# Broadcom 440 Onboard nic on Asus A7V8X KT400

## raid517

Hi, sorry for the near double post, but I think I posted this on the wrong thread originally. My problem is that have had big problems getting networking running on this new system I have just built.. I have a Broadcom onboard nic and I connect to the net via a modem router via a PPTP VPN, or virtual private network. Since I have tended always to dual boot with Windows for games etc, I can say in Windows it is a complete breeze to configure. But as usual with Linux its a whole different story. Don't get me wrong, once you've overcome all your problems linux is generally worthwhile. But it sure can be a painful process getting there... 

All views are welcome. Has ayone ever done this before? and if so what are the steps involved? I need to do this is if I even want to have a hope of building from stage 1 for emerge...

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## jkcunningham

I have Gentoo working with the broadcom chipset on an ASUS 87V8X - probably the same board. There was a little fooling around to get it working, but it wasn't too bad. As I recall I never could get it working as a module, but it works fine when compiled into the kernel. Just select it under Network Devices. 

Also, here are a couple links I found useful:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=53738&highlight=bcm4400

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=46649&highlight=bcm4400

It is interesting that at the time I installed Gentoo on that machine, I was able to emerge the bcm4400 driver, but now it says its masked. 

Regards,

-Jeff

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## raid517

Erm where exactly in the kernel is that? I looked and couldnn't find it. Forgive me for sounding dumb too, but how could you use emerge if you needed to get your network running first in order to use emerge? Sounds like a chicken and egg for me. It may be too much to ask, but is there any possibility you could give me  a brief breakdown of the exact steps you took? Also to be clear I have to connect through a router/adsl modem via a VPN, do you know how to do this? Even if I can get the driver up and running, its the VPN part that worries me.

I read those threads and they are very helpful, but they don't quite cover that. BTW if I wanted to read a web page in text format from the live CD stored on a floppy disk, can I do that? If so how? I don't print much stuff, so have no use for a printer and need to be able to easily refer back to the instructions. Also, what is the included text editor in the live CD?

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## raid517

Oh and BTW thanks very much for your response.  :Smile: 

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## weazy

text editor: nano

kernel: networking devices

text browser: lynx

the vpn: shouldnt cause a problem if it permits network traffic to the Internet

the livecd loads the basic generic drivers to allow you to emerge on the net.Last edited by weazy on Sun May 25, 2003 7:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## raid517

Ok as far as the VPN goes, its just me and my one computer connected to it. (Its not really a network as such, its just me connected to my router and that's just the way it likes to be set up). So there is no additional traffic to the net beyond what I'm doing. Another problem is my ISP still requires me to log in with a user name and password. Are you saying the VPN will be automatically configured (which would be soooo cool) and I wouldn't need to specifiy it as a VPN connection?. It seems to have detected my network ok. (I'm thinking pre-emptively, as I haven't attempting installing yet). Also, how whould I enter my name and log on details and have them saved so I wouldn't have to keep entering them in the future?

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## raid517

Ok I kind of answered that question about  password and stuff... I read the instructions (now there's a revolution). But I'm a bit stuck, its asking for my password and user name via  PPPoE and not PPTP VPN. Also the PPPoE setup asks for my primary DNS server. I don't have any information about any DNS servers. I looked at my modem configuration and it doesn't have this info either. Does this mean that this information will automatically be supplied by my ISP's server? (Given that PPPoE is in any case not relevant to me).

If I could do this in gentoo, set up my network that is, I think I would definately fall in love with it. Everything I have read so far has only been good... (Indeed the reason I got DSL was to try Gentoo).

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## jkcunningham

When you boot of the LiveCD you are running a special kernel that has all the ethernet modules precompiled and available to it. I don't know what algorithm they use to figure out which is the right one, but it probably a process of polling the hardware and trial and error. In any event, what you are emerging during the install are modules for your kernel, not the one on the cdrom. You would think that the information figured out from the one would be passed on to the other, but it isn't. Maybe there's a good reason, or maybe no one has gotten around to adding that feature yet. 

I'm looking through my notes from the install. I see that I figured out the module I needed while booted off teh LiveCD by looking at the output of "lsmod" which showed me that the ethernet module it was using was bcm4400. Then I tried selecting it in the makeconfig as a module (M), recompiled the kernel and emerged bcm4400, put it in the /etc/modules.autoload, and launched it with "modprobe bcm4400", but  it didn't work. Then I tried compiling into the kernel (*) directly. (Note: I'm using the gentoo-sources kernel.) I restored modules.autoload to the way it was before, ran "rc-update add net.eth0 default" and "/etc/init.d/net.eth0 start" and it worked. From my notes, it looks like I may not have done this last step which could explain why I couldn't load it as a module. Anyway, here is the sequence as best I can reconstruct:

# cd /usr/src/linux

# make menuconfig

(pick (*) bcm4400 support)

make dep && make clean bzImage modules modules_install

# cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot

# nano -w /etc/conf.d/net

(make sure iface_eth0="dhcp")

# rc-update add net.eth0 default

# ./net.eth0 start

Try something like that. 

