Linux Mint 17 XFCE Wifi issues...

Fabio

Hi all,

I realise that this has been done to death out there since the year dot but it's an issue I really cannot seem to solve on my girlfriend's old laptop and I'd really appreciate some help with it.

The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 6400 with a standard Broadcom wifi/network card inside. It was designed for Windows Vista Basic but ran better on XP. In the run up to XP running out of updates I switched here over to Mint. I use Mint a fair bit on a more modern lappy at home and it's great. My Dad, no computer techy himself, can easily use it too.

The issue with the Dell is that it will not seem to "see" any wifi networks. In fact it doesn't seem to know there is a wifi capability at all. I ran (cannot remember the command now) last night and it shows what Broadcom card is inside. So, it can see it but won't show it.

I went in to Driver Manager and enabled the Broadcom driver in there but nothing happened. All through this I have been able to use the laptop tethered to my phone or else plugged into the ethernet cable. No sign of wifi though.

Any ideas? It's bang up to date by the way, Mint 17 XFCE, installed only last night (in an effort to try to fix this wifi issue).

Thanks all

syklops

What broadcom card is it?

Edit:

This one?

BCM4311 802.11b/g (rev 01)

Fabio

Hi Syklops,

Yes it's the BCM4311 one as you have above.

By the way, I think you may have helped me out before on this forum - thanks

syklops

To fix your wireless problem, this is what you have to do:

Remove the default driver:

$ sudo apt-get remove --purge bcmwl-kernel-source

Install a the Linux Firmware nonfree drivers:

$ sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree

Load the b43 module:

$ sudo modprobe b43

To make it work automatically, do :

$ sudo su
# echo "b43" >> /etc/modules

Fabio

Hi Syklops,

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have worked. It's a fix that I have tried before, I think.

It removes the default driver but once that is done and I move on to ask it to install the non-free driver it says it already has that installed. When I ask it then to load the b43 module the command just stops in Terminal. The cursor blinks and that's about it.

I then shut the terminal and ran the final command you posted above and nothing comes of that either.

It's a really confusing issue, thanks for your help, if there's any other ideas you'd have it'd be great to hear them (especially now that the ethernet cable is no longer being recognised either).

By the way, Driver Manager does not seem to be working properly. I open it, enter the password, and then it "greys out". It says, at the bottom of that window, "no proprietary drivers are in use" and offers no selections or options within the window (which is filled with grey in the same shade as the window surroud on other windows in xfce). I wonder if this is something to do with it. A bad Driver Manager maybe not managing the drivers peoperly for this?

syklops

Fabio wrote: »

Hi Syklops,

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have worked. It's a fix that I have tried before, I think.

It removes the default driver but once that is done and I move on to ask it to install the non-free driver it says it already has that installed. When I ask it then to load the b43 module the command just stops in Terminal. The cursor blinks and that's about it.

I then shut the terminal and ran the final command you posted above and nothing comes of that either.

It's a really confusing issue, thanks for your help, if there's any other ideas you'd have it'd be great to hear them (especially now that the ethernet cable is no longer being recognised either).

By the way, Driver Manager does not seem to be working properly. I open it, enter the password, and then it "greys out". It says, at the bottom of that window, "no proprietary drivers are in use" and offers no selections or options within the window (which is filled with grey in the same shade as the window surroud on other windows in xfce). I wonder if this is something to do with it. A bad Driver Manager maybe not managing the drivers peoperly for this?

Where in the country are you?

Fabio

Cork city (but the laptop is in Tullamore, I'm back in Cork as of last night!).

Before I left I reinstalled Mint XFCE from the USB stick and the ethernet cable worked again. Still no wifi though. And the wifi light on the laptop ain't on either (and there ain't no physical switch).

syklops

Fabio wrote: »

Cork city (but the laptop is in Tullamore, I'm back in Cork as of last night!).

Before I left I reinstalled Mint XFCE from the USB stick and the ethernet cable worked again. Still no wifi though. And the wifi light on the laptop ain't on either (and there ain't no physical switch).

Ok good. Now that ethernet is working, if you setup an SSH server I can login and try to fix it for you.

Fabio

Hi Skylops, how do I go about setting up on SSH server? I'll have the laptop back this weekend so could give it a bash then. Apart from that I asked my girlfriend to attempt to install Lubuntu or Xubuntu to see if they'll work out of the box for her.

syklops

Fabio wrote: »

Hi Skylops, how do I go about setting up on SSH server? I'll have the laptop back this weekend so could give it a bash then. Apart from that I asked my girlfriend to attempt to install Lubuntu or Xubuntu to see if they'll work out of the box for her.

apt-get install openssh-server should do it.

Then create a user and set a password, send me the password and tell me the IP address.

Fabio

Right I installed Lubuntu 14.04 tonight. That has brought no luck to me really, same issues.

I ran the apt-get install openssh-server command in terminal. That doesn't seem to have done anything I can actually see so I'm not sure where to go and make a user and password.

Thanks for taking the time to help by the way.

Kinet1c

Have you rechecked its enabled in the bios? Is there any physical switch on the laptop where you can turn wifi off?

Fabio

I'm going to go into the BIOS and recheck that. I think I did but to be honest I've spent so many hours on it that I'm not even sure anymore...!

There isn't a physical switch to go at unfortauntely. There is a hot key if you press a couple of keyboard buttons which is meant to turn on and off the wifi but when I go at that in Lubuntu it just tells me the ethernet networking is working.

PropJoe10

I had similar issues with a Broadcom wireless card on a laptop running Mint a while back. Managed to solve it by using the info on this page:

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

syklops

Fabio wrote: »

I ran the apt-get install openssh-server command in terminal. That doesn't seem to have done anything I can actually see so I'm not sure where to go and make a user and password.

It should have asked you do you want to install openssh-server. What did it print after you ran that command?

Fabio

I think I rdid request it to go ahead and install openssh-server. The trouble is now, the laptop is in Tullamore again and I'm in Cork. At this stage my girlfriend is seriously considering a new one because of the trouble she is having and she needs it for work. To be fair, Linux (various versions) has kept it going for almost a year longer than expected. It's an old Dell Inspiron 6400 from 7 years ago in everyday use. Would you mind me PMing you next time I am in Tullamore and actually at the laptop so I can ask some questions rather than a really slow burning thread? Either way is grand with me, I just don't want to waste anyone's/your time either.

syklops

Fabio wrote: »

I think I rdid request it to go ahead and install openssh-server. The trouble is now, the laptop is in Tullamore again and I'm in Cork. At this stage my girlfriend is seriously considering a new one because of the trouble she is having and she needs it for work. To be fair, Linux (various versions) has kept it going for almost a year longer than expected. It's an old Dell Inspiron 6400 from 7 years ago in everyday use. Would you mind me PMing you next time I am in Tullamore and actually at the laptop so I can ask some questions rather than a really slow burning thread? Either way is grand with me, I just don't want to waste anyone's/your time either.

Yeah of course, thats fine.

ASX

Hi,

I don't use Mint but I know a bit around broadcom. Because the adapter apparently may use different drivers (i.e. proprietary vs. open) part of the job to get it up and running is about remove and/or blacklist the competing modules.

You can get info about the modules, by using the command

lspci -nnk

most likely you will find b43 and some others (ssb, wl, broadcom-wl ...).

Blacklist all but the b43 module.

HTH,
Regards