Ubuntu 12.10 will only connect through ethernet

Question

Possible Duplicate:
How to Install Broadcom / STA Wireless card (BCM43XX)

I recently installed Ubuntu 12.10 on a friend's laptop but I'm having trouble getting it to work with his router wireless. I can connect to the Internet and use it fine with an Ethernet connection, but the many wireless connections I have attempted to set up all display their 'last used' as 'never..' I'm not sure what information/images will be needed to either downgrade to a working version or get the current version to connect.

timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS480 Host Bridge (rev 10)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS480 PCI Bridge
00:04.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS480 PCI Bridge
00:05.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS480 PCI Bridge
00:13.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 USB Host Controller (rev 80)
00:13.1 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 USB Host Controller (rev 80)
00:13.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 USB2 Host Controller (rev 80)
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 SMBus Controller (rev 83)
00:14.1 IDE interface: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 IDE Controller (rev 80)
00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB4x0 High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 PCI-ISA Bridge (rev 80)
00:14.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 PCI-PCI Bridge (rev 80)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI RS482 [Radeon Xpress 200M]
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8038 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 14)
05:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN (rev 01)
08:09.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller
08:09.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments PCIxx12 OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
08:09.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ 

timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ sudo
usage: sudo [-D level] -h | -K | -k | -V
usage: sudo -v [-AknS] [-D level] [-g groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-u user
            name|#uid]
usage: sudo -l[l] [-AknS] [-D level] [-g groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-U user
            name] [-u user name|#uid] [-g groupname|#gid] [command]
usage: sudo [-AbEHknPS] [-r role] [-t type] [-C fd] [-D level] [-g
            groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-u user name|#uid] [-g groupname|#gid]
            [VAR=value] [-i|-s] [<command>]
usage: sudo -e [-AknS] [-r role] [-t type] [-C fd] [-D level] [-g
            groupname|#gid] [-p prompt] [-u user name|#uid] file ...
timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ 

timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ lshw -c network
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
lshw -c network
  *-network               
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: 88E8038 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller
       vendor: Marvell Technology Group Ltd.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: 14
       serial: 00:e0:b8:b9:22:76
       size: 100Mbit/s
       capacity: 100Mbit/s
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=sky2 driverversion=1.30 duplex=full ip=192.168.0.110 latency=0 multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100Mbit/s
       resources: irq:16 memory:c0200000-c0203fff ioport:a000(size=256)
  *-network UNCLAIMED
       description: Network controller
       product: BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN
       vendor: Broadcom Corporation
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
       version: 01
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: bus_master cap_list
       configuration: latency=0
       resources: memory:c0300000-c0303fff
WARNING: output may be incomplete or inaccurate, you should run this program as super-user.
timothy@timothy-MX6446:~$ lshw -c network
WARNING: you should run this program as super-user.
PCI (sysfs)

Hopefully this helps.

We need the hardware details. Edit your question and post result of following commands lspci , sudo lshw -c network , rfkill list all — Web-E, Jan 26 '13 at 06:43
I wasn't able to get anything with 'rfkill list all', but edited the question containining the others. — Ethan, Jan 26 '13 at 07:14

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 26 '13 at 08:22

The device is unclaimed. I presume this means no driver is using it:

Either you have the broadcom open drivers (they're in the kernel, so this is likely) but you do not have the binary firmware from broadcom, which you can install through the b43-fwcutter package. If this is the case, you should have some relevant error message in the kernel log (dmesg).
... or you don't have a drive at all and you have to either compile a kernel with it or install the proprietary one from Broadcom, broadcom-sta.

See WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx.

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:25

1

I had a similar issue with the Broadcom BCM4311. This is the link that solved it for me:

BCM4311 Wireless Not Working with Drivers Installed

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:25

Community

1

answered Jan 26 '13 at 08:35

MC808

11

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 26 '13 at 09:54

You need to install a wireless driver.

For this, you need to be connected to the Internet.

Go to the menu and search for "Software Sources." A button saying Software Sources should pop up, and you should be able to click on it. Do so.

It will take a moment or two, but the Software Sources window should soon appear on your screen. On the top of this window, you will see tabs, one of which says "Additional Drivers." Click it.

You will see a list of devices, and under them, a list of possible drivers for them. Since it is a wireless driver you are looking for, there will only be one driver. Find your Wi-Fi device, and click on the driver that you need, and click apply. Enter your password, and the driver should start downloading. Your Wi-Fi should be functioning properly instantly after it is finished downloading.

http://s1190.beta.photobucket.com/user/thevidmaster007/media/additional_zpsbb3d7c55.png.html — Ethan, Jan 26 '13 at 18:12

Ubuntu 12.10 will only connect through ethernet

3 Answers3