Dell 1390 native linux driver how-to UPDATED
Edit: Added the module for the 64 bit kernel, built by Andy. See instructions below. I can’t test it at the moment, but it works for him.
Edit 2: New module for the 32 bit kernel, supporting packet injection. For some reason, it is not reporting the correct signal quality, but apart from that it’s working ok. Download it if you plan to use aircrack-ng.
Edit 3: For the 2.6.20-16-generic kernel you just need to install the firmware files, skip everything else. Injection capable module coming soon.
Edit 4: You can get the injection capable module for 2.6.20-16-generic from here.
There were some problems with the first version of the tutorial. You needed to download the not so small kernel source, you needed to use an unstable and unsupported kernel version and you couldn’t use modules compiled by the Ubuntu team (fglrx, vmware player and server, etc). Now, you can profit from the full speed of your Dell 1390 Wifi card while still using the official Ubuntu kernel. This guide is intended just for the 2.6.20-15-generic kernel.
You download the firmware package into the home folder.
cd ~
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/
bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Everything on a single line for the wget command!
Install the firmware files and remove the package.
sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
rm ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Download the module for the 32 bit kernel or the module for the 64 bit version (compiled by Andy using my instructions).
wget http://linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx.tar.bz2
OR
wget http://www.linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx-64bit.ko.tar.bz2
OR
wget http://www.linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx-packet-injection.tar.bz2
And finally, we replace the bcm43xx driver provided by the Ubuntu kernel with the driver ported by me, from the 2.6.21-rc7 kernel.
sudo rm /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx.ko
sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
OR
sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx-64bit.ko.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
Now reboot your computer. The module’s name is the same, bcm43xx. If you are not sure how to test if the wifi card is working, run
sudo modprobe bcm43xx
iwlist scan
BTW, the programs contained within the wireless-tools package are not going to complain about Wireless Extensions anymore, like they did with the 2.6.21 kernel.
Below is a screenshot taken while testing the module. Note that the displayed speed is not limited by the wifi card, it is limited by my internet connection.
22 Apr 2007 Cosmin
Good work (I assume ;-), thanks … but could you (cross)compile the module bcm43xx.ko for AMD64 (kernel architecture x86_64 instead of i686) as well if that’s possible for you?
It should be possible, but I don’t use the 64 bit version. I’ll edit this post or create a new one if i’ll have time to install Ubuntu 64. If you are interested in compiling the module yourself, I can email you some instructions. Just mail me to cosmin [AT] linux-geek [DOT] org.
[...] The things described in this how to are still working, but you’ll have some problems. Use this one [...]
Followed these relatively painless instructions last night. My wife’s new Inspiron 1501 running Kubuntu 7.04 now has native linux wireless networking!
Thanks much.
Worked beautifully. A refreshing change after spending all of yesterday trying to compile 2.6.21.
Thanks!
Work… Work… thank you man, I have Dell Inspiron 1501, one week working and nothing….. right now I Followed exactly these steps… “I see the light”…..
Gaucho from Argentina.
I’m glad this works OK. Anyone tried the 64 bit module?
Hi all,
1. thanks for the how to!, I followed all the steps and the wifi seems to be working ok. Yet I still have to test whether or not the system is actually working, at leaste the wifi led is on!!!
2. About the 64 bit module… Well I downloaded the 64 bit module and follow the steps and it seems to work properly. “I also see the ligth”
thanks again, once I test the wifi properly I’ll drop a line!
sevra
Costa Rica
terrific job…ndiswrapper was nice, with how it worked, but this is superb and easier to set up (atleast, your directions made it pretty easy, heheh)
when this new kernel is released and we upgrade, do you foresee any problems?
Kernel 2.6.21 was released and I think it is going to be added to the Ubuntu repository, but I don’t know exactly when. Anyway, when it is going to be released, wireless cards based on the Broadcom 4311 chipset should work OK after installing the firmware package, without any other modification.
hmm…slight snaffu,maybe you can help
as i mentioned, this worked for me, but i’ve recently noticed that, atleast according to the ‘Connection Information’ through NetworkManager in Ubuntu 7.04, my wireless is only running at 11Mb/s, instead of 54Mb/s, as I believe it does with ndiswrapper (and in windows, heh); any ideas?
The driver is not finished yet, so there are some problems. iwconfig tells me that the card is running at 11Mb/s, but speedtests report something around 17 Mb/s. Anyway, the best speed I got was with the wireless card set at 24Mb/s, around 20Mb/s real speed. To change the rate, use sudo iwconfig eth1 rate 24M.
To change this permanently, you can add the command to /etc/rc.local, but I’m not sure if the network manager will let it like that.
