Broadcom Network Controller problems (BCM4360 14e4:43a0) Ubuntu 18.04

Question

Hello I am using Ubuntu 18.04 and am unable to connect to the wifi. This is due to problems surrounding my network controller.

Network Controller Info:
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter (rev 03)
Subsystem: Apple Inc. BCM4360 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
Memory at b0600000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=32K]
Memory at b0400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2M]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel modules: bcma, wl

I have followed the the top answer at this link. Namely I have made sure the appropriate modules are installed.

sudo apt-get install --reinstall bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo modprobe wl

I have also entered etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and commented out the section bcm43XX

Still no sign of the network controller. Here are my dmesg's.

dmesg | grep wl
[    4.415502] Loading modules backported from iwlwifi
[    4.415503] iwlwifi-stack-public:master:8324:9176b151
[    4.637138] wl: module license 'MIXED/Proprietary' taints kernel.
[    4.675670] WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 307 at /var/lib/dkms/backport-iwlwifi/8324/build/net/wireless/core.c:431 wiphy_new_nm+0x5c5/0x680 [cfg80211]
[    4.675671] Modules linked in: snd_hda_codec_generic(+) ledtrig_audio rapl wl(POE+) intel_cstate snd_hda_intel snd_intel_dspcfg snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core snd_hwdep snd_pcm btusb btrtl btbcm btintel lpc_ich bluetooth i915(+) snd_seq_midi ecdh_generic ecc snd_seq_midi_event snd_rawmidi snd_seq input_leds drm_kms_helper cfg80211(OE) bcm5974 snd_seq_device snd_timer drm bdc_pci compat(OE) snd i2c_algo_bit fb_sys_fops syscopyarea sysfillrect mei_me sysimgblt dw_dmac_pci mei soundcore sbs applespi spi_pxa2xx_platform sbshc dw_dmac dw_dmac_core acpi_als kfifo_buf apple_bl industrialio mac_hid sch_fq_codel parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 hid_apple hid_generic usbhid hid uas usb_storage ahci thunderbolt libahci video
[    4.675814]  wl_cfg80211_attach+0x59/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.675840]  wl_pci_probe+0x476/0xf75 [wl]
[    4.675910]  wl_module_init+0x89/0x8b [wl]
[    4.676026] WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 307 at /var/lib/dkms/backport-iwlwifi/8324/build/net/wireless/core.c:794 wiphy_register+0x52c/0xa20 [cfg80211]
[    4.676026] Modules linked in: snd_hda_codec_generic ledtrig_audio rapl wl(POE+) intel_cstate snd_hda_intel snd_intel_dspcfg snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core snd_hwdep snd_pcm btusb btrtl btbcm btintel lpc_ich bluetooth i915(+) snd_seq_midi ecdh_generic ecc snd_seq_midi_event snd_rawmidi snd_seq input_leds drm_kms_helper cfg80211(OE) bcm5974 snd_seq_device snd_timer drm bdc_pci compat(OE) snd i2c_algo_bit fb_sys_fops syscopyarea sysfillrect mei_me sysimgblt dw_dmac_pci mei soundcore sbs applespi spi_pxa2xx_platform sbshc dw_dmac dw_dmac_core acpi_als kfifo_buf apple_bl industrialio mac_hid sch_fq_codel parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 hid_apple hid_generic usbhid hid uas usb_storage ahci thunderbolt libahci video
[    4.676162]  wl_cfg80211_attach+0xed/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.676214]  ? wl_cfg80211_attach+0xed/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.676240]  wl_pci_probe+0x476/0xf75 [wl]
[    4.676301]  wl_module_init+0x89/0x8b [wl]
[    4.676390] WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 307 at /var/lib/dkms/backport-iwlwifi/8324/build/net/wireless/core.c:887 wiphy_register+0x9d4/0xa20 [cfg80211]
[    4.676390] Modules linked in: snd_hda_codec_generic ledtrig_audio rapl wl(POE+) intel_cstate snd_hda_intel snd_intel_dspcfg snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core snd_hwdep snd_pcm btusb btrtl btbcm btintel lpc_ich bluetooth i915(+) snd_seq_midi ecdh_generic ecc snd_seq_midi_event snd_rawmidi snd_seq input_leds drm_kms_helper cfg80211(OE) bcm5974 snd_seq_device snd_timer drm bdc_pci compat(OE) snd i2c_algo_bit fb_sys_fops syscopyarea sysfillrect mei_me sysimgblt dw_dmac_pci mei soundcore sbs applespi spi_pxa2xx_platform sbshc dw_dmac dw_dmac_core acpi_als kfifo_buf apple_bl industrialio mac_hid sch_fq_codel parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 hid_apple hid_generic usbhid hid uas usb_storage ahci thunderbolt libahci video
[    4.676523]  wl_cfg80211_attach+0xed/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.676574]  ? wl_cfg80211_attach+0xed/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.676600]  wl_pci_probe+0x476/0xf75 [wl]
[    4.676663]  wl_module_init+0x89/0x8b [wl]
[    4.676714] ERROR @wl_alloc_wdev : 
[    4.678581] ERROR @wl_cfg80211_detach : 
[    4.678582] NULL ndev->ieee80211ptr, unable to deref wl
[    4.678604] Modules linked in: snd_hda_codec_cirrus(+) snd_hda_codec_generic ledtrig_audio rapl wl(POE+) intel_cstate snd_hda_intel snd_intel_dspcfg snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core snd_hwdep snd_pcm btusb btrtl btbcm btintel lpc_ich bluetooth i915(+) snd_seq_midi ecdh_generic ecc snd_seq_midi_event snd_rawmidi snd_seq input_leds drm_kms_helper cfg80211(OE) bcm5974 snd_seq_device snd_timer drm bdc_pci compat(OE) snd i2c_algo_bit fb_sys_fops syscopyarea sysfillrect mei_me sysimgblt dw_dmac_pci mei soundcore sbs applespi spi_pxa2xx_platform sbshc dw_dmac dw_dmac_core acpi_als kfifo_buf apple_bl industrialio mac_hid sch_fq_codel parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 hid_apple hid_generic usbhid hid uas usb_storage ahci thunderbolt libahci video
[    4.678711]  wl_free+0xcb/0x280 [wl]
[    4.678768]  ? wl_cfg80211_attach+0x47d/0x6d0 [wl]
[    4.678790]  wl_pci_probe+0x648/0xf75 [wl]
[    4.678843]  wl_module_init+0x89/0x8b [wl]

