Dell Inspiron E1505, BCM4311 Problems. No Wireless... [SOLVED]

[1badude]

Hello, everyone. Please bear with me, as this is my first forum post asking for help. Until now, I've never had a problem finding solutions with a little time and patience. This, however, has been a major problem. Any assistance would be most appreciated, as I'm at the end of my rope here...
Here's a quick run down of the system...  (Note: There is no hardware wireless switch on this system. Wireless is enabled via Fn shortcut, which has yet to work with BackBox.)

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family PCI Express Port 4 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7-M Family) SATA Controller [IDE mode] (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family SMBus Controller (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (rev 02)
03:01.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller
03:01.1 SD Host controller: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter (rev 19)
03:01.2 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter (rev 0a)
03:01.3 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd xD-Picture Card Controller (rev 05)
0b:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)

Here's my problem...

justin@BackBox-1:~$ lspci -nn | grep 0280
0b:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14e4:4311] (rev 01)

Before we get started here, let me give you a heads up on some of what's been attempted already...
1)  "Additional Drivers"... Fail.
Initial attempts returned errors and "did not install". Eventually I managed to get this to run and install correctly (according to feedback), but still no wireless. I had the ol' "installed but not active" notice... This is about as good as this got...
2)  bc-fwcutter and (all at some point or another) bc firmwares... Install goes according to plan. Reboot yields no results...
I've installed several distros on this machine, and several load the wireless right off the bat. Some are as simple as enabling "Additional Drivers". The rest have been easily dealt with via bc-fwcutter and proper firmware packages... Not for BackBox. Still no wireless... This is the first distro I've not been able to activate my wireless on, and I don't understand why...
3)  Attempting to work with "bcmwl-kernel-source" package not only errors out at the end of the installation (/lib/modules/3.2.0-45-generic/build *folder does not exist, yada yada), but attempting to add this breaks my ethernet connection as well. Removing the package restores my ethernet connection, at least...
4)  There are no hard or soft blocks showing against it, either...

These are just a few of the countless routes I have attempted to gain functionality of my wireless connection.
(Wireless works fine when I boot XP, so I know it's not a hardware problem... Well, "broken" hardware problem.)
I'm at a complete loss here. I've tried all the solutions to problems here on the BackBox forums regarding BCM4311 issues and despite success for those individuals, I have not been so lucky, I've also hit every single Ubuntu forum regarding the same situation, with no luck...

I did read somewhere that having Broadcom devices for both ethernet and wireless causes some sort of issue with the Broadcom wireless firmware. I found a script that supposedly helps address this bug, but my Linux experience and skill level isn't that advanced yet. There was a page full of scripting code, but I didn't know what to do with it... (I'd post the link here, but that disappeared with one of the multiple reloads I've performed on my quest for wireless connectivity.)

If anybody has a solution to my issue, I would be eternally grateful. I've really been looking forward to getting more in depth with BackBox, but there's not much point in keeping a pentest distro if you can't get the wireless to work...

Thank you all in advance for any assistance you can offer.

[ZEROF]

Hi,


Try this : http://goo.gl/3LJYm or http://goo.gl/TK6Jo

[1badude]

Hi,


Try this : http://goo.gl/3LJYm or http://goo.gl/TK6Jo

Thank you for the quick reply and links, and my apologies for the slow response. I work long hours, so it may take me a little while to respond.

Unfortunately these methods haven't worked. I tried both of these (numerous times) prior to my posting here. I tried them again just now for final confirmation, and still no luck. Here are some of the errors I receive when attempting these methods...

When following instructions from your first link, I receive this error when attempting to remove bcmwl-kernel.
"Package bcmwl-kernel-source is not installed, so not removed"
(From what I've read, this should be present on a standard install, but it does not seem to be included in my BackBox install. Attempting to install "bcmwl-kernel-source" does not unpack correctly, does not activate my wireless, and breaks my ethernet on top of everything else. Removing the package will fix my ethernet, at least...)

Following the instructions listed in your second link, the nonfree firmware loads and installs correctly.
However, on the next step, running sudo modprobe b43 returns the following error...
FATAL: Error inserting b43 (/lib/modules/3.2.0-45-generic/updates/cw-3.8/b43.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

I'm at a complete loss here... 90% or better of the help pages I've found scattered across the Internet regarding my issue are the same basic instructions that I already knew going into this, but had no luck with. After trying everything I could think of, I broke down and posted here. Hoping to find a solution to my problem here, or at least some solid confirmation that it has something to do with a conflict between the software and the hardware on this machine and I'm just out of luck until an update fixes the issue... At least then I could walk away from it without feeling like it beat me...

Thank you again for your response. If you think of anything else, I'll gladly try it!

[ZEROF]

I see, check ubuntu documentation : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx#b43%20-%20Internet%20access and see if you can work out.

[reaperz73]

Just a bit of info.
The broadcom drivers install with  bc-fwcutter  does work.
after install do a iwconfig see if it is listed.
If not modprobe (your driver)
then it should show up. However all networks are hidden I don't know why.
you can connect to the network by connecting to hidden network and typing in the essid
I fixed mine by updating the kernel from another distro then the networks show up.
With the present kernel in bbox for some reason the networks are hidden to broadcom.

Just what i have noticed so far, tested on a few different laptops.

[1badude]

Thanks again, ZEROF, for trying to help me. The Ubuntu link is one I've been over already, but with no success. I really don't understand it... I've done everything I KNOW should work, but it doesn't.

