wireless blues.

[gomangodave]

I am a renewed user, so I am pretty green by todays standards.

Running duel boot laptop with windows 7 and ubuntu 9.10
Dell XPS M1530

I am unable to get the wireless network card working.

Linux acts like its not even present. Im totally lost, because it was working a few versions ago before I upgraded to windows 7 and decided to give linux another go with this new version of ubuntu.

here are some outputs.

============ lspci ============
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub [8086:2a00] (rev 0c)
	Kernel modules: intel-agp
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port [8086:2a01] (rev 0c)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:2834] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 [8086:2835] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1a.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 [8086:283a] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:284b] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
	Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 [8086:2841] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 [8086:2847] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport-driver
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2830] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2831] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2832] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: uhci_hcd
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:2836] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev f2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller [8086:2815] (rev 02)
	Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt
00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller [8086:2850] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: ata_piix
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller [8086:2829] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:283e] (rev 02)
	Kernel modules: i2c-i801
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G84 [GeForce 8600M GT] [10de:0407] (rev a1)
	Kernel modules: nvidiafb
03:09.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller [1180:0832] (rev 05)
	Kernel driver in use: ohci1394
	Kernel modules: firewire-ohci, ohci1394
03:09.1 SD Host controller [0805]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter [1180:0822] (rev 22)
	Kernel driver in use: sdhci-pci
	Kernel modules: sdhci-pci
03:09.2 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C843 MMC Host Controller [1180:0843] (rev 12)
	Kernel driver in use: ricoh-mmc
	Kernel modules: ricoh_mmc
03:09.3 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter [1180:0592] (rev 12)
03:09.4 System peripheral [0880]: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller [1180:0852] (rev ff)
09:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8040 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller [11ab:4354] (rev 12)
	Kernel driver in use: sky2
	Kernel modules: sky2
0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb
Note: Windows call this card a Dell wireless 1395  WLAN Mini-card
============ lsusb ============
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 002: ID 045e:00cb Microsoft Corp. 
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 0483:2016 SGS Thomson Microelectronics Fingerprint Reader
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05a9:2640 OmniVision Technologies, Inc. OV2640 Webcam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

============ lsmod ============
Module                  Size  Used by
binfmt_misc            10220  1 
ppdev                   8232  0 
snd_hda_codec_idt      72976  1 
snd_hda_intel          31880  2 
snd_hda_codec          87584  2 snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep               9352  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm_oss            44704  0 
snd_mixer_oss          18976  1 snd_pcm_oss
b43                   136552  0 
snd_pcm                93160  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           3460  0 
snd_seq_oss            33440  0 
snd_seq_midi            8192  0 
snd_rawmidi            27360  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      8448  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                60608  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
joydev                 13088  0 
snd_timer              26992  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          8308  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
psmouse                57124  0 
iptable_filter          3872  0 
dell_wmi                3216  0 
mac80211              210104  1 b43
lp                     11908  0 
snd                    77096  16 snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore               9088  1 snd
cfg80211              109144  2 b43,mac80211
serio_raw               6596  0 
ip_tables              21200  1 iptable_filter
uvcvideo               65260  0 
dell_laptop             9692  0 
sdhci_pci               8928  0 
parport                40528  2 ppdev,lp
sdhci                  20484  1 sdhci_pci
ricoh_mmc               4480  0 
videodev               43360  1 uvcvideo
x_tables               25832  1 ip_tables
led_class               5256  2 b43,sdhci
v4l1_compat            16804  2 uvcvideo,videodev
v4l2_compat_ioctl32    13344  1 videodev
snd_page_alloc         10928  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
dcdbas                  9136  1 dell_laptop
usbhid                 43968  0 
video                  23612  0 
output                  3680  1 video
ssb                    40944  1 b43
sky2                   55556  0 
ohci1394               33780  0 
ieee1394              100896  1 ohci1394
intel_agp              32816  0 


============ kernel version ============
2.6.31-14-generic

============ ifconfig ============
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:21:9b:ee:f0:e6  
          UP BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 B)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
          Interrupt:16 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:4 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:240 (240.0 B)  TX bytes:240 (240.0 B)

[waterhead]

OK, so this is the device:

0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4312 802.11b/g [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb

This is a Broadcom wireless, using the b43 driver module. You say that it worked in an earlier version of Linux? That is odd, because the listing of supported devices, found HERE, says the support is currently "in progress".

The b43 driver always requires firmware to be installed, so you will need to do that. You will need a wired internet connection, then run this command.

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

During the installation it will ask "Fetch and install firmware?". Of course, answer YES. Reboot and see if the wireless now works. If not, report back and we will try something different.

[gomangodave]

Thanks Paul. That seems to have done it.

[waterhead]

You're welcome, glad to here that it is working.

You could actually save the needed firmware to a USB drive. If you reinstall, or try a different distro, you then just need to insert the firmware. It is usually in the /lib/firmware or /lib/firmware/<kernel version>.

There is a lot of firmware in that directory. To find which your system is using, run this command.

dmesg | grep firmware