Wireless internet on Macbook

[jags86]

Hi everyone,

While I'm not *new* to Linux, I'm not very good with it. For the last 5 or so years, I install Linux, inevitably have some sort of problem I can't fix, and then give up.

So here is the latest issue. I've downloaded and installed Fedora 9 onto my macbook (2.16ghz C2D T7400, 2 gig ram). I cannot for the life of me get my wireless card working.

I've followed the steps on several different sites.

First I did this from this site

minddownload.blogspot.com/2008/06/fedora-9-64-bit-on-macbook-pro-41-aka.html

"Wifi

4. Out of the box, you will only have access to the ethernet card, wifi isn't going to work. To install the drivers for your Broadcom Corporation BCM4328 802.11a/b/g/n (rev 05) as of these writings you must do the following:

4.1. Install the Livna Repos rpm for fedora 9: rpm -ihv http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-9.rpm

4.2. Then install ndiswrapper: yum install ndiswrapper, which will allow you to use the Windows drivers under Linux.

4.3. Before grabbing the Windows XP drivers for ndiswrapper, blacklist the ssb module on your system:

echo "blacklist ssb" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

4.4 Remove the ssb the loaded module from your system:

rmmod ssb

4.5. You will find the broadcom drivers you need on the 'Mac OS X Install DVD.' Insert the disc into your system, and it will be automatically mounted as 'WindowsSupport'.

Grab the file /media/WindowsSupport/boot\ camp/drivers/broadcom/broadcomxpinstaller.exe

Note: Even though my installation was the 64-bit version, I installed the 32-bit version of the XP driver.

4.6. Copy the file as root to /root/drivers (You need to create the drivers directory)

4.7. Extract the contents of the 'broadcomxpinstaller.exe':

unrar e broadcomxpinstaller.exe

Note: If your system can't find the command, install it: yum install unrar

4.8. Install the driver via ndiswrapper:

/usr/sbin/ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

4.9. Make it persistent:

/usr/sbin/ndiswrapper -m
adding "alias wlan0 ndiswrapper" to /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper ...

4.10. Load the driver:

/sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper

Wait a couple of seconds, and your NetworkManager applet should start showing up the available networks."

The first problem was my OS X Leopard DVD doesn't have a broadcomxpinstaller.exe, it only has broadcominstaller.exe. I used that and when I unrar'ed that file, bcmwl5.inf is extracted from that anyway--so I guess thats the same file. I went through all the steps listed above without a hitch, yet wireless doesn't work.

Then I tried the steps in this guide

http://www.mactel-linux.org/wiki/Fed...cBookSantaRosa

" Fixing the wireless

The MacBook 3,1 comes with a Broadcom 4328 wireless chipset. This is not supported by default in Fedora 8 and requires the use of ndiswrapper and Windows drivers to make it work correctly. Additionally, NetworkManager is a bit of a train crash in Fedora 8 and I have been unable to make it work with my wireless network and WPA encryption (although others have had more success). However, using wpa_supplicant and dhclient I am able to connect and maintain a good connection to my wireless network.

NOTE: It looks like the upcoming 2.6.25 kernel will have built in support for the Broadcom 4328 rev 3 that is used in the MacBook.

Follow the steps below to install ndiswrapper and get the wireless working.
[edit]
Installing ndiswrapper

Enable the livna yum repositories and install the kmod-ndiswrapper package as well as some others to fix dependencies:

su -
rpm -i http://rpm.livna.org/livna-release-8.rpm
yum install kmod-ndiswrapper kernel-devel gcc make automake

After a reboot, the ndiswrapper kernel module should be installed.
[edit]
Wireless installation using ndiswrapper

Now that you have ndiswrapper installed and working, we can get the wireless drivers, blacklist some incompatible kernel modules, switch NetworkManager off, and unzip the drivers:

su -
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE
echo "blacklist bcm43xx" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
echo "blacklist ssb" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
echo "blacklist b43" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
echo "alias wlan0 ndiswrapper" >> /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper
echo "alias wlan0 ndiswrapper" >> /etc/modprobe.conf
chkconfig --levels 345 NetworkManager off
chkconfig --levels 345 NetworkManagerDispatcher off
mkdir wifidriver
unzip -a R151517.EXE -d wifidriver/

At this point you need to cd to the directory that holds the file "bcmwl5.inf" then use ndiswrapper to install the driver:

cd wifidriver/DRIVER/
ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

At this stage you should now have the wireless drivers installed through ndiswrapper. To confirm, the output of "ndiswrapper -l" should look something like this:

bcmwl5 : driver installed
device (14E4:4328) present (alternate driver: ssb)

If it doesn't, then something has gone wrong so retrace your steps and ensure you did everything correctly. If it does, then you should be able to scan for wireless networks using "iwlist wlan0 scan" and it should pick up any wireless networks in your area.

From here on, the wireless configuration is up to you. You may want to try using NetworkManager to see if you have more luck than me, in which case do:

su -
chkconfig --levels 345 NetworkManager on
chkconfig --levels 345 NetworkManagerDispatcher on
service NetworkManager start
service NetworkManagerDispatcher start

Now ensure you have nm-applet running and see if you can connect to your wireless network.

