Unable to get wireless working on Dell Inspiron 1501

arubin · 12-19-2009, 02:22 PM

I have a new installation of slackware64 13 on a Dell inspiron I cannot get wireless working. Previously on 12.0 I did have it working with ndiswrpper but I thought I would get it working with the broadcom drivers.

This is what I have

Quote:

root@MouseCottage:/home/alan# lsmod
Module Size Used by
radeon 152384 2
drm 168128 3 radeon
snd_seq_dummy 3172 0
snd_seq_oss 33536 0
snd_seq_midi_event 7264 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 56320 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 7188 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss 42976 0
snd_mixer_oss 16768 1 snd_pcm_oss
rfkill_input 6688 0
ipv6 288704 16
cpufreq_ondemand 8016 1
powernow_k8 13764 1
freq_table 4160 2 cpufreq_ondemand,powernow_k8
ppdev 8488 0
lp 11972 0
parport_pc 28200 0
parport 36752 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
fuse 60096 3
b43 140072 0
mac80211 171288 1 b43
cfg80211 42064 2 b43,mac80211
joydev 11968 0
input_polldev 3952 1 b43
snd_hda_codec_idt 68256 1
snd_hda_intel 27176 2
snd_hda_codec 60192 2 snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel
ohci_hcd 27644 0
sdhci_pci 8384 0
b44 31504 0
sdhci 17700 1 sdhci_pci
wl 1280320 0
video 20148 0
ssb 45476 3 b43,ohci_hcd,b44
mmc_core 52192 1 sdhci
output 3136 1 video
snd_hwdep 8456 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 80872 3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
snd_timer 22256 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
pcmcia 36824 2 b43,ssb
dell_laptop 4376 0
ricoh_mmc 4192 0
rtc_cmos 11928 0
snd 65000 15 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda _codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_timer
rtc_core 19652 1 rtc_cmos
i2c_piix4 10448 0
rtc_lib 2880 1 rtc_core
rfkill 11316 4 rfkill_input,b43,dell_laptop
pcmcia_core 36804 3 b43,ssb,pcmcia
mii 5216 1 b44
thermal 18880 0
wmi 7456 0
processor 43960 2 powernow_k8,thermal
battery 12488 0
led_class 4360 2 b43,sdhci
button 7328 0
ac 5000 0
thermal_sys 13088 3 video,thermal,processor
soundcore 7168 1 snd
i2c_core 23680 2 drm,i2c_piix4
ehci_hcd 39244 0
k8temp 5344 0
dcdbas 8848 1 dell_laptop
psmouse 46748 0
shpchp 36124 0
snd_page_alloc 9616 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
lib80211 6308 1 wl
hwmon 2728 2 thermal_sys,k8temp
sg 29920 0
serio_raw 6116 0
evdev 11392 11
ext3 139408 1
jbd 48520 1 ext3
mbcache 8068 1 ext3
root@MouseCottage:/home/alan# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 Host Bridge (rev 10)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge
00:05.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge
00:06.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RS480 PCI Bridge
00:12.0 SATA controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 Non-Raid-5 SATA
00:13.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI0)
00:13.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI1)
00:13.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI2)
00:13.3 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI3)
00:13.4 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB (OHCI4)
00:13.5 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 USB Controller (EHCI)
00:14.0 SMBus: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 SMBus Controller (rev 13)
00:14.1 IDE interface: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 IDE
00:14.2 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SB600 PCI to LPC Bridge
00:14.4 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RS482 [Radeon Xpress 200M]
05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
08:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (rev 02)
08:01.0 SD Host controller: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 19)
08:01.1 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C843 MMC Host Controller (rev 01)

ifconfig gives

Quote:

root@MouseCottage:/home/alan# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:19:b9:80:00:d4
inet addr:169.254.139.27 Bcast:169.254.255.255 Mask:255.255.0.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING 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:21

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:20 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:20 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:1000 (1000.0 B) TX bytes:1000 (1000.0 B)

root@MouseCottage:/home/alan# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1c:26:1a:8d:8b
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)

root@MouseCottage:/home/alan# ifconfig wlan0 up
SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory

I have also tried editing rc.inet1.conf but have got nowhere. What do I need to do?