-Jeff

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## raid517

That's real helpful, but in RC4 my network, such as it is was autodetected. That is all of the drivers already appear to be in place. My problem is that the only connection option appears to be over PPoE and not PPTP VPN, this means that it is not obvious at this time to me as to how I can establish a connection.  If someone can explain this step to me, I'm sure I can make great progress on my own. Might I just say thanks for responding to this issue, it was speaking with some of the other members of this forum that originally encouraged me to try gentoo.

Having said this you would think that as an almost exclusively network based distribution, Getoo would take all possible network conditions into consideration. I have looked around the web and there is a fair bit of work being done with Linux PPP VPN connections (though I have opted to abandon innitial attempts to get this configuration running under Red Hat, in favour of Gentoo exactly because it is at least able to auto detect my network, something that Red Hat failed miserably at).

Basically to cut a long story short, I need to establish a PPTP VPN connection  and be able to enter my username and password details so that I can connect to my ISP. The question is, how exactly do I do that?

Answer that and all my problems will be solved.  :Wink: 

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## raid517

Well I have read around the net a bit and it seem it is possible, but so far I still don't know how... I am very keen to try to resolve this matter. I would not like to simply have to give up.  Failing all else can anyone recommend a good inexpensive DSL modem that is guaranteed to work?

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## raid517

Ok I don't want to bitch about the help I have got, you guys have been great. But at least can someone say that this is not possible and suggest an alternate strategy that is at least guaranteed to work. If I have to rule this approach out, I would at least be satified to know it can or cannot be done. What is it that I need to be doing to get Gentoo on the net? I'm not sure its my isp that wants a VPN connection, so much as my modem/router that likes to be set up that way. I'll take any advice about guranteed working configrations going, as it seems I am running out of options and pursuing PPTP VPN is simply causing me to fall of the end of the page, with no possible resolution in sight. 

Once again, all views are welcome.

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## jkcunningham

Why don't you work one problem at a time? Forget about VPN for until after you get a regular connection to work correctly. Did you try:

```

# net-setup eth0

```

??

If that doesn't work, you're going to have to contact your ISP (probably their web page will tell you) and find out if they are running DHCP (likely), in which case you type

```

# dhcpcd eth0

```

If you have a static IP address, they have to give it to you.

Jeff

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## raid517

 *Quote:*   

> Why don't you work one problem at a time? Forget about VPN for until after you get a regular connection to work correctly. 

 

Ahh now there's the rub. I can only connect  via a VPN. That is PPTP via VPN.

 *Quote:*   

>  Did you try:
> 
> ```
> 
> # net-setup eth0
> ...

 

Yes - and it just gave me a bunch of set up options... My network cadr/modem router was detected automatically as were all the appropriate settings. I have as you said 'a working connection'. (At least to my network). However when I enter the user name and password for my ISP and attempt to connect to the net with Lynx, or to ping www.google.com. or anywhere else, I get no response.

 *Quote:*   

>  If that doesn't work, you're going to have to contact your ISP (probably their web page will tell you) and find out if they are running DHCP (likely), in which case you type
> 
> ```
> 
> # dhcpcd eth0
> ...

 

 *Quote:*   

>  If you have a static IP address, they have to give it to you. 

 

I don't have a static IP address, I have a dynamic one that gets assigned every time I connect.

I think this boils down to the difference between PPPoe and PPTP, if indeed there is any. Gentoo appears by default to support PPPoE. I'm not sure if the same can be said for PPTP. I would be overjoyed if it were just a simple set up option.

However I'm aready planning to pay about £60 for a new modem that looks guaranteed to work. I would rather not pay the money, but it is at least a measure of my determination to get Gentoo running. Call me crazy, but once I start something, I just don't like letting it go.

Regards,

QLast edited by raid517 on Wed May 28, 2003 2:33 pm; edited 3 times in total

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## dma

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=43004&highlight=bcm4400

Unsupported beta version (1.0.3 instead of 1.0.1) I got from the author.

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## raid517

Well ok, never mind the VPN then. I have another problem. Is it possible to use a modem router running PPPoA? My UK ISP requires that I use this protocal to connect to their servers.

If I can't get PPoA running, I think I'm screwed.

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## raid517

Na... its looking bad.... I can't get my head round the idea that for a networking based distribution, Gentoo seems to only have very limited support for networking protocalls. Is it accurate that gentoo only supports PPPoE type connections?

If so should I give up? I confess I would dearly love to see in Gentoo an interface just like in my router that allows one to set up basic networking protocalls and options (nothing too complex though) and that would allow you to select between the whole variety of networking options RFC 1483 bridged, RFC 1577 IPoA, RFC 2516 PPPoE, RFC 1483 Routed,  RFC 2364 PPoA, Transparent Bridge, VPN etc... Just so that any and every possibility would be covered. By not including a PPTP or VPN option, or any obvious PPPoA support, gentoo developers seem to be neglegting large parts of Europe and Australia. I don't want to quit, I'd rather not quit. But if I can't get a connection to the net running I don't see how I can go on. It is an extremely dissapointing outcome.

Is there any chance that RC5 or whatever will include any PPPoE and/or PP TP/VPN options or should I give up all hope of ever being able to install gentoo completely?

Your advice is very welcome.

Q

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