Problems with Mandriva 2010 and Dell Inspiron Wifi

[kevinrees7]

Hey guys/gals,

I got sick of having to fix my mother-in-laws dell laptop with windows xp. She keeps getting different virus's and malware that mimics virus warning and anti virus programs so she clicks away.

Long story short, I decided she is going with Mandriva 2010. Her laptop is a Dell Inspiron 9400 with a built in Dell 1395 Wireless card which is a Broadcom card. Anyhow, I have Mandriva installed and I cant get the wireless card coonfigured to connect. I keep getting errors. I hav e searched and read but nothing really gives me a definitive "You need to install this" to get things back in shape.

I have gone through the post on here linuxforums [dot]org/forum/wireless-internet/137532-wireless-setup-start-here Wireless Setup - Start Here - Linux Forums[/url] and have run the script. My results are:

============ lspci ============
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub [8086:27a0] (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express PCI Express Root Port [8086:27a1] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller [8086:27d8] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
	Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:27d0] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 [8086:27d2] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 [8086:27d6] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:27c8] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:27c9] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:27ca] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd
00:1d.3 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:27cb] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
	Kernel modules: uhci-hcd
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller [8086:27cc] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
	Kernel modules: ehci-hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge [8086:27b9] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel modules: intel-rng, iTCO_wdt
00:1f.2 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) SATA IDE Controller [8086:27c4] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
	Kernel modules: ata_piix
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:27da] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
	Kernel modules: i2c-i801
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility X1400 [1002:7145]
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:2002]
03:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX [14e4:170c] (rev 02)
	Subsystem: Dell Inspiron 9400 Laptop [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: b44
	Kernel modules: b44
03:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller [1180:0832]
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: ohci1394
	Kernel modules: ohci1394
03:01.1 SD Host controller [0805]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter [1180:0822] (rev 19)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: sdhci-pci
	Kernel modules: sdhci-pci
03:01.2 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C843 MMC Host Controller [1180:0843] (rev 0a)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
	Kernel driver in use: ricoh-mmc
	Kernel modules: ricoh_mmc
03:01.3 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter [1180:0592] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:01cd]
03:01.4 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller [1180:0852] (rev ff)
0c:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14e4:4311] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card [1028:0007]
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb

============ lsusb ============

============ lsmod ============

============ dmesg-firmware ============
b43 ssb0:0: firmware: requesting b43-open/ucode5.fw
b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to website b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware for this driver version. Please carefully read all instructions on this website.
(Lots more of these errors but they are all the same)
============ kernel version ============
2.6.31.6-desktop-1mnb

============ ifconfig ============

============ iwconfig ============

Can anyone help me get this darn thing working? Maybe there is a linux distro that supports the dell wireless out of the box?

I also tried to create a windows installation and tried the option "Use windows partition" during the wireless configuration but it didnt really help

[nmset]

Simplest way would be to use ndiswrapper which is in Mandriva. You can configure a new Wireless connection in Mandriva Control Center. You'll need the manufacturer's windows driver.

One thing is tricky when you have 2 Broadcom LAN chips and the ssb module is required. If the ethernet module b44 is up, the ssb module will also be loaded and this will prevent you from creating a wifi connection with ndiswrapper. Delete all existing LAN configs, remove (rmmod) modules ssb, b44, b43 and create the wifi connection again.

Fn+F2 on dell laptops can also hard enable/disable the wifi radio, you should be cautious with this.

[ongte]

I have a similar system with 2 broadcom cards. The BCM4311 works well with the broadcom wl driver. But somehow this driver fails to load & it falls back to B43 which does not work.

First, check that you have installed this package: broadcom-wl-kernel-desktop586-latest
(Assuming you installed using the Mandriva One CD, if not pls say so)

Now open a root terminal & do the following:

# vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-b43.conf

Inside the file, put this line:

blacklist b43

:wq save the file. Next.

# vi /etc/modprobe.preload

Below the existing lines, insert these lines:

ieee80211_crypt_tkip
wl

Reboot the system & the wireless should be working & using the wl driver.

[sibatt]

The drivers you need are on the mandriva 2010 installation disk.

Search for broadcom on the software installer.
install dkms-broadcom-wl

There may be a conflict with the already installed drivers so you need to remove these modules
using rmmod

rmmod b43
rmmod ssb
rmmod wl

you may may not have all these modules installed.

Then reboot and it should work!

[Alex's Alter Ego]

I was having trouble with my wireless card also, a broadcom 4-something, on my Dell Inspiron. I'm running Mandriva 2010.0, and had the card running under 2009.1. The post by sibatt solved my problem - thanks!

[jeevanjan]

I recently bought a Samsung laptop in which the broadcom device 4727 wifi card. I installed Mandriva free2010 spring and it did not detect the wifi card. when I tried to install a new wifi connection from MCC, it gave me an option for ndiswrapper. even it did not work. I was trying so many option for last 3 days,.. Today I got it working. Here are the steps I followed..

1.i installed dkms-broadcom-wl (kernel module for broadcom wirless adapters)
2.broadcom-wl-kernel-2.6.33.7-desktop-2mnb
3.I uninstalled nidswrapper (this is important)
4.reboot
5.choose desktop-2.6.33.7
6.configured wifi network from MCC
7.Done!!!


thats all..wish u all the best

[Genn2012]

I have this same problem as many others seem to have, I have a Dell Inspiron laptop that will not allow me to set up the WIFI, I understand that the solve to this problem is as you explained, however, I do not know how to look for that info or how to execute the search, can some one tell me how I need to get that info out of the installation disk I have? Much appreciate it...Thanx!

[sibatt]

I have this same problem as many others seem to have, I have a Dell Inspiron laptop that will not allow me to set up the WIFI, I understand that the solve to this problem is as you explained, however, I do not know how to look for that info or how to execute the search, can some one tell me how I need to get that info out of the installation disk I have? Much appreciate it...Thanx!

This was a long time ago so have forgotten the details, but I think I would have used the Mandriva software installer and put the file name in the search box.

Sorry I cannot be of more help. I have moved across to Mint Linux, I got fed up of Mandriva starting to charge silly prices for buggy disto's. My experience is that Mint and Ubuntu work much better for the normal PC user, including the wifi on dell laptops working without installing extra software. It is sad because Mandrake which became Mandriva was the best around when I first go into Linux in 2000.