[...] Mój laptop posiada kartÄ™ WiFi opartÄ… na chipsecie Broadcom. SÅ‚yszaÅ‚em wczeÅ›niej, że sÄ… niezÅ‚e problemy z używaniem jej pod Linuksem. OkazaÅ‚o siÄ™ jednak, że uruchomienie mojego modelu byÅ‚o dziecinnie proste. Nie bÄ™dÄ™ opisywaÅ‚ tutaj caÅ‚ej procedury instalacji, gdyż zrobiÅ‚ to już ktoÅ› inny. Polecam zastosować siÄ™ do instrukcji na blogu BlackNight’a. [...]
I love you!, I wanted to use the native driver for so long, and the howto is so simple.
thanks for sharing.
Thank’s ,Thank’s ,Thank’s now running my wifi Thank’s
This worked immediately!
Thank you so much!
yippee!!!!
i had problems trying to get wireless to work with the ndiswrapper but this worked like a charm.
thank-you so much
Worked perfectly! Please never take this guide down… Ever!
Many thanks for this AWESOME guide. I have found this also works well with the current Feisty kernel: 2.6.20-16-generic
By the way, I think there is one (small) mistake in this tutorial. That firmware package is meant for dapper, and it puts the firmware files in /lib/firmware/. To make them work properly with Feisty, I had to move all the firmware files, bcm43xx_*, to /lib/firmware/2.6.20-16-generic (or whatever your current kernel is).
It works for me with the firmware files in /lib/firmware and this way you don’t need to symlink or move them every time you change your kernel version.
I’m not sure if this tutorial works for 2.6.20-16-generic because the kernel should check the version of the kernel that the modules were compiled for. At the moment, I don’t have time to test it. Anyway, if it works for you, I’m happy I could help so many linux users.
My 2pence worth is that it also works for me, using the 64bit version, Thanks!!!
Just a question, do I understand correctly that this only works with the current kernel, so when we install a new kernel it will stop working again?
using kernel 2.6.20-16-generic on a dell e1505
i didn’t plan on using linux when i bought it, so i got the laptop with the dell 1390. was using ndiswrapper, but googled for drivers for the heck of it and found your site. anyway, just so you know, it works for me on this kernel. thanks
Agreed, the ndiswrapper answer is not working. After maybe 10 seconds of network usage, traffic stops and the card (Dell 1390 in HP Pavilion 6305) won’t respond until after a reboot.
Unfortunately, Debian Etch isn’t getting the 2.6.21 kernel, it’s last is the 2.6.18. Is the driver source available for building against the 2.6.18 kernel?
You may try Debian Unstable (aka Sid) or you may try to install linux-source, download kernel 2.6.21.3 from kernel.org and replace drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx from the debian source. Then make drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/bcm43xx.ko.
You might need to copy .config from the running kernel and to mkdir .tmp_versions before compiling the module. I don’t know if it is going to work, because 2.6.18 is quite old. Please let me know what is the result.
Yes, .18 is quite “old”, but there have been problems with the later Debian kernels and the Nvidia video module. One of the system calls that the Nvidia driver utilizes in the Debian kernels after .18 has been marked “GPL Only” within the kernel, and by doing so the compiler gets and error and quits.
But if I’m going to be compiling a new kernel anyway, I might as well just build .21 and make sure the offending “GPL Only” function is off. Debian won’t do that, because it’s one of the virtualization functions, and “everybody” wants virtualization these days.
Personally, I think virtualization is hype. One of the biggest reasons I like Linux is how seemingly unlimited functionality can all be running at the same time in _one_ system, I don’t need more than one unless the load is too much for the hardware. All virtualization does is create another layer of complexity, and I believe in simplicity.
Many thanks for the ideas, I will write back with the results.
Using the method I described, you are only compiling the module, not the whole kernel.
Unfortunately, there are a slew of “undefined symbols” compiling the 2.6.21 module with the 2.6.18 kernel, so that’s out. Which means if I want to run the 2.6.21 kernel, I have to compile it myself. Ah, woe is me. Kernel panic, cannot find root file system, unable to mount disk, etc. My “make oldconfig” did not work out as I thought it would. More later, if I ever succeed.
The last kernel I compiled was 2.4.19.
Sorry, no, it was 2.2.19 on RedHat 6.x
Ok, it worked. I had forgotten “–initrd”, but once 2.6.21 compiled, the firmware package above installed, and with a reboot the wireless came up and is running well. Thank you!
Didn’t work for me.
Will it be Ok just starting again from scratch?
First problem was DVD from Linux Mag didn’t indicate whether 32 or 64 bit - I guessed 64?
