Dell Studio 1555 && Wireless WLAN 1397 Half MiniCard (4312bg)

[Ex_Soft]

I found this topic and do/check:
1. lspci 4312? - Yes
2. lsmod b43 loaded? - Yes
3. 4306/4311/4318? - No
4. Install version 4 firmware

3. Do this step only if you need to install version 4 firmware for the b43 driver module. Copy and execute the following command lines one after the other in a Fedora terminal.

wget http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
tar xjf broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5.tar.bz2
cd broadcom-wl-4.150.10.5/driver	
su
b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta_mimo.o

[root@hostname driver]# b43-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta_mimo.o
This file is recognised as:
ID : FW13
filename : wl_apsta_mimo.o
version : 410.2160
MD5 : cb8d70972b885b1f8883b943c0261a3c
Extracting b43/pcm5.fw
Extracting b43/ucode15.fw
Extracting b43/ucode14.fw
Extracting b43/ucode13.fw
Extracting b43/ucode11.fw
Extracting b43/ucode9.fw
Extracting b43/ucode5.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals15.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals14.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals14.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp0bsinitvals13.fw
Extracting b43/lp0initvals13.fw
Extracting b43/n0absinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/n0bsinitvals11.fw
Extracting b43/n0initvals11.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals9.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals9.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g1initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/a0g0initvals5.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0bsinitvals5.fw
Extracting b43/b0g0initvals5.fw

But wireless doesn't work. What can I do still?

[stoat]

Hello Ex_Soft,

Not all versions of the BCM4312 work with b43. However, and fortunately, most will work with Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA driver (aka broadcom-wl). I have always believed (or hoped) that if the b43 kernel module was automatically loaded, that it will work if appropriate firmware was installed. Maybe not. So if you have checked all of the usual and obvious things that can disable the wireless card such as a BIOS setting, a software switch or hotkey, or a physical on-off switch, then you should consider moving on to broadcom-wl. If you want to do that, see #2 in the same HOWTO.

P.S.: For the record how would you define "wireless doesn't work" exactly? Wireless will not enable in NetworkManager? No available networks listed in NetworkManager when known networks are in range? Or available networks are listed, but you can't connect to any?

P.P.S.: If you do decide to move on to broadcom-wl, I recommend that you install the akmod version (see the HOWTO). We are presently in the midst of a mini-epidemic of issues with RPM Fusion kmods. The akmod version will spare you from that.

[Ex_Soft]

[SOLVED] Wireless works fine