# ndiswrapper/b43, which should I use?

## Kobin

I am unsure how I should get wireless working for my laptop with a Broadcom BCM94311CG wlan mini-PCI.

I have previously used the b43 driver with Ubuntu, but I had problems with connecting to WPA. And as far I understand from this howto 

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-547687.html

I will have to use the b43-fwcutter which I can not just emerge as suggested in this how to since it is (masked by: ~x86 keyword).

The best experience has been with ndiswrapper for this card, but unless I have misunderstood something I will need a different kernel for that?

http://kerneltrap.org/Linux/NDISwrapper_and_the_GPL?page=1

I am using the standard gentoo-sources with genkernel.

So of course I would like ndiswrapper working but I don't know if it is worth the effort to change the kernel.

If I have misunderstood this problem please let me know....

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## code933k

Use whatever works better for you. In my recent experience b43 works better 

than ndiswrapper (speed of connection, range, and so forth).

I used ndiswrapper previously because the interruptions requested by synaptics

driver were interfering with the wireless ones (deprecated bcm43). But then

with b43 it is working just fine. I think that your older distribution used bcm43

not b43. I don't know.

Do remember that Gentoo provides a patched kernel (a different one). 

If you want to try just unmask the fwcutter and check that you have at least a 2.6.25.x

series installed firstly. It should work with 2.6.24.x though higher firmware versions

require highest kernel versions. 

Good luck.

ps:// Broadcom Corporation BCM4318

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## F_

Have you read this thread?

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## Kobin

I have gentoo-sources-2.6.24-r8 installed, since it is the newest one in portage on my computer...

How do I install a newer one? Or where can I read about that?Last edited by Kobin on Mon May 19, 2008 12:49 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## IvanMajhen

Don't know about 4311 card, but i have 4318 and it works perfectly with b43. I can even see and connect to networks that i can't in XP or Leopard. At least try it and report bugs to bcm43xx-dev list.

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## Kobin

How can I install a newer kernel and is it a good idea.

It seems to me that to get my wireless working with b43 I would either need older firmware or a newer kernel than the one that is default in portage. And I am wondering about if it is wise to do it for stability

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## IvanMajhen

Yes it is. Just do:

```
emerge --sync

ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86" emerge gentoo-sources
```

Then compile it.

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## Kobin

Ok I will try to install the newer kernel.

Thanks for the advice!

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## Kobin

I have installed 2.6.25-r4 and used b43-fwcutter-011.

It seems to work ok but after a while the network is suddenly down. And I have to restart the connection.

I would like to use the b43 driver instead of ndiswrapper if it is possible to make it work better.

Any ideas?

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## code933k

What firmware version do you used?

Check out with another version closer to that one.

But firstly, if you are using WPA through wpa_supplicant

you should issue 

```
wpa_cli status
```

 (as super user) and paste here your output.

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## Kobin

I am using broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5 as recommended here:

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#fw-b43-new

And I have not yet used wpa_supplicant but have connected to my WEP like this:

```
]ifconfig wlan0 up

iwconfig wlan0 essid "MyNetwork"

iwconfig wlan0 ap auto

iwconfig wlan0 key open "MyKey"

dhcpcd wlan0
```

I have also installed ndiswrapper just to be sure that I have a internet connection.. And I remember to blacklist b43 and ssb when using ndiswrapper and the other way around as well.

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