Dell Inspiron 6400 wifi won't work

[firenice03]

P.s.
Sometimes the Driver Manager (or Install Drivers) program doesn't install the correct Broadcom driver, so the safest bet is to do what you did following that Ubuntu post.

Thanks gold_finger, making a note of that too

[gold_finger]

I ended up connecting to Ethernet and running the following commands on my fresh install.
They are different than my previous posts, probably due to the changes in the linux packages, but I am a noob so I really don't know how or why this worked.

Good job finding and using that Ubuntu post to fix wifi!

It worked because the "lspci" command identified the exact model and revision # of your card, which allowed you to pick the correct driver to use from the grid list on that post.  Not all Broadcom cards use the same driver and proper identification of the model and revision #'s is the key to installing the right one.

Once proper driver package is determined, it can be installed using a terminal command (like you did), or by finding and installing it using the Synaptic Package Manger as noted by firenice03.

P.s.
Sometimes the Driver Manager (or Install Drivers) program doesn't install the correct Broadcom driver, so the safest bet is to do what you did following that Ubuntu post.

[firenice03]

Broadcom stuff 
I too have, you should be able to install via Synaptic..

Maybe for your notes; as I've booked marked for mine 
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/network/guys-please-help-i'm-desperate/msg18840/#msg18840

2 things to try...

1.  So lets look in update hardware
Go to menu and type "install drivers" under additional see if there are updates for the Broadcom device..


If not...
2.  In Synaptic (Menu - System - Install/Remove Software). 
Begin typing "bcm" should list additional items (try above 1st)


For #2... Install package b43-fwcutter its Broadcom 43xx firmware...

[XpRefugee]

Follow up I re-installed 2.6 this time erased xp (I am that comfortable with linux now)
I also set it up with a seprate /home partition. since I could now use the entire drive.
I had the same WiFi issues.
I referred to this old post of mine and realized the old way did not work.

I ended up connecting to Ethernet and running the following commands on my fresh install.
They are different than my previous posts, probably due to the changes in the linux packages, but I am a noob so I really don't know how or why this worked.

I went to for a referance

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2214110

Since i just installed Linux Lite 2.6. I needed to build an index of available packages

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sudo apt-get update
Id'ed my card.

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lspci -nn -d 14e4:


03:02.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 03)

I used the pci.id  [14e4:4320]  with the grid found at (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2214110)

Using the format of
sudo apt-get install <package>

I ran

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

When my machine booted the WiFi light blinked then i touched it and I had WiFi.
I am posting both as a reference to myself and hopefully to help others.

I am still not as proficient with linux as I was with xp and other windows os's. But I no longer have any Windows software on this laptop.

[Dart]

Seems we both have the same card... This is how I got mine working - thru synaptic... Hope it works for you like it did for me.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/forums/network/wifi-on-compaq-v2000/msg13486/#msg13486

[myfamiliacc]

montey,
This helped me get mine working linux Lite 2.4 (and linux lite 1.8 and 2.0) granted you will have to have Internet to do this i just plugged in to my network.

https://lkubuntu.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/how-to-fix-broadcom-43xx/

I have a

Code: [Select]

lspci -nn | grep 02[80]0 | grep "Broadcom Corporation"
Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 03)

Hope this helps!!

I'm following the steps on the link you provided.. I just typed the following on to terminal..

sudo apt-get purge b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer firmware-b43-lpphy-installer firmware-b43legacy-installer bcmwl*
sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer bcmwl*

It's processing now.. I'll report in after the restart... wish me luck
 

[myfamiliacc]

I'm also new to Linux.. I just installed Linux lite on my wife's Dell Latitude D410.  She loved her lil. laptop until windows xp crashed.

I would love to surprise her with a Linux reborn laptop, but it needs to have wifi! lol

anyway.. I did the inxi thing on terminal.. and here is what it said..

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System:    Host: sheena-Rose-D410 Kernel: 3.13.0-49-generic i686 (32 bit) Desktop: Xfce 4.11.8 Distro: Ubuntu 14.04 trusty
Machine:   System: Dell (portable) product: Latitude D410
           Mobo: Dell model: 0C7499 Bios: Dell version: A06 date: 07/19/2006
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium M (-UP-) cache: 2048 KB flags: (nx pae sse sse2) clocked at 800.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller
           X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: [email protected]
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 915GM x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version: 1.4 Mesa 10.1.3
Audio:     Card: Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller driver: snd_intel8x0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.13.0-49-generic
Network:   Card-1: Broadcom BCM4318 [AirForce 54g] 802.11a/b/g PCI Express Transceiver driver: wl
           IF: N/A state: N/A mac: N/A
           Card-2: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5751 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express driver: tg3
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:13:72:6c:85:75
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 40.0GB (14.2% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: FUJITSU_MHT2040A size: 40.0GB
Partition: ID: / size: 36G used: 5.3G (16%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 1.06GB used: 0.03GB (3%) fs: swap
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 50.5C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 156 Uptime: 17 min Memory: 713.8/993.8MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 1.9.17
Please help me surprise my wife.

[N4RPS]

Hello!

If his card is a Broadcom unit, that would be fine and dandy. However, it could also be an Intel wireless card. That's why we need to do the whole inxi thing, as rokytnji suggested.

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lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4
will also work, but inxi output or a system report are how we usually troubleshoot here. Either way gives us much more overall information.

If the card turns out to be made by Intel, the wireless card might just need to enabled in the BIOS, or turned on by pressing <Fn + F2>. Most Intel wireless cards are already supported in the kernel...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[XpRefugee]

montey,
This helped me get mine working linux Lite 2.4 (and linux lite 1.8 and 2.0) granted you will have to have Internet to do this i just plugged in to my network.

https://lkubuntu.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/how-to-fix-broadcom-43xx/

I have a

Code: [Select]

lspci -nn | grep 02[80]0 | grep "Broadcom Corporation"
Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller [14e4:4320] (rev 03)

Hope this helps!!

[N4RPS]

Hello!

Some 6400s have Broadcom wireless cards. They use proprietary firmware that is not supported in the kernel.

Depending on the card, there several different drivers to choose from. Inxi will tell us which card you have, so we can point you to the correct driver.

It is good you have another adapter that IS supported in the kernel. You will need it to download and install the proper Broadcom drivers.

When you get the right one installed, you will see two cards to choose from. You can then remove the USB wireless stick, and just use the built-in card...

73 DE N4RPS
Rob

[rokytnji]

Have you consulted your help manual in the menu?

Menu, Favorites, Help Manual.

Also. More info is needed than what you have posted.
Link to review of computer make and model.
A terminal output of

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inxi -F
and

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rfkill list all

[montey]

For some reason when i installed Linux Lite the wifi does not work if i use my wifi usb thing it works fine but when i try to use the built in wifi on my laptop it does not work help me plz my laptop is a dell inspiron 6400