Second was that you gave three options so I took the mid one for the 64 bit module.
The architecture should be indicated by the CD’s name (in my case, “Ubuntu 7.04 i386″).
If you are running the 64 bit version, you downloaded the correct module.
What is not working? What kernel version are you running? Can you post the (relevant) output of dmesg, or something like that?
Notice that if you are using the latest kernel, 2.6.20-16-generic, you only need to install the firmware.
The DVD is ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn and the Kernel 2.6.20 according to the DVD case.
Does this tell what bit version this is?
As a novice at Linux should I start again one step at a time? I must have rushed my first attempt encouraged by the success everyone else seemed to experience.
i did all.but when i test.the screen appears the lines:
” lo Interface doesn’t support scanning
eth0 Interface doesn’t support scanning
eth1 No scan results ”
please help me,thanks
Is your access point running?
The green LED called “WiFi” is lighted?
[...] you are using a Broadcom 43xx based wireless card, Dell 1390, for example, install the module compiled by me that’s for the 2.6.20-15-generic, for the 2.6.20-16-generic one compile it yourself or wait [...]
wohoooo I love you dude. It works =) big thx
i am brand new to linux, and this worked perfect on my dell 1501 laptop
THANX !!
Looks great. I only wish I could see my router. I can see my neighbor’s routers, but not mine. I have a dlink 614+ router with 64bit wep, open, dhcp. My other 3 wireless computers running ubuntu have no problems seeing it, but they are using either dlink or smc wireless devices. Please help me resolve how to see and connect. I cannot wait to se how fast this configuration will go.
Thx. Now I have my dell 1501 working with wireless ok. I use kernes 2.6.20_16!!!
I have my inspiron 1501 three days ago. Now it has a wifi on Ubuntu FF 64.
Thank you so much. Please keep update and let me know, when new updated ubuntu kernel.
Thank you so much again.
It really works, man! So smooth… I have an AMD64 machine, and it runs pretty good (I think ndiswrapper was responsible for my misterious hangs), but I have a question: I downloaded and installed the firmware only (2.6.20-16-generic kernel version) but the wireless doesn’t start automatically when I start my computer, so I have to manually type “sudo modprobe bcm43xx”… someone who can help? plz?
eX: If you used ndiswrapper before, maybe you have bcm43xx in /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist or something containing “ndiswrapper” in /etc/modprobe.d/aliases. If this is the case, remove them.
I checked the blacklist and just comment “blacklist bcm43xx” and now everything is working fine. Thanks for you fast and accurate answer!
Thanks a bunch for this and the module, I installed the 64bit on my feisty install and it worked excellently… I don’t know how, but it even picks up signal strength better than the ndiswrapper drivers.
Doesn’t seem to work for me, but I may have goofed. I DID replace the module, and THEN realized that I was running 2.6.20-16-generic. Don’t know quite how to revert, or if even necessary. LED on card shows blue instead of amber, network manager shows no networks available, and manual config does not work either.
Use this module.
It worked for me on a fresh install of ubuntu 7.04 x64 for about 30 minutes than it dropped. I can’t connect anymore. Do you know if there is any reasons why this is only temporary? The wifi light is always on.
I noticed some problems when the signal is weak, try to rmmod bcm43xx and then modprobe it again.
Thanks for the tip but I couldn’t get it to work and the signal is around 80%.
Excellent guide, my 1490 is now working brilliantly under 64bit FF on a Dell Insp 1501.
[...] supported with Ubuntu 7.04’s drivers out of the box. However, I quickly found a set of drivers for the Broadcom Corporation Dell Wireless 1390 card, and was up and running shortly thereafter. The only thing I had to do after installing the [...]
[...] BlackNight’s cyberhome » Blog Archive » Dell 1390 native linux driver how-to UPDATED Installer le wifi sous Ubuntu sur les Dell Inspiron (j’en aurai bientôt besoin) (tags: Dell Inspiron wifi ubuntu linux gnu) Previous post: links for 2007-07-24 [...]
Amazing! I followed these instructions, and it worked perfectly and instantly. I owe you many, many beers for this. Thanks very much.
[...] BlackNight’s cyberhome » Blog Archive » Dell 1390 native linux driver how-to UPDATED http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/ (tags: ubuntu dell) [...]
see a screencast how to install Broadcom 1390 http://www.wikisos.org/wiki/Ubuntu_7.04:How_to_install_Dell_Inspiron_Wireless_%28Broadcom_1390_WLAN%29
Come on, why would you use ndiswrapper?
