Wireless connection not working in 12.10

[TheSickining]

After my parents got a virus on Windows, I wiped it and installed Ubuntu on their laptop. The first time the wireless didn't work because the wireless switch was off. Simple enough, but now it isn't working and I can't figure why. I tried installing the Broadcom driver via the Terminal, Ubuntu Software Center so on and so forth. None of which work and there are no errors messages or anything. So, basically I'm lost and don't know where to start. Here's the pci:d (I think it's called) information.

Broadcom BCM4312 [14e4:4315]

 

[skittle]

The firmware for that chipset cannot be included by default in ubuntu. just need to install firmware.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx

simply doing

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

should install it. alternatively use the proprietary broadcom STA driver in the link above.

you can check if the b43 driver is loading by doing checking 'lsmod'
also check that the wifi interface is loading with 'ifconfig' or 'iwconfig'

 

[TheSickining]

Alright, going to go test this in a minute. Will report back with results.

 

[TheSickining]

Wireless still doesn't work. Here's what I got: "Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
b43-fwcutter
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 19.6 kB of archives.
After this operation, 85.0 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/main b43-fwcutter amd64 1:015-14 [19.6 kB]
Fetched 19.6 kB in 0s (37.7 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package b43-fwcutter.
(Reading database ... 143326 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking b43-fwcutter (from .../b43-fwcutter_1%3a015-14_amd64.deb) ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up b43-fwcutter (1:015-14) ..."

 

[skittle]

sorry, my mistake. b43-fwcutter is the package to manually cut out the firmware from the driver blob from broadcom.

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

should auto install everything

then maybe run if its not done automatically:

sudo modprobe b43

 

[TheSickining]

Nope, I got "Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
firmware-b43-installer
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 3,532 B of archives.
After this operation, 35.8 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/multiverse firmware-b43-installer all 1:015-14 [3,532 B]
Fetched 3,532 B in 3s (945 B/s)
Selecting previously unselected package firmware-b43-installer.
(Reading database ... 143333 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking firmware-b43-installer (from .../firmware-b43-installer_1%3a015-14_all.deb) ...
Setting up firmware-b43-installer (1:015-14) ...
No chroot environment found. Starting normal installation
An unsupported BCM4312 Low-Power (LP-PHY) device was found.
Use b43 LP-PHY firmware (firmware-b43-lpphy-installer package) instead.
Aborting." this time. My best guess is the firmware is incorrect.

 

[skittle]

well didnt you read the error message? it told you that the specific firmware you need happens to not be in that package(apperently that specific chipset needs a special low-power version of the firmware). it even tells you what package to install!

 sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-lpphy-installer

 

[TheSickining]

I read it, but I'm not very well versed in the Terminal. I'm going to try that and hope it works.

 

[TheSickining]

"Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package firmware-b43-llpphy-installer" It doesn't appear to have downloaded the firmware at all. Or maybe it did and can't find it on the hard drive.

 

[skittle]

you have made a typo.
firmware-b43-lpphy-installer
not
firmware-b43-llpphy-installer

here is the package details: http://packages.ubuntu.com/quantal/firmware-b43-lpphy-installer

after firmware is installed, load the module/driver with 'sudo modprobe b43', or reboot

 

[TheSickining]

Ah yes, I see. Sorry about that, will try again.

 

[TheSickining]

"Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
firmware-b43-installer
The following NEW packages will be installed:
firmware-b43-lpphy-installer
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 3,434 B of archives.
After this operation, 1,024 B disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/multiverse firmware-b43-lpphy-installer all 1:015-14 [3,434 B]
Fetched 3,434 B in 0s (11.6 kB/s)
(Reading database ... 143336 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing firmware-b43-installer ...
Selecting previously unselected package firmware-b43-lpphy-installer.
(Reading database ... 143333 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking firmware-b43-lpphy-installer (from .../firmware-b43-lpphy-installer_1%3a015-14_all.deb) ...
Setting up firmware-b43-lpphy-installer (1:015-14) ...
No chroot environment found. Starting normal installation
--2012-11-09 19:27:48-- http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2
Resolving downloads.openwrt.org (downloads.openwrt.org)... 78.24.191.177
Connecting to downloads.openwrt.org (downloads.openwrt.org)|78.24.191.177|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 5986780 (5.7M) [application/octet-stream]
Saving to: `broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2'
100%[======================================>] 5,986,780 82.2K/s in 70s
2012-11-09 19:28:59 (83.3 KB/s) - `broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4.tar.bz2' saved [5986780/5986780]
Creating new firmware directory...
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_nomimo
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_apsta_1chipG
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_wl_sdstd
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_shared
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/diffupdate.sh
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_ap_1chipG
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_ap
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_ap_sdstd
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wl.mk
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wltunable_lx_router.h
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_sta
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wl_default
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wltunable_lx_router_1chipG.h
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wl_hnd
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_sta_1chipG
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_lx_router_apsta
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/config/wlconfig_apdef
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/README
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux/
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux/wl_sta.o
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux/wl.o
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux/wl_ap.o
broadcom-wl-4.178.10.4/linux/wl_apsta.o
This file is recognised as:
filename : wl_apsta.o
version : 478.104
MD5 : bb8537e3204a1ea5903fe3e66b5e2763
Extracting b43/ucode5.fw
Extracting b43/pcm5.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode11.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/n0absinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals11.fw
Extracting b43/ucode13.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/ucode14.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals14.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals14.fw
Extracting b43/ucode15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
Extracting b43/ucode16.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals16.fw
Extracting b43/sslpn0bsinitvals16.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals16.fw" Okay, I've read through this many times and I don't see any problems, but the wireless still doesn't work.

 

[skittle]

ok so the firmware is extracted, and presumably installed.

Now just reload the b43 driver/module

sudo modprobe -r b43 ssb
sudo modprobe b43

you can confirm if the wireless interface is created with

sudo ifconfig

you should see at least ethernet interface 'eth0' and hopefully the wireless interface, 'wlan0'

 

[TheSickining]

Okay, sorry, I forgot to check this thread for a few days. I will do this right when I get home.

 

[TheSickining]

Well, sorry to have wasted your time, but my parents went to the store to get Windows 7, and got bribed into getting Windows 8. I warned them against getting it, but too late now.

 

[TheSickining]

Best answer selected by TheSickining.

 

[elmock]

Thank you so much. This is 100% what I needed after my wireless nic took a walk about on me.

 

[jksfo]

Thank you for your post - resolved hours and hours of frustration!