Many people have reported success with NetworkManager using all kinds of networks and encryptions provided that the SSID is being transmitted. For me personally it has never worked reliably with a WPA network; your mileage may vary.

If NetworkManager isn't doing it for you and you use WPA encryption then disable NetworkManager and NetworkManagerDispatcher and refer to this guide for setting up wpa_supplicant. The individual wireless setup is outside the scope of this guide but more help can be found at fedoraforum.org and through google."

And again, everything seems to go well, except when I go to check to see if it worked and type

ndiswrapper -l

it just gives me bcmwl5 : driver installed message, but it leaves out the

device (14E4:4328) present (alternate driver: ssb)

part. And of course wireless doesn't work. Any suggestions?

[ppesci]

All appear to be well. Restart your computer and as root user, type:

dmesg| grep wlan0

dmesg| grep ndiswrapper

to see what is happening. put the output here if you need an opinion.

HTH

[dbrice3]

I followed the first tutorial to a T and I get an error message on the final command.

[root@localhost drivers]# /sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper
FATAL: Module ndiswrapper not found.

$ dmesg | grep wlan
$ dmesg | grep ndiswrapper

both return nothing

I'm using the 2.6.25-14.fc9.x86_64 kernel.

Thanks

[dbrice3]

Alright once I rebooted the final command

$ /sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper

gives no error and I begin to see wireless networks in nm-applet.

However, connecting to WPA / WPA2 networks fail.

Has anyone heard that the 64-bit driver allows for secure wireless networks?

[ppesci]

I can't help much to you there because I use ndiswrapper but not in WEP or WPA nets.

Anyway, disable network manager as mac tutorial says above, reboot, and go to the menu Administration > Network to configure your wireless WPA.

Try to connect again

HTH

[jags86]

Hi again.

So here's what I've got.

dmesg| grep wlan0

returns nothing

dmesg| grep ndiswrapper

returns nothing

when I do

/sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper

I get

WARNING: /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist line 43: ignoring bad line starting with 'blacklist'



However, when I go to Admin->Network, under the Hardware tab, it says "ndiswrapper--Wireless--wlan0--configured" However, I can't activate or use it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[ppesci]

After you type /sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper, typ dmesg and see the last lines.

About the warning, as root, open the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist with a text editor to see what is in line 43. Maybe there is something wrong. Put the output here.

HTH

[[]DUMA]

To make ndiswrapper work and ssb from showing up as an alternate driver for your wireless:

go to /lib/modules/[uname -r]
open file modules.order
find b43, b44, b43legacy etc, whatever driver you're having problems with and comment them out with #

then open file modules.networking
again find b43, b44, b43legacy etc, whatever driver you're having problems with and comment them out with #

this way when you do ndiswrapper -l it will bring up:
bcmwl* : driver installed
device (14E4:4311) present
and no more (alternate driver ssb)

[Firewing1]

Originally Posted by dbrice3

Alright once I rebooted the final command

$ /sbin/modprobe ndiswrapper

gives no error and I begin to see wireless networks in nm-applet.

However, connecting to WPA / WPA2 networks fail.

Has anyone heard that the 64-bit driver allows for secure wireless networks?

Yup, I have WEP here and I've connected to WPA as well on my MBP 4,1.

If ndiswrapper isn't loading automatically, try creating /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper with the content:

alias wlan0 ndiswrapper

Firewing1

[dbrice3]

My /etc/modprobe.d/ndiswrapper already contains alias wlan0 ndiswrapper but will not start at boottime.

My WPA connectivity is still a no go. Also, I've noticed when Fedora loads I'm given the option of booting either into kernel 2.6.25.6-55 or I believe 2.6.25.6-76. At any rate, neither performs differently with regards to the wireless.

[ppesci]

Can you see what dmesg command gives to you about ndiswrapper and wlan0?

[dbrice3]

This is after I've run /sbin/modprobe ndiswraper which makes the wireless work, at least with no encryption.

[root@localhost dave]# dmesg | grep wlan0
wlan0: ethernet device 00:1f:5b:cb:a2:49 using NDIS driver: bcmwl5, version: 0x4aa190c, NDIS version: 0x501, vendor: 'NDIS Network Adapter', 14E4:4328.5.conf
wlan0: encryption modes supported: WEP; TKIP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK; AES/CCMP with WPA, WPA2, WPA2PSK
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
wlan0: no IPv6 routers present


[root@localhost dave]# dmesg | grep ndiswrapper
ndiswrapper version 1.52 loaded (smp=yes, preempt=no)
ndiswrapper (link_pe_images:576): fixing KI_USER_SHARED_DATA address in the driver
ndiswrapper: driver bcmwl5 (Broadcom,09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12) loaded
ndiswrapper: using IRQ 16
usbcore: registered new interface driver ndiswrapper

[dbrice3]

Firewing1

I followed your guide MacBook and MacBook Pro 4,1 + Fedora 9 and I must say thanks.

Modifying the /etc/rc.d/rc.local made it so that modprobe ndiswrapper works automatically at login. Also, I got the sound working which pleases me greatly.

Thank you for putting that guide on the Internet and all your support and hard work in this forum.

[dbrice3]

I still cannot connect to WPA networks, but I've managed connecting to a WEP network.

Is there need for calibrating WPA supplicant ? Is that the next step?