Any plans on a guide for gutsy amd64 (currently at 2.6.22-9) or a guide on how to manually patch/compile it ourselves?
You only need a patched module for Gutsy and Feisty if you want packet injection support. Otherwise, for normal use, the module in linux-image-generic should work ok. For Feisty you need to upgrade the kernel to 2.6.20-16-generic, the version on the CD is limited at about 100 KB/s.
Sorry, I was referring to injection support on a gutsy 64bit kernel. I’m guessing I’m going to have to figure out how to patch and compile the module for this kernel on my own. I’m questioning if the latest patch I’ve been able to come across will even apply to the latest broadcom sources in this kernel.
Is there a guide someplace you could point me to (and any others willing to give it a shot) that would cover just patching/compiling a kernel module?
Try this guide.
Yup, that worked out well! The patch applies cleanly to current gutsy sources and works like a charm. Thanks a ton
My machine is acer aspire 9304 - AMD64×2 built in broadcom wifi identified as dell 1390….
Using gutsy and kernel 2.6.22-9,
will it be sufficient to install the firmware I get from?;
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx-64bit.ko.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.22-9-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
As well?
Or do I also need to go through step;
wget http://www.linux-geek.org/files/bcm43xx-64bit.ko.tar.bz2
You need to install just the firmware. But I think Gutsy comes with an application called something like ‘Restricted Drivers’ where you can install the firmware files for bcm4311.
I’m maintaining a howto for ndiswrapper configuration for these cards. I realize this is a big-ish request, but could you compare/contrast your native driver method vs. ndiswrapper vs. fwcutter, please?
I’m most insterested in what solution a has that b doesn’t and what b has that a doesn’t, etc.
Also, are there any encryption limitation with your method. (E.g, does it support WPA, etc.?)
Oh, and sorry if you’ve mentioned the answer here, but what are the prospects for Gutsy (final) to include this, so poor BCM43xx users won’t have to jump through hoops anymore?
If the prospects aren’t good for Gutsy, what’s preventing it?
(Note: Running 2.6.20-16-generic on Feisty 32 bit; Dell D620 with BCM4311/Dell 1390)
ndiswrapper got me max sustained throughput of 23 Mbps through WPA and 25 Mbps unencrypted. (I’m happy with ndiswrapper, but it’s a pain to set up, and I’m looking for the “ultimate” way to set up these cards.)
Undid my ndiswrapper config to try your method, then ran
cd ~
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
rm ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
It works, but now I’m getting between 1 and 2 Mbps with my Laptop inches from my router.
Further, I’m having problems on, say, YouTube: It will buffer and play 10-20 seconds of video and then stop. (This was not a problem with ndiswrapper.)
Any ideas as to why it’s so slow and sketchy?
Finally, do you know if your method works for all 43xx cards (e.g., 4318 & 4306)?
No offense, but are you sure that you are running 2.6.20-16-generic, because that’s how it (not quite) worked with 2.6.20-15-generic.
Yeah, if the uname command works as I think it does:
jamie@mercury:~$ uname -r
2.6.20-16-generic
More info:
jamie@mercury:~$ lshw -C network
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-PCI Card
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0c:00.0
logical name: eth1
version: 01
serial: 00:16:ce:77:39:50
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=bcm43xx driverversion=2.6.20-16-generic latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11b/g
resources: iomemory:dfdfc000-dfdfffff irq:17
What’s the Bit Rate reported by iwconfig? Try to play with it.
original iwlist reports: Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
Then:
sudo iwconfig eth1 rate 54M
…yields 10.8 Mb/s in tested throughput (curiously close to 802.11b’s 11 Mb/s)
I tried “sudo iwconfig eth1 rate auto”, and iwlist reported: Bit Rate=11 Mb/s (there’s that 11 Mb/s again, weird). At this setting, throughput *seems* to be reduced (~6 Mb/s)
Is there anything else I should try, with regard to rate? Also, are there any other iwconfig parameters I should be playing with? I’m not used to monkeying with iwconfig stuff.
You should try 24Mbps. It works best for me, at about 20 Mbps.
Wireless is part voodoo. For me, 48M seems best, and actually performs at ~16Mb/s (w/WPA). (This is with the laptop on top of the router.)
Bit Rate=54 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 34.1 MBytes 14.3 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=48 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 37.5 MBytes 15.7 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=36 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 33.3 MBytes 13.9 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=24 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 27.0 MBytes 11.3 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=18 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 22.8 MBytes 9.56 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=12 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 17.2 MBytes 7.20 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=11 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 12.4 MBytes 5.18 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=9 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 13.8 MBytes 5.78 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=6 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 9.84 MBytes 4.13 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=5.5 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 8.30 MBytes 3.47 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=2 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.0 sec 3.63 MBytes 1.52 Mbits/sec
Bit Rate=1 Mb/s Tx-Power=18 dBm
[ 3] 0.0-20.1 sec 1.94 MBytes 809 Kbits/sec
I don’t suppose anyone’s been able to boost the txpower of this thing. (Not sure what it’s rated at.)
