# broadcom down [SOLVED]

## kingcoras

I have a broadcom integrated wireless card that just won't do anything.  

lspci -k reveals:

```
02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g (rev 01)

   Subsystem: Foxconn International, Inc. Device e003

   Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge

   Kernel modules: ssb

```

wicd tells me no wireless networks were found.

ifconfig will only show it with the -a option, and if I try to "up" it, 

```
fireball ~ # ifconfig up wlan0

wlan0: Unknown host

```

iwconfig doesn't hardly show anything.

```
wlan0     IEEE 802.11bg  ESSID:"jjnmb"  

          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=0 dBm   

          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off

          Encryption key:off

          Power Management:off

```

the ESSID showing was me trying to get wicd to find a "hidden" network.  didn't really do any good.

I think I have everything compiled right in the kernel.  it can be found here

I just want it to be able to see an unsecured network...  is that too much to ask?

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## BradN

your ifconfig command is wrong, try ifconfig wlan0 up

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## slackline

Broadcom 43** series require you to use a firmware cutter to excise the driver from a binary and get it loaded into your kernel.  See Broadcom page for full details and the version that you need to install (may well involve unmasking packages).

I used to use ndiswrapper with my BCM4306 but doing a fresh install went with the broadcom way of doing this.  Wrote it up here.

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## BradN

You can also try the open source firmware for broadcom:  http://www.ing.unibs.it/openfwwf/firmware/openfwwf-5.2.tar.gz

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## d2_racing

Are we sure that he cannot use the new broadcom-sta package ?

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## rh1

 *Quote:*   

> Are we sure that he cannot use the new broadcom-sta package ?

 

I definately have to recommend trying that. It works great for me. As long as you don't mind something that's not open-source. 

According to website , it should support your card. 

 *Quote:*   

> These packages contain Broadcom's IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n hybrid Linux® device driver for use with Broadcom's BCM4311-, BCM4312-, BCM4313-, BCM4321-, and BCM4322-based hardware.

 

Have to reconfigure your kernel. Sorry , at work so i can't look right now for the option but maybe someone else will post them.

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## kingcoras

didn't know about the broadcom-sta package.  I'm going to try that tonight.

I noticed in one of the other links the drivers I'm supposed to have configured in the kernel, so I'm going to try that every combination I can and then post my results

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## d2_racing

Check this thread : https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-834969-highlight-broadcomsta.html

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## kingcoras

but it worked for the most part, so I can't complain.  

This question is solved.  

but why in the world did I have to enable Intel chipsets to get the stupid thing to work???

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