Optimistic Rookie chooses Slackware as first Linux distribution : Broadcom 802.11b/g [4311] rev 01 issue. Uncertain.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 06-19-2017, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjhambrick

Cellar_Dweller --

This line:

Code:

0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

Means that PROBLEMCHYLD nailed it ... you'll want to install the two SlackBuilds he referenced:

-- kjh

P.S. yes, sometimes getting text off a Box without a network can be quite a task

Yes, I'm trying to save'em time from butchering the system. Once I started blacklisting stuff, it made matters worse. I learned a lot from clean installs.

Code:

00:00.0 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:00.1 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 0 (rev a2)
00:00.2 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 1 (rev a2)
00:00.3 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 5 (rev a2)
00:00.4 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 4 (rev a2)
00:00.5 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:00.6 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 3 (rev a2)
00:00.7 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation C51 Memory Controller 2 (rev a2)
00:02.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
00:03.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation C51 [GeForce Go 6150] (rev a2)
00:09.0 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:0a.0 ISA bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 LPC Bridge (rev a3)
00:0a.1 SMBus: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 SMBus (rev a3)
00:0a.3 Co-processor: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 PMU (rev a3)
00:0b.0 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a3)
00:0b.1 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a3)
00:0d.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 IDE (rev f1)
00:0e.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Serial ATA Controller (rev f1)
00:10.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 PCI Bridge (rev a2)
00:10.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 High Definition Audio (rev a2)
00:14.0 Bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP51 Ethernet Controller (rev a3)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
01:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
05:09.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller
05:09.1 SD Host controller: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 19)
05:09.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter (rev 0a)
05:09.3 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller (rev 05)

Cellar_Dweller · 06-19-2017, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjhambrick

Cellar_Dweller --

This line:

Code:

0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

Means that PROBLEMCHYLD nailed it ... you'll want to install the two SlackBuilds he referenced:

-- kjh

P.S. yes, sometimes getting text off a Box without a network can be quite a task

Thank you for your reply.
I had a feeling that PROBLEMCHYLD may have been right.
I installed both of these SlackBuilds, to no avail.
Could it be that module b43 is blacklisted somewhere?
I have no idea where to look for such blacklist. I deleted the blacklist
that I was aware of, as PROBLEMCHYLD said.

I'm still thumbing around and hoping for the best.

PROBLEMCHYLD · 06-19-2017, 07:45 PM

I suggest this,

1. Build and install both packages from the links above.

2. Run these commands

Code:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager
/etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager start
nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/00-dhcp-client.conf

3. Edit 00-dhcp-client.conf to look like this. Reboot and you should have wifi.

Code:

[main]
# Choose a DHCP client below.  Upstream recommends dhclient, but results may vary.
# dhcpcd is the DHCP client usually used by Slackware:
# dhcp=dhcpcd
# dhclient is the ISC reference DHCP client, part of the dhcp package:
dhcp=dhclient
# This is a simple DHCP client that is built into NetworkManager:
# dhcp=internal

I don't know what have been blacklisted you could have a corrupt driver etc... I follow the same protocol every installation. It never fails on my end.

Cellar_Dweller · 06-20-2017, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PROBLEMCHYLD

I suggest this,

1. Build and install both packages from the links above.

2. Run these commands

Code:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager
/etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager start
nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/00-dhcp-client.conf

3. Edit 00-dhcp-client.conf to look like this. Reboot and you should have wifi.

Code:

[main]
# Choose a DHCP client below.  Upstream recommends dhclient, but results may vary.
# dhcpcd is the DHCP client usually used by Slackware:
# dhcp=dhcpcd
# dhclient is the ISC reference DHCP client, part of the dhcp package:
dhcp=dhclient
# This is a simple DHCP client that is built into NetworkManager:
# dhcp=internal

I don't know what have been blacklisted you could have a corrupt driver etc... I follow the same protocol every installation. It never fails on my end.

Thanks for the instructions. After installing the SlackBuilds that were recommended, I used lsmod | grep b43 to find out if the b43 module was active. It was not! Whenever I start up my computer, it suppresses the b43 module. Now each time I enter my computer, I sign in as root and modprobe b43. That action turns my WiFi on. Now I am just trying to figure out how to configure the network properly. I want to be absolutely sure that I have a secure connection. Whenever I try to use mirrors.slackware.com to obtain a new gpg key it rejects my access saying something like:

Code:

wget: Could not resolve host. Connection refused.

I'm hoping once I figure this portion out I will be able to secure my connections and safely browse the internet using Konqueror.

-CD

Richard Cranium · 06-20-2017, 08:38 PM

If your access point doesn't provide a DNS resolver, you'll have to configure one.

ReaperX7 · 06-20-2017, 09:43 PM

If b43-firmware and b43-fwcutter won't load the appropriate b43 driver, there is an alternative as sometimes the b43 and brcm80211 often will not work for a number of reasons.

SlackBuilds.org also contains a buildscript to create a package for the broadcom-sta driver, which often is a little more comprehensive in device coverage and is known to work with wifi+bluetooth cards.

The Broadcom-sta driver is the official OEM driver from Broadcom. SlackBuilds.org has the installation instruction and buildscripts here:

http://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.../broadcom-sta/

Usually you can get b43 or brcm80211 to work, but if they fail, this is the best approach. Best of luck with Slackware and your system.

As far as setting up the IP and DNS addressing, I opt usually for NetworkManager. It just simply works.

jhsdcsjdcvbdj · 06-25-2017, 10:52 PM

DW still a noob here as well.

It's awesome here, cause i just look up my old posts and voila.
I remember again.