I’m also interested in a bigger TX power. With Windows it seems slightly higher.
Hello
I am trying to use the instructions here. However I am getting
wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx
–17:40:13– http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx
=> `bcm43xx’
Resolving ubuntu.cafuego.net… 64.22.94.134
Connecting to ubuntu.cafuego.net|64.22.94.134|:80… connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 301 Moved Permanently
Location: http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/ [following]
–17:40:15– http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/
=> `index.html’
Reusing existing connection to ubuntu.cafuego.net:80.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 403 Forbidden
17:40:15 ERROR 403: Forbidden.
Can you please help to resolve this.
Thanks
Indie
You should wget http://ubuntu.cafuego.net/pool/feisty-cafuego/bcm43xx/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Hello
For the instruction
sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
I get
(Reading database … 88020 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace bcm43xx-firmware 1.3-1ubuntu2 (using …/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb) …
Unpacking replacement bcm43xx-firmware …
Setting up bcm43xx-firmware (1.3-1ubuntu2) …
Note that you need to DISABLE ndiswrapper and wifi-radar for this driver
to work properly! You can do this by removing the ndiswrapper driver.
Use `sudo ndiswrapper -l’ to identify the driver.
Then run `sudo ndiswrapper -e ‘ to remove it. You may also need
to remove the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
How do I
(a) Disable ndiswrapper and wifi radar (b) How to remove the wrapper (c) How to remove the file /etc/….
I donot now the terminal commands and I basically copy and paste. Can you kindly give me the exact commands to carry out the requirements indicated in the above para.
Thanks
sudo ndiswrapper -l
sudo ndiswrapper -e driver_name
apt-get –purge autoremove ndiswrapper*
And try again. But you should read a guide or two about common linux commands.
Hello
For the command sudo ndiswrapper-l I get
sudo ndiswrapper -l
sudo: ndiswrapper: command not found
Regarding learning Linux commands, computers IBM XT, came into this world after I had finished my education. Till about 4 years back I never touched a computer. And now I am learning bit at a time.
Pl help
Oops, sorry. I didn’t used that package for a while now, but I think that message is displayed even if you don’t have ndiswrapper installed/active. Use the command:
ls /lib/firmware
If you see files named like bcm43xx*, then you have the firmware installed. Before using my guide have you tried using ndiswrapper? If not, a restart might be enough to get you wifi card up and running.
Hello
I get
ls /lib/firmware
2.6.20-15-generic bcm43xx_initval06.fw bcm43xx_microcode4.fw
bcm43xx_initval01.fw bcm43xx_initval07.fw bcm43xx_microcode5.fw
bcm43xx_initval02.fw bcm43xx_initval08.fw bcm43xx_pcm4.fw
bcm43xx_initval03.fw bcm43xx_initval09.fw bcm43xx_pcm5.fw
bcm43xx_initval04.fw bcm43xx_initval10.fw
bcm43xx_initval05.fw bcm43xx_microcode2.fw
Now make sure Ubuntu is up-to-date:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
And restart your computer. If you have a LED or something like that for your card, does it come up?
Hello
I have upgraded and the light is red for the wireless. In System-Admin- Network, I entered my wireless network (no encryption) and ticked Roaming Mode.
That’s an option, but not the best one. I suggest using NetworkManager. It should appear in your taskbar, if not run (Alt+F2) nm-applet.
Hello
This is a Acer3680. I bought it 3 days back and installed 7.04. As the wireless was not working I tried a lot of forums including yours (being the last one). The wifi started working.
Later I put the laptop to hibernate and after that the card did not work. I have reinstalled 7.04 many times.
Ok. After Alt F2 what command do I enter in the box?
nm-applet and press enter. But it should run already, look at the icons in the taskbar (left to your date/time).
The icon is there. Right click shows Enable Networking and Enable Wireless ticked. Left click shows –Wired Networked enabled.
– Connect t other wireless network
– Create new wireless network
– Manual configuration
I have tried putting in he required data in all of them. The red light is still on.
I am missing something.
Disconnect the ethernet cable before trying to connect tot the wireless network. And I think you need undo all other settings you set for the card (in System-Admin- Network).
Hello
I donot know how but the wifi is now working. I did not do anything.
Thanks for the help
Glad I could help.
