Latest updates broke my wireless connection via BCM4311 adapter

[parnote]

I updated and tried the 3.2.18-1 and 3.2.18-2 kernels on my Lenovo G530 laptop running KDE4. However, the Broadcom 4312 wireless card does NOT work with either of the kernels, but it works perfectly with the 2.6.38-1 and 2.6.38-3 kernels. The wireless light does come on, but sits there and just blinks. I'm using WEP as the encryption on a network with over half a dozen computers connected to the network.

I've tried everything conceivable to get the wireless up under the new 3.2.18 kernels, and nothing seems to be working. I tried deleting the connection and setting up from scratch and I've checked my WEP key at least a hundred different times. Nothing seems to make a difference. I've searched the forums and there isn't even a previous version of the Broadcom wireless driver to fall back to in the repos (attempting to follow another thread from April). Even the suggestions in this thread don't seem to make any difference.

parnote

UPDATE

I changed my wireless encryption from WEP to WPA-PSK, and lo and behold, the Broadcom wireless card connects. So, it appears that WEP is not working properly with the Broadcom driver when used with the newer kernels (3.2.18-1 and 3.2.18-2). However, it does continue to work properly under the 2.6.38.x kernel, with both WEP and WPA-PSK.

parnote

[JohnW_57]

I updated and tried the 3.2.18-1 and 3.2.18-2 kernels on my Lenovo G530 laptop running KDE4. However, the Broadcom 4312 wireless card does NOT work with either of the kernels, but it works perfectly with the 2.6.38-1 and 2.6.38-3 kernels. The wireless light does come on, but sits there and just blinks. I'm using WEP as the encryption on a network with over half a dozen computers connected to the network.

I've tried everything conceivable to get the wireless up under the new 3.2.18 kernels, and nothing seems to be working. I tried deleting the connection and setting up from scratch and I've checked my WEP key at least a hundred different times. Nothing seems to make a difference. I've searched the forums and there isn't even a previous version of the Broadcom wireless driver to fall back to in the repos (attempting to follow another thread from April). Even the suggestions in this thread don't seem to make any difference.

parnote

UPDATE

I changed my wireless encryption from WEP to WPA-PSK, and lo and behold, the Broadcom wireless card connects. So, it appears that WEP is not working properly with the Broadcom driver when used with the newer kernels (3.2.18-1 and 3.2.18-2). However, it does continue to work properly under the 2.6.38.x kernel, with both WEP and WPA-PSK.

parnote

Maybe WEP disabled in the new driver (64bit secure encryption) and use WPA-PSK (128bit secure encryption) as default!

I guess so    when using the 3.2.18 kernel.

JohnW

[GermanTux]

Maybe WEP disabled in the new driver (64bit secure encryption) and use WPA-PSK (128bit secure encryption) as default!

I guess so    when using the 3.2.18 kernel.

JohnW

This is possible.  WEP is being decremented in many instances on modern hardware. 

But I've had this issue with connecting to any network.  I think the main issue comes down to Broadcom not keeping up the drivers now that Dell no longer sells pre-loaded Linux.  I thought they open-sourced it so it could be included in the driver stack, but I guess not. 

[parnote]

Maybe WEP disabled in the new driver (64bit secure encryption) and use WPA-PSK (128bit secure encryption) as default!

I guess so    when using the 3.2.18 kernel.

JohnW

This is possible.  WEP is being decremented in many instances on modern hardware. 

But I've had this issue with connecting to any network.  I think the main issue comes down to Broadcom not keeping up the drivers now that Dell no longer sells pre-loaded Linux.  I thought they open-sourced it so it could be included in the driver stack, but I guess not. 

It doesn't matter if WEP is being decremented on modern hardware, because there is a literal TON of hardware out there that still supports it. Also, WEP works perfectly on 2.6.38, but not on 3.2.18.

Broadcom has to be second on the list of biggest pains in the arse to Linux, right behind nVidia (according to Linus's proclamation about nVidia). It seems that their wireless cards have always been problematic.

parnote

[sirrondach]

Regarding Pinoc's request in Reply # 12, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to be the guinea-pig on this one. I've already had to revert to PCLOS v.2012.02 twice so far, with all the updating that requires on top, and I'm not going to risk a third time unless someone has first told me where I can download dkms-broadcom-wl 5.60.48.36 from so I can roll-back to it if Pinoc's new combination doesn't work.
In the meantime I'm happy sticking to kernel-2.6.38.8, with which my wireless is working fine.
As the old saying goes - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[menotu]

Just a thought and in case it's of any help but jzakiya mentioned in a the post that:

The Wifi chip had been turned off

On may Lenovo laptop hitting <Fn-F5> toogles the wifi chip on/off.

I did this in Windows to turn it on, rebooted into PCLOS and it was back to normal.


http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,106420.msg909036.html#msg909036

[TerryH]

Regarding Pinoc's request in Reply # 12, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to be the guinea-pig on this one. I've already had to revert to PCLOS v.2012.02 twice so far, with all the updating that requires on top, and I'm not going to risk a third time unless someone has first told me where I can download dkms-broadcom-wl 5.60.48.36 from so I can roll-back to it if Pinoc's new combination doesn't work.
In the meantime I'm happy sticking to kernel-2.6.38.8, with which my wireless is working fine.
As the old saying goes - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I downloaded the 5.60.48.36 driver here:
ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/www.pclinuxos.com/apt/pclinuxos/2010/RPMS.nonfree/dkms-broadcom-wl-5.60.48.36-1pclos2010.i586.rpm

When I first attempted to download I got file does not exist.  I removed the file from the URL and went to the folder containing it:

ftp://ftp.pbone.net/mirror/www.pclinuxos.com/apt/pclinuxos/2010/RPMS.nonfree/

The file was there, so I selected it and successfully downloaded it.

[sirrondach]

Well done, TerryH

Your second method worked so I've got it downloaded now. Feel better already!