Cellar_Dweller · 07-02-2017, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PROBLEMCHYLD

I suggest this,

1. Build and install both packages from the links above.

2. Run these commands

Code:

chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager
/etc/rc.d/rc.networkmanager start
nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/00-dhcp-client.conf

3. Edit 00-dhcp-client.conf to look like this. Reboot and you should have wifi.

Code:

[main]
# Choose a DHCP client below.  Upstream recommends dhclient, but results may vary.
# dhcpcd is the DHCP client usually used by Slackware:
# dhcp=dhcpcd
# dhclient is the ISC reference DHCP client, part of the dhcp package:
dhcp=dhclient
# This is a simple DHCP client that is built into NetworkManager:
# dhcp=internal

I don't know what have been blacklisted you could have a corrupt driver etc... I follow the same protocol every installation. It never fails on my end.

I'd like to thank you again for this advice.
I followed the instructions exactly as posted, but my WiFi issue is still a mystery.
I broke down and connected my laptop to an ethernet cable just so I could update the gpg.
It worked, but I'm still trying to figure out the problem with my WiFi.
Thus far:
Upon each boot/reboot I have to modprobe b43 to enable WiFi.
When using KDE and NetworkManager to scan and connect, no combination of
settings has worked so far. NetworkManager is simple and straight forward but I still can't connect.
I have attempted to edit /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf several different ways to no avail.
This includes using passphrase to assist in generating a wpa_supplicant configuration.
A few errors that I have become familiar with through this exploration are:
1) Network Unreachable.
2) Waiting for carrier (followed by a timeout)
I would have sworn that dhclient would have worked.
However, it times out before any connection is made.
Could this be an issue with my router?
My tampering in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf?

Thanks for all your help.

Cellar_Dweller · 07-02-2017, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhsdcsjdcvbdj

DW still a noob here as well.

It's awesome here, cause i just look up my old posts and voila.
I remember again.

I suppose that is definitely helpful!
I often have to look back on questions that I asked ages ago.

bassmadrigal · 07-02-2017, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cellar_Dweller

Could this be an issue with my router?

It's certainly possible, but I imagine it isn't as likely (assuming you don't have anything like MAC address filtering on there).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cellar_Dweller

My tampering in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf?

Your rc.inet1.conf should be unedited if you're using Network Manager or wicd. If you've made changes to it, it could prevent either of those clients from working. To reset it, you can run netconfig and select loopback. From there, just rerun netconfig and then select Network Manager and see if you get further.

As to needing to modprobe after every boot, I'm wondering if it is trying to load an incompatible module. Before you run that modprobe, what is the output of the following:

Code:

lspci -k | grep -iA3 net

enorbet · 07-02-2017, 06:52 PM

Just for starters I'm something of a mirror image of OP. I have 15 years solid experience with Slackware but very limited experience with Laptops and WiFi. Recently I bought an older IBM Thinkpad T60 and somewhat boldly and stupidly wiped the Win XP install and installed Slack. I say stupidly because I later discovered it was the OEM install and had a lot of important utilities and information regarding T60 operation, including information on the wifi nic and even how to turn it on and off... now all gone.

So I started from scratch. To cut to the chase I googled what WiFi Nic it was and how to install the proper firmware module, turn off /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1 and substitute WICD. However I first needed WiFi Radar to get powered up and confirm WiFi was even working. Then WICD worked and I was able to connect and after that first time I can see the WiFi light go on automatically anytime it boots.

I can't say this was efficient let alone proper, just that it worked for me flying one-eyed if not blind at least as far as WiFi in Laptops goes. Now it's perfect.

glorsplitz · 07-02-2017, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet

and somewhat boldly and stupidly wiped the Win XP install and installed Slack.

I would have done the same thing, best way I learn and figure things out.

Cellar_Dweller · 07-03-2017, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassmadrigal

It's certainly possible, but I imagine it isn't as likely (assuming you don't have anything like MAC address filtering on there).

Your rc.inet1.conf should be unedited if you're using Network Manager or wicd. If you've made changes to it, it could prevent either of those clients from working. To reset it, you can run netconfig and select loopback. From there, just rerun netconfig and then select Network Manager and see if you get further.

As to needing to modprobe after every boot, I'm wondering if it is trying to load an incompatible module. Before you run that modprobe, what is the output of the following:

Code:

lspci -k | grep -iA3 net

Hello! I tried what you recommended. I set the network to a loopback, but network manager refuses to connect.
Specifically, it tries configuring the interface wlan0 then fails saying "not connected".
I got it to go to step 2 "obtaining an IP address" which failed with the same error.
Here is the output of the command you supplied before I probed module b43,
however I'd like to point out that the output was the same after I probed it.

Code:

09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5752 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Dell Device 01cc
	Kernel driver in use: tg3
	Kernel modules: tg3
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb, wl

Thanks in advance for the advice. I am glad that everyone here is patient with my inability.

Cellar_Dweller · 07-03-2017, 06:43 PM

Additionally, it may be worthwhile to mention the following:

-My Network Manager puts a little red shield over the connection I am trying to reach.
When hovering this red shield is says that the security is not recognized.
A few other signals appear which have green shields and would happily accept passwords from me.

-My router operates in a DHCP mode, but as in the aforesaid troubleshooting that topic didn't
seem to work.

Regards,

CD

glorsplitz · 07-03-2017, 09:36 PM

Around 2010 I removed the wired nic from an IBM a21m ThinkPad, added a wireless card, did the slackbuilds PROBLEMCHYLD recommended, configured /etc/resolv.conf, configured /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf, created a /etc/rc.d/rc.start_wireless script and was networked without NetworkManager.

Worked fine for years until the stupid thinkpad kept shutting off.

Not sure where I found what information I needed to do all that, probably searching LQ threads.