FWIW, ndiswrapper runs it at 32dBm.
I like the solution to. But I also have a problem. My computer is right next to the wireless router and the connection dies from time to time. Not in a way that i have to reconnect on something. Just for 10-20 seconds every 5 minutes all the traffic stops. The computer is Dell Inspiron 6400 with ubuntu 7.04. Any Ideas?
Nikola
after 1 month of hard work, it finally works. Andy is the man to write that bcm43xx.ko. it is just so simple now, thanks for the great guides. I figured it is good to let everyone know that everything works very well for me. I have a Dell inspiron 2200.
Nikola: If you run a ping you_router’s_ip it shows packet loss? Also, anything strange in the messages returned by dmesg| grep bcm and cat /var/log/messages |grep bcm?
Thanks for the amazing guide, I have spent many may hours trying to get this card working on my Dell D620. I have tried every flavor of linux that I could get my hands on, it is now working perfectly with Ubuntu Feisty!
Best Regards,
Warren
hey.. this was the easiest way to do this.. i have been cracking my head open to figure out how to use wifi on my new dell laptop.. !
you rock man.. ! kudos !
ravi
[...] is a really simple page of instructions here good luck and have fun __________________ free/libre/open software for the people by the people [...]
Hi, i just wonder, the link, you provided to get bcm firmware doesn’t work any more
Is it possible for you to mail me the file? I would be grateful. Thanks in advance.
Download it using
wget http://files.funkjedi.com/drivers/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
I’ll provide a mirror soon.
Hi!
Your tutorial is awesome and has gotten me very close to having this work.
I connect to many wireless networks as a I travel a lot.
My home network runs WPA-PSK/TKIP. I can’t seem to connect.
What’s the best way to check if I have the WPASupplicant installed and configured correctly?
Thanks!
hello,
could you please help me to solve the folowing problem
i’ve followed all the steps of this guide, i can see ‘wifi’ led, ubuntu says it’s connected to the wireless network, but it doesn’t realy work
i can’t nor open any website, niether even ping my adsl modem
everythings works fine with wired connection to the same modem
ubuntu 7.04, if it makes any sense
I’ve just finished getting my wireless set up on a HP dv1650 (w. 1390 card) and it WORKS!!! It took days of trying out different methods on various sites.. with NO success, till I stumbled onto this one. Fast & simple. Now I can ditch Windows. THANKS! ..Willy.
ScoutDadGA: read the manual for wpa_supplicant.conf (man wpa_supplicant.conf) and then try to configure manually wpa_supplicant (it is quite easy). Then, you cand run wpa_supplicant with debugging (-d, -dd, -ddd, I think) and it is going to give you lots of details.
max, same advice as for ScoutDadGA.
BTW, guys, after (hopefully) connecting with wpa_supplicant, remeber to run sudo dhclient you_device. If you need more help, post here or contact me.
Thanks man! This helped immensely. I just installed kubuntu on my Dell Inspiron 1501 and your instructions and files worked like a charm!
I have installed the firmware and got a blue light on my wifi card. I followed your advice to ScoutDadGA (9/8/07) and configured wpa_supplicant. When I ran it, it claimed bcm43XX wasn’t supported.
neil@neil-nb:~$ wpa_supplicant -Dbcm43xx -ieth1 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -dd
Initializing interface ‘eth1′ conf ‘/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf’ driver ‘bcm43xx’ ctrl_interface ‘N/A’ bridge ‘N/A’
Unsupported driver ‘bcm43xx’
Can you please help?
Use -D wext instead of -Dbcm43xx.
Hello,
I am unable to get signed on to my WEP-protected network.
- The Dell Wireless 1390 card is recognized and enabled (thanks to your stuff)
- I can see all the nearby wireless networks when I click on the network applet icon
- I click on my network (strongest signal shown) and input the proper parameters: 64bit ASCII key, type in Key, select Shared Key and ‘Connect’
Then the applet’s icon just runs in circles for a minute or so and fails to connect.
Any ideas? Thanks!
James
Are you sure you are using an ASCII key? ALso if Shared Key doesn’t work, try Open. It sounds to me like the authentication failed. Also make sure you have the right password.
Would this guide apply to PCLinuxOS? I have been hunting for a native driver for my 1390 for a while now, I really like PCLinuxOS, but if I have to I will switch to unbuntu.
What’s your kernel version? (uname -r)
Thanks, it was awesome.
However, I have another problem with my WiFi.
When I access with WPA, my wireless randomly disconnects then reconnects, finally disconnets.
Do you have any solution for that.
Also, I have the problem about asking keyring passowrd when I use wireless with WPA.
