can't get ndiswrapper to work on any version of ubuntu for Broadcom wireless

phxheat08 · 11-25-2008, 10:14 PM

I have downloaded the ndiswrapper for the Broadcom wireless NIC and tried several times to compile it and get it working. I keep getting a failure notice but not enough information to tell why and where and what failed! Has anyone successfully installed ndiswrapper in ubuntu? I started trying back on 7.04, then 8.04 and now 8.10 and nothing has changed. I sure would like to go wireless on this laptop.

handydan · 11-25-2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phxheat08

I have downloaded the ndiswrapper for the Broadcom wireless NIC and tried several times to compile it and get it working. I keep getting a failure notice but not enough information to tell why and where and what failed! Has anyone successfully installed ndiswrapper in ubuntu? I started trying back on 7.04, then 8.04 and now 8.10 and nothing has changed. I sure would like to go wireless on this laptop.

Why in the world would you compile it? ndiswrapper should be in the repositories...

Larry Webb · 11-25-2008, 11:05 PM

For us to be able to help you we need more information. Which broadcom card do you have? Are you going to use ubuntu 8.10.?

Cichlid · 11-26-2008, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phxheat08

... Has anyone successfully installed ndiswrapper in ubuntu? I started trying back on 7.04, then 8.04 and now 8.10 and nothing has changed. I sure would like to go wireless on this laptop.

As already stated, you can install ndiswrapper through the package manager. There are also plenty of sites with intructions on how to get a broadcomm to work in Ubuntu. Check out the Ubuntu forum, there are some great articles there.

Good luck

phxheat08 · 11-26-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handydan

Why in the world would you compile it? ndiswrapper should be in the repositories...

I downloaded the tar ball and it requires going through all of the normal build steps (install, run install, etc.). Where can I download it from a repository????

phxheat08 · 11-26-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cichlid

As already stated, you can install ndiswrapper through the package manager. There are also plenty of sites with intructions on how to get a broadcomm to work in Ubuntu. Check out the Ubuntu forum, there are some great articles there.

Good luck

I thought this WAS the ubuntu forum? I actually did find some interesting articles and am anxious to try one in particular. I have downloaded the article and want to call it up in my Ubuntu box and test it. Hopefully this will fix the issue. I had hoped that the upgrade to 8.10 included the ndiswrapper but it did not. thanks for your help, all of you that responded.

Cichlid · 11-26-2008, 03:12 PM

Do a search from Broadcomm wifi here.
http://ubuntuforums.org/

PTrenholme · 11-26-2008, 05:18 PM

I believe that Ubuntu automatically installs the b43 FOSS Broadcom driver(s) for BCM43xx Broadcom chipsets. If that's correct (and I haven't verified that is is), then ndiswrapper will never work 'till you balcklist the b43 driver. (More than one driver for the same hardware is a disaster unless both drives can, and do, use shared memory for the device events.)