Help with WLAN on HP Presario 2100

**LanDroid** · 02-04-2010

So as you can probably tell I am a Linux newb, I've just started using Ubuntu version 9.10, I've been trying to install the wireless drivers from HP's site for the Presario 2100 XP home edition (the computer I'm using...). I've hit a roadblock, I've exhausted the online faqs, I'm probably just missing some critical step, so I'm turning to the community. So please help? I'm stuck here. Thanks!

*edit* I reread what I wrote and realized it wasn't exactly clear, basically I just want WiFi to work.

Code:

============ lspci ============
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: ATI Technologies Inc AGP Bridge [IGP 320M] [1002:cab0] (rev 13)
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-ati
	Kernel modules: ati-agp
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: ATI Technologies Inc PCI Bridge [IGP 320M] [1002:700f] (rev 01)
	Kernel modules: shpchp
00:02.0 USB Controller [0c03]: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller [10b9:5237] (rev 03)
	Kernel driver in use: ohci_hcd
00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: ALi Corporation M5451 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device [10b9:5451] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: ALI 5451
	Kernel modules: snd-ali5451
00:07.0 ISA bridge [0601]: ALi Corporation M1533/M1535/M1543 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV/V/V+] [10b9:1533]
	Kernel modules: alim7101_wdt, alim1535_wdt
00:08.0 Modem [0703]: ALi Corporation M5457 AC'97 Modem Controller [10b9:5457]
00:09.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 02)
	Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge
	Kernel modules: ssb
00:0a.0 CardBus bridge [0607]: O2 Micro, Inc. OZ601/6912/711E0 CardBus/SmartCardBus Controller [1217:6972]
	Kernel driver in use: yenta_cardbus
	Kernel modules: yenta_socket
00:0c.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394) [0c00]: Texas Instruments TSB43AB21 IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link) [104c:8026]
	Kernel driver in use: ohci1394
	Kernel modules: firewire-ohci, ohci1394
00:10.0 IDE interface [0101]: ALi Corporation M5229 IDE [10b9:5229] (rev c4)
	Kernel driver in use: pata_ali
00:11.0 Bridge [0680]: ALi Corporation M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU] [10b9:7101]
	Kernel driver in use: ali1535_smbus
	Kernel modules: alim7101_wdt, i2c-ali15x3, i2c-ali1535
00:12.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: National Semiconductor Corporation DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller [100b:0020]
	Kernel driver in use: natsemi
	Kernel modules: natsemi
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon Mobility U1 [1002:4336]
	Kernel modules: radeon, radeonfb

============ lsusb ============
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 046d:c001 Logitech, Inc. N48/M-BB48 [FirstMouse Plus]
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

============ lsmod ============
Module                  Size  Used by
usbhid                 38208  0 
ndiswrapper           185532  0 
isofs                  31620  1 
udf                    80900  0 
crc_itu_t               1852  1 udf
binfmt_misc             8356  1 
joydev                 10240  0 
pcmcia                 36808  0 
arc4                    1660  2 
ecb                     2524  2 
snd_ali5451            18888  2 
snd_ac97_codec        101216  1 snd_ali5451
ac97_bus                1532  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss            37920  0 
snd_mixer_oss          16028  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                75296  3 snd_ali5451,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
iptable_filter          3100  0 
ppdev                   6688  0 
snd_seq_dummy           2656  0 
ip_tables              11692  1 iptable_filter
x_tables               16544  1 ip_tables
parport_pc             31940  1 
psmouse                56500  0 
serio_raw               5280  0 
yenta_socket           24296  1 
rsrc_nonstatic         11644  1 yenta_socket
b43legacy             117752  0 
mac80211              181140  1 b43legacy
cfg80211               93052  2 b43legacy,mac80211
led_class               4096  1 b43legacy
shpchp                 32272  0 
snd_seq_oss            28576  0 
snd_seq_midi            6432  0 
snd_rawmidi            22208  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      6940  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                50224  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              22276  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          6920  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    59204  14 snd_ali5451,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore               7264  1 snd
snd_page_alloc          9156  1 snd_pcm
i2c_ali15x3             6336  0 
i2c_ali1535             5792  0 
pcmcia_core            36528  3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
lp                      8964  0 
parport                35340  3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
floppy                 54916  0 
video                  19380  0 
output                  2780  1 video
radeon                636000  2 
ttm                    36212  1 radeon
drm                   159584  4 radeon,ttm
i2c_algo_bit            5760  1 radeon
ati_agp                 6760  1 
agpgart                34988  3 ttm,drm,ati_agp
ssb                    35364  1 b43legacy
ohci1394               29900  0 
ieee1394               86596  1 ohci1394
natsemi                26976  0 