Have a look here for the keyring issues.
The connection should be quite stable.
[...] o seguir intentándolo… sólo me queda una bala, y es usar el driver nativo para la 1390 que acabo de encontrar aquí (aún sabiendo que no es un sitio oficial de [...]
Thanks! This worked like a charm!
thank-you, this worked perfectly… I messed with ndiswrapper for 3 hours, before finding this!
I have had some issues trying to install this deb package. I successfully had ndiswrapper working with it, but I ran into IRQ conflicts (nvidia graphics cards + ndiswrapper = death). Anywho, I uninstalled everything but it still gives me this error:
Unpacking replacement bcm43xx-firmware …
Setting up bcm43xx-firmware (1.3-1ubuntu2) …
Note that you need to DISABLE ndiswrapper and wifi-radar for this driver
to work properly! You can do this by removing the ndiswrapper driver.
Use `sudo ndiswrapper -l’ to identify the driver.
Then run `sudo ndiswrapper -e ‘ to remove it. You may also need
to remove the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
There is nothing in modprobe and I manually removed the files that couldn’t be quickly uninstalled. I am guessing I missed one if it is still throwing this error. Any ideas?
That message is displayed even if you don’t have ndiswrapper, it should just work now with bcm43xx.
I am having issues of connecting to a wireless AP under Debian. I am running 2.6.22 kernel with the above firmware in /lib/firmware (as well as /lib/hotplug/firmware). The wireless can scan and switch into master mode, but it won’t connect to an AP. I tried using the 2.6.20-generic module but it failed (obviously since its a .18 module in a .22 kernel). If I understood correctly, someone above compiled your driver against their kernel. Can you give me some detail on how to build your module against a kernel?
The module provided by me is just the module from 2.6.21 compiled for 2.6.20.
For connecting to an access point, your card needs to be in “Managed” mode, with “Master” mode, the card acts like an access point.
I have the module working now but it is pretty slow (It’s bitrate is 24Mb/s and it seems slower than that). I am also having an issue with the module. If I let the computer boot, the module is enabled but I cannot connect to any AP’s. If I modprobe -r bcm43xx and modprobe bcm43xx, it starts to work. Why would this happen?
[...] Call me picky, but I wanted to use both my wireless card AND my video drivers at the same time. To do this, I had to upgrade my kernel above 2.6.20 r3 (as stated above, the module is natively supported in kernels above 2.6.20 r3). While the driver may work, the default firmware does not. After upgrading my kernel I could detect wireless signals and turn the interface on and off but I could not connect to any access points ( I have tried using bcm43xx-fwcutter to create firmware from the windows driver). Researching a bit, I found that all I needed was some hacked, working firmware. Thankfully, the blogger at linux-geek came up with some hacked firmware that works pretty good. For the in depth tutorial and troubleshooting, go here: [...]
This is great! I’ve been trying to make broadcom work in my Pavilion DV6000 for who knows how long. I usually get sick of it and abandon it for a while and continue trying the following month… whatta pain! I thought seeing “the light” was figurative, until the blue light on my broadcom finally lit! Its now working on my Ubuntu 7.04 64bit. The only thing left unconfigured is my NVIDIA Go 6150 and i’m all set :>
this worked great and has me connected, but my connection speed seems to be maxed at 11Mb/s, I know this machine can connect to my router at 54M (has on boot with vista). Any ideas on how to adjust this?
Dell 1521 - AMD TL64
Fiesty 7.0.4 AMD64
Kernel 2.6.0.16
kurei: I think nvidia-glx should work ok for your video card.
notrump3: “sudo iwconfig eth1 rate 24M”, last time when I tried, this produced the best results, transfer rate at about 20 mbps, but you may try different speeds. Finally, add the comand (without sudo) in /etc/rc.local.
Are you going to upload a patched module(bcm43xx.ko) for Gutsy with packet injection support ???
Hello
I have Dell Inspiron 1501 with AMD 64. I have installed Kubuntu 7.04 AMD 64-bit version. I get the following error message. Please let me know what I should do.
$ sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
Password:
Selecting previously deselected package bcm43xx-firmware.
(Reading database … 74509 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking bcm43xx-firmware (from …/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb) …
Setting up bcm43xx-firmware (1.3-1ubuntu2) …
Note that you need to DISABLE ndiswrapper and wifi-radar for this driver
to work properly! You can do this by removing the ndiswrapper driver.
Use `sudo ndiswrapper -l’ to identify the driver.
Then run `sudo ndiswrapper -e ‘ to remove it. You may also need
to remove the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
I am very new to Linux. Please let me know what I should do to get this running.
