Broadcom BCM4312 will not work [solved]

[Joerg]

Since nothing seems to work for the Broadcom BCM4312 wireless card I wanted to try NDISwrapper. However, that fails during setup. I found the driver at CNET, extracted the zip file and inside there were three files with inf and sys suffixes:

bcmwl6.inf
bcmwl6.sys
bcmwl664.sys

I have a 64-bit MX install but for some reason there is only one inf file (a common one for 32 and 64 bit?). I copied these three files over to the XM Linux laptop.

In the MX network tool only the inf file was visible. Clicking it resulted in "The sys file for the given driver cannot be determined after parsing the inf file". What does that mean? Could this be the end of the road, meaning a new wireless card is necessary because Linux doesn't like the BCM4312?

[Joerg]

Researching new wireless cards for the Dell Vostro 1500 laptop I found the Intel 4965AGN. Normally the Intel 4965AGN MJP version is recommended but available are only cards with the suffixes MM1 and MM2 instead of AJP. I could not find out what these letters stand for. A couple of questions before I buy one to replace the Broadcom BCM4312 card that Debian doesn't like:

1. Does MX-Linux/Debian like the Intel Intel 4965AGN wireless card?

2. What is the difference between suffixes MJP, MM1 and MM2?

[dolphin_oracle]

supposedly the wl/broadcom-sta drivers should also work with that part. personally I would give that one another go.

am I right that the part maxes out at "g" wifi?

there are reports that the 4965 parts are having trouble with kernels above 5.2.

[Joerg]

I have tried the wl driver but then the Ethernet port (Broadcom BCM4401 chip) also fails, in addition to the BCM4312 wireless not working. Isn't the sta-driver already part of the system in the form of bcmwl-kernel-source? If not I'll have to figure out how to install the sta-driver, probably must be directly from Broadcom though while perusing their web site I found that they have dropped older cards such as the BCM4312 from the search.

Yes, the BCM4312 maxes out at g but that's fine for us. All we need is range, data throughput doesn't matter, no need for 5GHz. This is also why a USB wireless plug likely would not work. The short ones don't have the range and the ones with antennas break off easily.

Looks like the Intel 4965 is then out as well. Is there another brand for full-length cards that is more Linux-friendly?

[dolphin_oracle]

what I would do if you are looking for range is get a wireless router that has a wireless bridge mode. the router would work backwards. it would provide a wired connection to your PC while being hooked up to your wireless network. all the range you can ask for since you can put the router where you want and you can get ones with external antennas. no driver problems, and if you ever need to add another wired device you could.

I've also rebuilt old linksys wireless g routers that didn't have the functionality by using OpenWRT software, but these days there are a lot of routers (tp link are usually good and lower cost) that have this functionality already.

good for a desktop situation, less good for a notebook though.

[dolphin_oracle]

for the internal wireless part, I would look for one that is supported by iwlwifi kernel module. I've found those to be very stable.

[Joerg]

The external router is really cumbersome with a laptop. I have placed a 2nd wireless router as a "parallel illuminator" to increase WiFi coverage on the LAN and it works.

Even older wireless modules such as the Intel N 5150 are nowadays only sold in half-size which is mechanically iffy in this laptop and I read that it may also not work from a hardware point of view. Older full-length ones with iwlwifi like Intel 5100 reportedly don't work in this laptop. Looks tough now. Short-stub USB WLAN with limited range is another option but Linux-compatibility is probably even harder there.

Thanks for all the help, Dolphin. I'll see if my wife can live without WLAN in that laptop for now.

[Joerg]

This morning the Intel 5300 card was listed in MX Tools Network Manager but no networks can be reached. As a Linux beginner, what else can I try?

[dolphin_oracle]

This morning the Intel 5300 card was listed in MX Tools Network Manager but no networks can be reached. As a Linux beginner, what else can I try?

the AHS iso with its newer firmware and kernel might help.

[Huckleberry Finn]

...But...

Machine: Type: Portable System: Dell product: Vostro 1500 v: N/A serial: <filter> Chassis:
type: 8 serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0NX907 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A04 date: 01/30/2008
______________________________________________________________________________

Just by the way: You need to get rid of the habit of using the root account: root@Vostro ...