# [Wireless] Dell 1510 / Broadcom BCM 204 6B2



## Nollo (Oct 18, 2010)

Hello,

Well I tried to configure my brand new Dell Vostro with FreeBSD but I'm stuck at the wifi configuration.

The card is a Dell 1510 based on Broadcom BCM 204, but I don't find any support. If someone has a solution, I'll be glad!


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## SirDice (Oct 18, 2010)

As far as I can tell Broadcom BCM204x chips are bluetooth, not Wifi.


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## Nollo (Oct 18, 2010)

Oh, it may explains why bluetooth icon is always on.

But I don't see anything else about the card. And I see BCM204 when I switch on/off the wifi button


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## Nollo (Oct 18, 2010)

It may be a bcm94312


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## Nollo (Oct 18, 2010)

Sorry for flooding, but I can't edit.

So I booted a Fedora livecd, and when I type lspci, I have "Network controller: Broadcom BCM 4313".


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## fronclynne (Oct 19, 2010)

bwn(4) then?


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## Nollo (Oct 19, 2010)

fronclynne said:
			
		

> bwn(4) then?



How do you use it ?

I also tried with ndis but it doesn't work ( module loaded but nothing in ifconfig ).

There is linux driver but I think it doesn't work on BSD ? http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php


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## SirDice (Oct 19, 2010)

Nollo said:
			
		

> How do you use it ?


Handbook: 31.3 Wireless Networking



> There is linux driver but I think it doesn't work on BSD ?


It won't work.


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## fronclynne (Oct 19, 2010)

*Assuming it works.*



			
				Nollo said:
			
		

> How do you use it ?



As SirDice linked, you would probably: 
`# kldload if_bwn`
edit up your wpa_supplicant.conf(5)
`# ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev bwn0`
and then work from there.

Though, [thread=2615]hrm[/thread] . . . I wonder how difficult it would be to use PCBSD's network manager.


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## Nollo (Oct 19, 2010)

`ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev bwn0` may explain why I cannot see any new interface lol.

Well... I have to try again, but I have now a working Fedora. Well it needs reflection.

EDIT: Bwn doesn't list BCM 4313, would it work ?


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## tessio (Feb 11, 2011)

The linux brcm80211 driver handles this card.. And the driver is dual licensed (BSD/GNU)! 
Some info from my notebook running Arch Linux: 

```
filename:       /lib/modules/2.6.37-ARCH/kernel/drivers/staging/brcm80211/brcm80211.ko.gz
license:        Dual BSD/GPL
description:    Broadcom 802.11n wireless LAN driver.
author:         Broadcom Corporation
alias:          pci:v000014E4d00004727sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000014E4d00004353sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v000014E4d00004357sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        mac80211,cfg80211
staging:        Y
vermagic:       2.6.37-ARCH SMP preempt mod_unload 686 
parm:           msglevel:int
parm:           phymsglevel:int
parm:           oneonly:int
parm:           piomode:int
parm:           instance_base:int
parm:           macaddr:charp
parm:           nompc:int
parm:           name:string
```


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## bschmidt (Feb 11, 2011)

This seems to be a new driver, totally unrelated to bwn(4) or bwi(4). The license headers in each file seems to indeed indicate that this driver can be ported without a lot of hassle (license wise), feel free to do so. :stud

How stable is it anyways? The TODO file mentions a lot of missing features..


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## tessio (Feb 11, 2011)

I never used the wireless card, but I will test it soon..


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## Nollo (Feb 11, 2011)

With my Debian Linux, I use this driver => http://wiki.debian.org/wl


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## tessio (Feb 11, 2011)

I've just tested it and the brcm80211 driver works fine.. (with the help of a closed firmware, sadly)


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## Nollo (Feb 14, 2011)

tessio said:
			
		

> I've just tested it and the brcm80211 driver works fine.. (with the help of a closed firmware, sadly)



You tested it with a broadcom 4313 chipset ?


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## tessio (Feb 16, 2011)

Yes, BCM4313 card/chip..


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## Nollo (Feb 16, 2011)

tessio said:
			
		

> Yes, BCM4313 card/chip..



Sorry to insist, but I think I misunderstood you, you tested it under a linux distribution or FreeBSD?


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## tessio (Feb 17, 2011)

I used Arch Linux..


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