Thanks in advance!
Raj
It is not an error, it’s the message displayed for everyone that installs the firmware.
I followed all the steps, but still wireless is not working. The light is not glowing. I followed these steps in a fresh installation of kubuntu 7.04 AMD 64-bit version on dell 1501. Am i missing something?
This is what I get
$ sudo modprobe bcm43xx
$ iwlist scan
lo Interface doesn’t support scanning.
eth0 Interface doesn’t support scanning.
eth1 No scan results
Any help is appreciated!
Raj
In dual-boot system (Windows Vista / Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon) does the firmware upgrade affect the Dell 1390 funtioning in Windows?
Thanks, Fabrizio
No.
The card seems to have trouble switching into Master mode. Everytime I attempt to set it as an Access Point, it defaults to the essid BRCM_TEST_SSID and the address 00:10:18:F1:F2:F3. Is this a glitch in the firmware or the driver? Also, is there a workaround for it?
Sorry, but as I don’t use it in Master mode I can’t help you.
Ad-hoc mode doesn’t work, either. It can detect ad hoc networks and pickup the settings. However, the card won’t associate with the other card. Have you tried to use the card in ad-hoc mode?
im using 2.6.22-14-generic and the driver didnt work for me. oh well.
You don’t need anything on this page for Ubuntu Gutsy. Just use the restricted driver manager.
Is this possible with Fedora 7?
It depends on the kernel version and kernel patches. Anyway, you certainly need the firmware.
I can’t remember the kernel revision off the top of my head. I should be able to post the uname -a output later on.
I’ve got my card working using the fwcutter process. However, packet injection doesn’t work.
Well laid out guide. Thanks.
If you want packet injection for FC, follow this generic instructions.
jonas@jonas-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg -i ./bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb
[sudo] password for jonas:
(Reading database … 109831 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace bcm43xx-firmware 1.3-1ubuntu2 (using …/bcm43xx-firmware_1.3-1ubuntu2_all.deb) …
Unpacking replacement bcm43xx-firmware …
Setting up bcm43xx-firmware (1.3-1ubuntu2) …
Note that you need to DISABLE ndiswrapper and wifi-radar for this driver
to work properly! You can do this by removing the ndiswrapper driver.
Use `sudo ndiswrapper -l’ to identify the driver.
Then run `sudo ndiswrapper -e ‘ to remove it. You may also need
to remove the file /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
This is what I get! I’ve deleted ndiswrapper and I still get the same message.
That is what you should get. If you have firmware files in /lib/firmware, everything is ok.
jonas@jonas-laptop:~$ sudo tar xvjf ./bcm43xx.tar.bz2 -C /lib/modules/2.6.20-15-generic/kernel/drivers/net/wireless/bcm43xx/
tar: ./bcm43xx.tar.bz2: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
This is not normal I guess. What should I do ?
You have downloded a different file or you haven’t downloaded one at all.
Hi!
Great effort, keep it up
I have Gutsy running on a Dell Inspiron 6400 with 2.6.22-14-generic kernel. I have my wireless successfully configured by using restricted drivers.
Does native driver mean open source ? If so, I would like to install it.
I tried to install the 32 bit version and followed the exact steps mentioned above. Here’s the error I got:
modprobe failed to include bcm43xx and asked me to see dmesg o/p
o/p of dmesg:
[ 13.676000] bcm43xx: Unknown symbol malloc_sizes
Any ideas ??
If you use Gutsy, you already have a module called “b43″. Just install the firmware using the restricted driver manager.
Thanks for the super-quick reply !! I have already installed the wireless drivers using Restricted Drivers Manager. But my specific question(s) are:
1. Are the drivers provided on this website open-source ? (If so, I would like to use this instead of the restricted drivers.)
2. To the best of my knowledge, the “b43″ module provided by the restricted drivers manager is NOT open-source. Am I right ?
Both b43 and bcm43xx are open source drivers, but they use closed source firmwares extracted from the windows official drivers.
B43 is just a newer (and more stable) version of bcm43xx.
Thanks a lot. But are there any “open source firmwares” available ?
(If you are busy, please take your time to reply)
It can’t be done without access to the full hardware documentation, and I think that only broadcom staff has that.
Hi BlackNight, and Hi everybody
I have Kubuntu, with kernel 2.6.24.15 and i’m new to linux, i would learn it, but without an internet connection this will be not possible.
I tried your trick, but i have a newer kernel, and it’s still not working.
Could you please help me? or give me any ideas, where could i find a solution with Dell 1390 mini wlan adapter.
I would really appreciate it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you in advance!
Just install the firmware and modprobe b43. Also see this page.