============ dmesg-firmware ============

============ kernel version ============
2.6.31-17-generic

============ ifconfig ============
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:0d:9d:82:06:bc  
          inet addr:192.168.2.11  Bcast:192.168.2.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::20d:9dff:fe82:6bc/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:20967 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:19043 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:20162507 (20.1 MB)  TX bytes:3038484 (3.0 MB)
          Interrupt:11 Base address:0x4000 

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)


============ iwconfig ============
wlan0     IEEE 802.11bg  ESSID:""  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Tx-Power=0 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

**reed9** · 02-04-2010

00:09.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 02)
Kernel driver in use: b43-pci-bridge

This is your wireless card.

According to lsmod, you're loading the b43legacy driver, which is not correct. You should be using the b43 driver. You also need extra firmware for this card. (By the way, this card may work with Fedora 12 out of the the box).

If you have a wired connection do

Code:

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

Blacklist the b43legacy driver

Code:

echo "blacklist b43legacy" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Force the b43 module to load at boot

Code:

echo b43 | sudo tee -a /etc/modules

Reboot and see how it goes.

**LanDroid** · 02-04-2010

First off I want to say thanks! Secondly, I followed the codes you posted and did a reboot, sadly I was still not able to find my wireless network, I did another Hardware Driver search and it came back with the dang Broadcom B43Legacy driver again (I did not activate it this time). So once more, any help would be appreciated, and thanks in advance!

**reed9** · 02-04-2010

So lsmod still shows the b43legacy driver and not the b43 driver loading? Check with

Code:

lsmod | grep b43

If it's enabled in Ubuntu's hardware driver thing, disable it.

Once done does this show local networks?

Code:

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

**LanDroid** · 02-04-2010

This is what Ismod shows

b43 122168 0
mac80211 181140 1 b43
cfg80211 93052 2 b43,mac80211
led_class 4096 1 b43
ssb 35364 1 b43

As of now no drivers are enabled, I had tried to do the hardware driver scan and it came up with the legacy driver again, so I did not enable it. The WLAN scan shows

wlan0 Interface doesn't support scanning.

**waterhead** · 02-04-2010

Actually, according to this page, the b43legacy driver is the correct one.

This driver, or rather the cards that use it, uses different firmware than the regular b43 driver.

**LanDroid** · 02-04-2010

Ah ok. Well I just tried to reactivate it by going through the "Hardware Drivers" program but it gives me the following error message.

Code:

Sorry, installation of this driver failed.

Please have a look at the log file for details: /var/log/jockey.log

I'm guessing its because I blacklisted it, so now my question is how do I un-blacklist the legacy driver and how do I find the firmware to activate it?

Thanks for the help guys!

*edit*
Alright, I followed the link and my driver is apparently supported. Following the codes on the site I was able to get this line.

Code:

00:09.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 02)

And I found this on the site, telling me its supported.

14e4:4320 supported BCM4306 ? ? b43

I followed the instructions and used the code

Code:

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

Which of course I had done before.

So... in retrospect... I'm still stuck.

**reed9** · 02-04-2010

Originally Posted by waterhead

Actually, according to [url=http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#bcm43xx.2C_b43legacy.2C_b43.2C_softmac.2C..._t he_full_story[/url], the b43legacy driver is the correct one.

This driver, or rather the cards that use it, uses different firmware than the regular b43 driver.

If you look at the pciid list on that site, though, 14e4:4320 should use the b43 driver. There are a couple of bcm4306 cards. I assumed since it was not working initially and not complaining of firmware, the likely reason was that b43legacy was not correct.

EDIT: Which the OP just mentioned above and I totally skipped reading in my haste to respond.

**reed9** · 02-04-2010

Can you do

Code:

dmesg > dmesg.txt

to create a text file of the dmesg output and post that?

It'll be long, so use code tags.

**waterhead** · 02-04-2010

Since his wireless is listed as a Rev 2, I figured that this applied:

bcm4306 (Rev. 2 uses b43legacy, Rev. 3 uses b43)

But I see that I may be wrong on that.

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