Guess I was hoping to get lucky and find somebody else with the same rig, or at least the same configuration of networking components, that has figured it out already. It seems as though some system components didn't install correctly causing conflicts, but my skill level and knowledge isn't such that I CAN track and fix it without help... Yet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

[1badude]

Just a bit of info.
The broadcom drivers install with  bc-fwcutter  does work.
after install do a iwconfig see if it is listed.
If not modprobe (your driver)
then it should show up. However all networks are hidden I don't know why.
you can connect to the network by connecting to hidden network and typing in the essid
I fixed mine by updating the kernel from another distro then the networks show up.
With the present kernel in bbox for some reason the networks are hidden to broadcom.

Just what i have noticed so far, tested on a few different laptops.

Thank you for your response, reaperz73.

I will dig a little deeper in that direction and see what I can turn up. With all other distros I've installed on this laptop, even the ones that didn't auto load were easily addressed with bc-fwcutter. Which only adds to my confusion on why the regular methods don't seem to work for me with BackBox.

My other distros picked up my network instantly, with no need for detailed configuration. I wouldn't mind the extra steps, but that's if my wireless would even load...

I will head your advice and check on a kernel switch. I actually started a similar process the other evening, but bowed out thinking I'd end up worse off than where I started. Should've stuck it out...

I can say my Linux command line skill has grown exponentially fighting with this, so it hasn't been a complete waste of time. A lot of trial and error, trial and error...

Thanks guys. I'll come back with an update when I've exhausted everything I'm able to attempt without specialized assistance...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

[1badude]

Just a bit of info.
The broadcom drivers install with  bc-fwcutter  does work.
after install do a iwconfig see if it is listed.
If not modprobe (your driver)
then it should show up. However all networks are hidden I don't know why.
you can connect to the network by connecting to hidden network and typing in the essid
I fixed mine by updating the kernel from another distro then the networks show up.
With the present kernel in bbox for some reason the networks are hidden to broadcom.

Just what i have noticed so far, tested on a few different laptops.

Ah, I meant to mention that when I attempt the "sudo modprobe b43" command, it returns:
FATAL: Error inserting b43 (/lib/modules/3.2.0-45-generic/updates/cw-3.8/b43.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

Also, as stated in my original post, when I attempt to install some of the Broadcom wireless packages I receive an error similar to:
/lib/modules/3.2.0-45-generic/build *file or folder does not exist, yada yada

My apologies for the jest on technical terms, but the sting info is correct. I took a look at the destination, and no "build" folder exists in the directory. Should it?
I read elsewhere that the "build" folder in that path was related to development, but I am unsure as to how to get it all set up as it's a system area...

Given that some of these items which apparently load fine for everybody else do return errors for me, it also adds to my confusion. Searching for these types of error messages return vague information at best. I can only hope someone who has experienced and remedied these issues finds my thread. Or somebody who has come across this information during their research... Again, I appreciate the help, guys!

EDIT:  Given my hardware (bcm4311), the standard "firmware-b43-installer" and "b43-fwcutter" should work. It's worked for any other distro I've installed on this machine that required manual driver installation... However, for some reason, this does not work for me with BackBox. It all installs fine with no issues, regardless of my installation method. However, my wireless hardware is still not detected...

iwconfig  returns the following...  (After all firmware is installed, seemingly correctly.)
lo        no wireless extensions.
eth0      no wireless extensions.

Installing the STA drivers from "Additional Drivers" will take (sometimes), and show "installed but not active". STILL no wireless detection. Regardless of proprietary or open source, nothing has worked for me on BackBox... I've done this one hundred times with other dirstos trying them out, and I was always able to get the hardware detected and loading properly.
This current issue, however, has become the bane of my existence, as I hate to give up on anything...

[reaperz73]

Install kernel headers

Code Select Expand

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

[1badude]

Install kernel headers

Code Select Expand

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

Tried it out,

justin@BackBox-1:~$ sudo apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

I am currently unaware of any other process that might be causing this. Any ideas?
Should I remove my current firmware set up prior to performing these actions?

EDIT:  Performed a quick reboot, and the command ran with no problems this time. Waiting for the download to finish now... Will update upon completion.

[reaperz73]

you don't have synaptic or any other software installing programs?
try a reboot and try again

[1badude]

you don't have synaptic or any other software installing programs?
try a reboot and try again

Everything finished with no errors. Linux headers updated successfully.

Suggestions on where to go from here?

Reinstall firmware? Or reboot and cross my fingers?

[reaperz73]

now try

Code Select Expand

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

Code Select Expand

modprobe b43

then

Code Select Expand

iwconfig

does you adapter then show up in the list from iwconfig?

[1badude]

now try

Code Select Expand

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

Code Select Expand

modprobe b43

then

Code Select Expand

iwconfig

does you adapter then show up in the list from iwconfig?

Sorry for the delayed response. I had to go out of town for a couple days.
I had already installed the "firmware-b43-installer package", and that's what's currently set up on here now.

Attempting the "modprobe b43" command returns:

justin@BackBox-1:~$ modprobe b43
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper, it will be ignored in a future release.
FATAL: Error inserting b43 (/lib/modules/3.2.0-45-generic/updates/cw-3.8/b43.ko): Operation not permitted


iwconfig reports "no wireless extensions"...

I've never had this kind of trouble getting my wireless adapter up and running, on any distro... I'm at a loss here...

Any other suggestions?

(SIDE NOTE:  My wireless would not work when running BackBox from the Live CD, either. Attempting to activate my wireless from the "Additional Drivers" would error out, and not complete correctly. I was never able to access my wireless on the Live CD at all, so thought I might have better luck with a full install... So far, not happening...)

[1badude]

Guess I'll try one last time...

Going to attempt a clean install, no updates or 3rd party drivers during install, and see if I can get it going prior to applying any updates...

I've already attempted this as well, more than once, but maybe I'm missing something along the way...

I've been working on getting this wireless situation figured out for two weeks now, and I'm about to give up. If I can't get it going this time, I'll have to put BackBox on the back burner...

My thanks to those who have tried to help me out along the way.