Wifi doesn't work Ubuntu 12.4 LTS on Dell XPS M1330

Asked by Mellina M Y Yonashiro

I'm new to Linux Ubuntu and since I install it, I can't connect to the wireless internet.
I've searched on the internet for solutions but I couldn't find for my problem. Here follows what I've tried.

Doing the command sudo lshw -c network; lsb_release -a; uname -a; sudo rfkill list; dmesg | grep -i firm
I got:

PCI (sysfs)
  *-network UNCLAIMED
       description: Network controller
       product: BCM4311 802.11a/b/g
       vendor: Broadcom Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:0c:00.0
       version: 01
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:f6cfc000-f6cfffff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express
       vendor: Broadcom Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:09:00.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 02
       serial: 00:15:c5:7e:26:77
       size: 100Mbit/s
       capacity: 100Mbit/s
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm vpd msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.121 duplex=full firmware=sb v3.04 ip=192.168.1.104 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100Mbit/s
       resources: irq:47 memory:f69f0000-f69fffff
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04
Codename: precise
Linux ubuntu 3.2.0-23-generic #36-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 10 20:39:51 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
0: hci0: Bluetooth
 Soft blocked: no
 Hard blocked: no
1: dell-wifi: Wireless LAN
 Soft blocked: no
 Hard blocked: no
2: dell-bluetooth: Bluetooth
 Soft blocked: no
 Hard blocked: no
[ 32.407487] [Firmware Bug]: Duplicate ACPI video bus devices for the same VGA controller, please try module parameter "video.allow_duplicates=1"if the current driver doesn't work.

I followed the steps from
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx
"Installing STA drivers
STA - Internet access"
but it didn't solved my problem.

On System Settings > Additional Drivers, Broadcom STA wireless driver is activated and currently in use.

When I unplug the ethernet cable, the internet can't find any wireless networks.

What can I do?

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Ubuntu gnome-nettool Edit question
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Ubfan
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Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

Can you give the output of:

dmesg | grep -i firm; lsb_release -a

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Best Ubfan (ubfan1) said :
#2

With the Ubuntu 11.x releases, the proprietary Broadcom drivers stopped
working with the 4311 Broadcom chips (see bug 732677). However
your 4311 chip works fine with the open source b43 driver.
Remove the proprietary STA driver (and its configuration files which
suppress the working b43 driver) by reversing whatever you did to install them:
sudo apt-get purge bcmwl-kernel-source
and/or run additional-drivers and unselect the Broadcom STA driver

Check that your removal/deactivation above is complete:
all the lines with "blacklist b43" should have
been removed from all files in /etc/modprobe.d. These blacklist lines suppress
the b43 driver, so they must be removed -- just the exact "b43" and b43legacy
ones, leave the bcm43xx alone. Deal with any leftovers:
 sudo rm /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf
 gksudo gedit any-file-found-with-b43
   and delete or put a # at the beginning.

The proprietary firmware cannot be distributed with the release,so you
have to manually add it. Use a wired connection, and in a terminal:
 sudo apt-get update
 sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

and accept the offer to download the Broadcom files, which
will put the Broadcom firmware into /lib/firmware/b43.
If you don't get the offer to download, then purge the package and try again:
 sudo apt-get purge b43-fwcutter
 sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

You can even use the open source firmware (which is what I use):
 sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
but only one set of firmware is needed (and non-4311 users should
check for needing the "lpphy" version of the firmware).

With the firmware in place, NetworkManager may start scanning, if not,
manually load the b43 driver module, or just reboot.
 sudo modprobe b43

NetworkManager should start scanning and offer a list of possible
connection points within a few seconds.

Select your access point, select the correct encryption method, and enter
your key. If you are not broadcasting your ssid and it does not show up in
the list of access points, you might have to left click NetworkManager and
select the menu item "connect to hidden network", and enter your ssid. Next
boot, the connection should be automatic.

Revision history for this message
Mellina M Y Yonashiro (pong7219) said :
#3

The output of
dmesg | grep -i firm; lsb_release -a
is:

[ 37.506169] [Firmware Bug]: Duplicate ACPI video bus devices for the same VGA controller, please try module parameter "video.allow_duplicates=1"if the current driver doesn't work.
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Release: 12.04

It worked, Ubfan <33!!! Thanks a lot =DD did all the steps

Revision history for this message
Mellina M Y Yonashiro (pong7219) said :
#4

Thanks Ubfan, that solved my question.