported for the needed firmware. Where the jessie version seems to have removed the --unsupported option.

-----

Short answer, use the firmware from your previous functional install. Normally located under /lib/firmware/b43/ or /lib/firmware/brcm/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIF-rqvBUHI

The video I made for the process on my old dell. The backlight for the screen burnt out on that laptop so I'm not using it much, but it still works.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 03-31-2017, 01:32 PM

Did you check the box (All users may connect to this network)?

akmar1 · 03-31-2017, 01:41 PM

Thanks for all the replies on this, but still no joy. Right now I'm connected wirelessly with a USB Wireless dongle and it has no problems, so that shows that NetworkManager is working properly. I agree, as Shadow 7 posted, that it has to be a firmware problem, but it's the same firmware and computer that I've always used with Slackware. What's changed? I have no idea.

For now I'll just keep using the USB dongle, but when something like this happens, it drives me NUTS!

akmar1 · 03-31-2017, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PROBLEMCHYLD

Did you check the box (All users may connect to this network)?

Yes I did.

BW-userx · 03-31-2017, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akmar1

it's the same firmware and computer that I've always used with Slackware. What's changed? I have no idea.

14.1 --> 14.2 that has changed = everything got updated. except your drivers for your wifi HW?

yes | no

igadoter · 03-31-2017, 02:17 PM

Please post the output of 'lsmod', install rfkill utility and post output of 'rfkill' command. Look at wpa_cli maybe there are problems with authorization, iwconfig. What kind of dirver are you using for wpa_supplicant? Are you using Network Manager or wicd? Maybe try to stop using hardware proprietary driver? My wifi card the same as yours works quite well on open driver.

Code:

$ lmsod | grep `everything about my wifi'
Module                  Size  Used by
b43                   342156  0 
b44                    23779  0 
bcma                   25725  1 b43
mac80211              373974  1 b43
cfg80211              321151  2 b43,mac80211
ssb_hcd                 1929  0 
ssb                    45260  3 b43,b44,ssb_hcd
mmc_core               78434  2 b43,ssb
hp_wmi                  6032  0 
sparse_keymap           2542  1 hp_wmi
rfkill                 12610  3 cfg80211,hp_wmi
mii                     3335  1 b44
pcmcia                 30709  2 b43,ssb
wmi                     7059  1 hp_wmi

here hp stands for Hewlett-Pacard, I am running old Compaq nx7500.