AutoBot · 12-19-2009, 04:09 PM

If you can't get it working with the b43 module which seems to be functional with try the b44.

Have you tried to associate with your router yet? What are you using to manage your wifi security?

AutoBot · 12-19-2009, 04:10 PM

You need to try sudo ifconfig wlan0 down and then sudo rmmod b43 then sudo ifconfig wlan0 up.

arubin · 12-19-2009, 05:08 PM

Quote:

try the b44.

How would I do that?

Quote:

Have you tried to associate with your router yet?

I don't think there is anything there to associate with my router.

Quote:

ifconfig wlan0 down

ERROR: While getting interface flags. No such device

Quote:

rmmod b43

ERROR: Module b43 does not exist in /proc/modules

AutoBot · 12-19-2009, 05:55 PM

Ok you have serious problems then, the output of your lsmod shows b44 module is loaded and the b43 module also....this is not right. Also the output of your ifconfig clearly shows wlan0.

Those commands need root privileges, that's why I put sudo in front of them.

arubin · 12-20-2009, 02:50 AM

I think b44 is for the ethernet card

I have been doing all this after su to root

I have now tried ndiswrapper and still no joy. I am getting 'wlan0 not found'

AutoBot · 12-20-2009, 02:55 AM

Read this bug report and ensuing commentary.

AutoBot · 12-20-2009, 02:58 AM

I hate broadcom.

arubin · 12-20-2009, 05:03 AM

Thanks for all that but I have got it working.

I installed b43-fwcutter and the firmware driver from slackbuilds, ran fwcutter and rebooted.

The wireless came up as eth1

AutoBot · 12-20-2009, 05:09 AM

It could be helpful to others if you posted how you came to that conclusion.

Geriao · 12-20-2009, 07:57 AM

Indeed, I'm having a similar problem. I have a Broadcom 4311 Wireless card, on a Dell Inspiron 1525, and I know that it should appear as eth1 (as it is working on my Ubuntu), but only lo and eth0 when I use ifconfig -a.
I'm new to Slackware and still can't figure quite how to use drivers and modules... Where should I look?

arubin · 12-20-2009, 08:03 AM

Do you have wireless working at all in Slackware?

Do you have b43-fwcutter and the firmware installed?

grissiom · 12-20-2009, 08:50 AM

Hey guys, the kernel module for wireless card should be b43. b44 is the module for *wired* card.... I use DELL 1501 too

After installed b43 firmware stuff from SBo ( http://slackbuilds.org/result/?search=b43&sv=13.0 ), I use the card for years without problem.... BTW, I have no idea why your wireless interface is eth0. It will be wlan0 here all the time... (I use wicd to configure the network

)

arubin · 12-20-2009, 09:49 AM

A summary of today's odyssey

A new installation of slackware 64 13 on our laptop. Wireless did not appear to be working.

Actually the LED for wireless was off and I have not yet discovered how to control it on linux but a quick boot into windows and it was on again.

I installed broadcom-sta from slackbuilds but that did not seem to help (possibly made things worse)

ifwconfig showed that wireless was associated with eth1 but

iwconfig eth1 essid ******
iwconfig eth1 key restricted *****
iwconfig eth1 mode managed
ifconfig eth1 up

did not seem to get me anywhere. I had a look in dmesg and noticed an message about absent b43 drivers so I installed b43-fwcutter and b43-firmware from slackbuilds. Then

b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware/ b43-fwcutter/wl_apsta-3.130.20.0.o

reboot and I after the sequence of iwconfig and dhcpcd I did have wireless working.

The next problem was inconsistent naming of the wireless interface. I might have this sorted out - see http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...14#post3798914

Geriao · 12-20-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arubin

Do you have wireless working at all in Slackware?

Do you have b43-fwcutter and the firmware installed?

No. I know my wireless card should show as eth1 (eth0 is wired), but it doesn't when I use ifconfig or iwconfig.
If I use lspci, it shows up.

I was looking on my Ubuntu, it seems that it uses the broadcom-sta driver you mentioned. I'll try to install from slackbuilds and see if it works...