Not sure what this stuff means. I've begun my Linux journey this week. Any help would be appreciated. Since this question is closely related to the link, would relocating this question be appropriate?

Thanks in advance

chili555 · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-19T14:03:55.623

1

Please note that the start of the troubles in your log is:

WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 307 at /var/lib/dkms/backport-iwlwifi/8324/build/net/wireless/core.c:431 wiphy_new_nm+0x5c5/0x680 [cfg80211]

Yours is not an Intel wireless device, supported by the driver iwlwifi, it is a Broadcom device supported by wl. Please open a terminal and do:

sudo apt purge backport-iwlwifi-dkms

Reboot and again show us the result of:

dmesg | grep wl

Probable explanation: Both the Intel driver iwlwifi and the Broadcom driver wl use the helper module cfg80211. This can be seen in modinfo iwlwifi and modinfo wl. I believe that the backports package installs a modified cfg80211 that doesn’t work properly with wl, the Broadcom driver. Removing, by purge, the Intel driver, restores the default cfg80211 and wl works again.

Many new Ubuntu users with wireless issues prowl the various forums and mistakenly install the incorrect driver for their device. In most cases, aside from simply wasting time and space on the harddrive or SSD, it does no harm. In this case, it prevented the correct driver from working.

Unless you know, from lspci or lsusb, what your device actually is, do not install any new and possibly conflicting drivers.

edited Mar 19 '21 at 14:03

answered Mar 18 '21 at 19:39

chili555

60,188

attempting to perform 'sudo apt purge backport -iwlwifi -dkms' and getting the following error: E: Command line option 'i' [from -iwlwifi] is not understood in combination with the other options. – engstudent4231 Mar 18 '21 at 19:59
1

There is no spaces between the hyphens
Do : sudo apt purge backport-iwlwifi-dkms
– Nicolas Formichella Mar 18 '21 at 20:07
@chili555 This worked like a trick. Thanks a lot. Believe it or not I spent a lot of time trying to figure this out myself haha – engstudent4231 Mar 18 '21 at 23:43
Awesome! Glad it's working as expected. – chili555 Mar 19 '21 at 00:11
I have placed an edit in the answer to further explain the solution. I hope that it will help others who may find this answer in the future. – chili555 Mar 19 '21 at 13:59

Broadcom Network Controller problems (BCM4360 14e4:43a0) Ubuntu 18.04

1 Answers1