BC4311 on Arch linux

Lincon · 06-28-2019, 04:51 AM

Hello everyone,,
I have just installed arch linux and I can get the wireless going. When I use lspci I can see the wireless card
lsmod | grep | b43
b43legacy 110592 0
ssb 57344 1 b43legacy
mac80211 581632 1 b43legacy
cfg80211 418888 2 mac80211,b43legacy
led_class 16384 2 b43leagacy,input_leds
rng_core 16384 1 b43legacy

when I ip link only shows loop back and ethernet port
how do I get the wlan to load

slackware-current · 06-28-2019, 09:22 AM

b43 legacy has two options yes the module is there. But the firmware is not loading.
I would open a termenal run.

Code:

dmesg | grep error

If the firmware isn't loaded the radio part of the device isn't working.
You see that firmware is free to the user. But the container firmware-cutter.
It is a propritory program but can be run by the user not distributed.
But The new kernels today Blacklist the bcm4311 and use the open source
one.
This is the way to go.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Broadcom_wireless

business_kid · 06-28-2019, 09:24 AM

BC4311? That's close on 15 years old.

You need firmware, and probably don't have it. The idea was that everything was programmed, but now they use firmware so they can update the firmware if/when there's a security breach.

Anyhow, as an ex-owner of one of those, the bc4311 got junked from the kernel about 2015. Older kernels had a /lib/firmware/b43 directory, and you need that stuff.

ondoho · 06-28-2019, 03:25 PM

Do you realise that you wrote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lincon

I have just installed arch linux and I can get the wireless going.

???

Anyhow, I'm guessing that you wouldn't have started this thread if you wouldn't have any problems with your wifi.
Looking at this:

Quote:

Note:
BCM4306 rev.3, BCM4311, BCM4312 and BCM4318 rev.2 have been noticed to experience problems with b43-firmware. Use b43-firmware-classic (AUR) for these cards instead.

If that doesn't help either, provide the output requested here.

Timothy Miller · 07-06-2019, 10:09 PM

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business_kid · 07-07-2019, 03:20 AM

The b43 ran for me on b43 firmware, (wp_apasta.o, etc. It took 4 or 5 ucodes), and I didn't need b43-legacy. I can supply the directory if required.