[SOLVED]Can't connect wirelessly

[tlinux]

I just installed Kubuntu 9.10 on my Dell notebook 32-bit machine. Previously it had run Windows XP but it got corrupted so I replaced it (no dual installation) with Kubuntu. It won't connect wirelessly and doesn't detect any wireless networks,

I already have Kubuntu 9.10 installed on a 64-bit Acer notebook machine dual booted with Windows 7. It works fine as I'm using it now.

On the problem machine I ran Run Command -> hardware drivers. The response was "no proprietary drivers are in use on this system."

I don't know what to do now. Help will be appreciated!

Thank you.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

From a terminal please run

lspci -vv

and copy the output into your reply.

Thanks

[tlinux]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

Attached is the requested output. Hope this means something to you.

Thanks.

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

Attached is the requested output. Hope this means something to you.

Thanks.

it dose it means you have this wireless device

0b:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0007
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
Region 0: Memory at efcfc000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
Kernel modules: ssb

tom@DellNotebook:~$

and it looks like a kernel driver is loaded ......

what dose the output of

ifconfig -a

and

iwconfig

show?
you can just copey and past it hear

or click the little box ubuve the smiles just to the right of # and put betwen the quote tages.


VINNY

[The Liquidator]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

I agree with Vinny

Your card ( a BCM4311) is certainly supported- see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Wi...Driver/bcm43xx and as Vinny says the kernel driver appears to be loaded.

This might simply be a configuration issue. As well as answering Vinny's question, what happens if you go into start/ system settings/ networking. Do you see a wireless tab? If so click it, select "add" and then are you able to scan?

[tlinux]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

"This might simply be a configuration issue. As well as answering Vinny's question, what happens if you go into start/ system settings/ networking. Do you see a wireless tab? If so click it, select "add" and then are you able to scan?"

I was unable to scan.

The output from ifconfig and iwconfig is attached.

I hope this is helpful.

Thank you.

[vinnywright]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

iwconfig shows your card ............good

ifconfig shows your card .....but it's down ....or it would have a line under eth0 like

UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1

so 1- look for a button on the box that turns on or off the wireless (if thare is one and turn it on)
and do in a Konsole

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

and then try your scan agin.

some times theses Broadcom cards can be trickey

VINNY

[tlinux]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

For some strange reason my computer refused to boot up so I had to reinstall Kubuntu 9.10. This may have changed some of the previous output so I've run them again and they are attached.

I was unable to scan for the various wireless networks. I also ran

sudo ifconfig wlan0 up

but still couldn't scan. On my other computer that will connect to the Internet wirelessly, I notice that the network scan is produced by the program "wicd." I don't find that program on this computer.

What to do?

[GreyGeek]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

It looks like Upstart (or HAL) got your chip right the first time (b43) but wrong the second time (b44).

The Broadcom 4311 is now a legacy chip. The wireless.kernel.org/en website gives full instructions for identifying exactly which (b43 or b43legacy) category the chip falls in and how to install drivers for it. Unfortunately, it requires an Internet access to do so. So, if you have a piece of ethernet cat5 cable that can stretch from an eth port on the back of your wireless to the eth0 port on your box, plug it in and go the the kernel webiste and follow the instructions here. Instructions for either the b43 or the b43legacy solution are on the same page. You'll need a functioning connection to download the tar files.

[tlinux]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

I can't get the link

* http://download.eclipse.org/tools/cdt/releases/galileo

to work. Also, I don't know anything about modifying the kernel so I hope this web site, if I can ever access it, will give a cook-book description of how to do this modificationn.

I am now connected to the Internet via Ethernet.

Thanks.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

My apologies for the erroneous url. I selected but failed to copy, so the buffer contained a url used in a previous reply.
I corrected the link in my msg.

While the wireless info is part of the kernel.org website one does NOT have to compile kernels. Just read the entire page before you take any action in order to make sure you understand all the options and select the proper one.

[tlinux]

Re: Can't connect wirelessly

GreyGeek,

You have solved my problem!! I followed the instructions and they did the job. I am now a happy camper.

Many thanks!