My wireless card woes

[Steedie]

Hey guys

First post, and I am very new to Linux, learning quickly regarding other aspects of the OS, but setting this wireless connection up is driving me insane

I'm using a Broadcom BCM4318, and have followed several tutorials, installed the correct driver using ndiswrapper (checking this confirms that the hardware and driver are both present, however the alterantive driver seems to be ssb) and then installed the firmware (rev 3) using bcm43xx-fwcutter into the correct place

Now after doing all this, going into Network config and the hardware tab, I now have a new ethernet device, a "Broadcom Corp BCM4318 [Airforce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller. Correct model, but why is it now listed as an ethernet device.

I've tried going through the tutorials instead and adding the wlan0 (ndiswrapper) device, but whenever I try to activate it, I just get the error of 'SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory"

I have just lost faith with it all, I thought I'd try a wired connection using my Windows PC, sharing a connection, it recognises the Linux PC connecting, and the eth device activates fine, but doesnt actually get an internet connection through it

Please help, you will be a Linux god to me if you can help lol

Many thanks in advance

[Brian1]

I am guessing if you are wanting ndiswrapper that the bcm43 modules are already loaded and taken over the nic. Blacklist the modules that affect this. There is a post that list the ones that need to be blacklisted for ndiswrapper to work.

Brian

[Dangermouse]

Hi theres a script here that will install it for you
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=171660

[Hades0523]

Hope it can be help for you
http://www.fedoraguide.info/index.php/Fedora7#BCM4318_using_Ndiswrapper

[BlueC]

I'm using a Broadcom BCM4318, and have followed several tutorials, installed the correct driver using ndiswrapper (checking this confirms that the hardware and driver are both present, however the alterantive driver seems to be ssb) and then installed the firmware (rev 3) using bcm43xx-fwcutter into the correct place


You should be using ndiswrapper OR bcm43xx-fwcutter - both methods will not work together. I would suggest using ndiswrapper for your wireless chipset.

See this post for the correct way to install the ndiswrapper drivers for your card:

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showpost.php?p=914739&postcount=6

Note, that NetworkManager may not work well - it is badly broken in f8 but it still works for some people apparently.

[bbfuller]

Hello Steedie

I don't think anyone has determined yet if you are using fedora 7 or 8. There is a deal of difference between them.

Fedora 7 used the bcm43xx drivers along with the bcm43xx-fwcutter program.

The bcm43xx drivers are no longer included in Fedora 8, they have been replaced by the b43 driver. I believe they were also replaced during the lifetime of Fedora 7 so it would depend on if had kept Fedora 7 updated as to which you were using.

The b43 driver has its own cutter program - b43-fwcutter

Firmware cut by the bcm43xx-fwcutter program won't work with the b43 driver not least because it is not cut to the correct place for the driver to find it.

Confusion can arise because although the bcm43xx drivers are no longer within Fedora 8, both versions of the cutter program are included in a normal install.

[MrHappy]

Hi Steedie

Welcome to the forum, it may be worth having a read of these two web pages, http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43 and http://fedoramobile.org/wireless

MrHappy

[bbfuller]

Do be aware though that the b43-fwcutter program and its associated firmware on the linuxwireless.org site is a newer version to that included in Fedora.

I have no direct experience, but have come across someone reporting that the firmware available on that site does not work correctly with the Fedora b43-fwcutter.