# Working on WiFi (Dell 1750 laptop)



## ReAX222 (Mar 8, 2011)

I put together a Dell 1750 laptop.  It has internal wifi, I got 8.2 to see it.


```
none2@pci0:12:0:0:      class=0x028000 card=0x000c1028 chip=0x431514e4 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Broadcom Corporation'
    device     = 'Broadcom Wireless b/g (BCM4315/BCM22062000)'
    class      = network
```

But when I tried *ifconfig* it only shows the ethernet adapter and not the wireless.  I'm missing something but am not experienced enough to know what or where.  I am pulling up the bwi driver in /etc/rc.conf but I'm not sure that's doing the trick because I don't have audio either.

So the system knows it exists and what it is. How do I make it use it?

Thanks,


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## jb_fvwm2 (Mar 8, 2011)

Audio? I just posted a post in the howto section that may help.

As to the driver, I seem to recall possibly newer drivers than the bwi (unless the bwi is the newer one).  The most recent one you should kldload to test.  (Although I went with a edimax usb dongle). Then the hurdle would be setting up wpa_supplicant etc (specific to your network, took me two weeks.  I'd search the
forums and web very thoroughly on that one, maybe lots of testing.) 

OTOH someone else have have solved it and can post after this one.


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## kpedersen (Mar 8, 2011)

Hello,

The kernel modules you might need could consist of...

// Try some of the most common sound drivers...

```
# kldload snd_hda
# kldload snd_ich
```

// Try some of the broadcom drivers...

```
# kldload if_bwn
# kldload if_bwi
```

With the broadcom wifi card, you might need to kldload the additional required firmware. Though even without the firmware it should appear in ifconfig.

Any luck?


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## ReAX222 (Mar 8, 2011)

The audio I wasn't working on, but I got it working anyway.  I did snd_hda in the rc.conf I think originally.  Then when I did `kldload snd_driver` it fired up very quietly.  Not sure when it started working, kind of noisy environment.

It seems to like the bwn better.

```
bwn0: flags=8802<BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 2290
        ether 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
        media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
        status: no carrier
```

Now to figure out what to do next.  Back to the wireless networking tab.  Thanks.


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## kpedersen (Mar 8, 2011)

In order for the modules to start at bootup they should go in /boot/loader.conf


```
snd_hda_load="YES"
```

If you want to figure this out on your own... Stop reading now!

I am currently using the if_bwn driver and I have in my /boot/loader.conf

```
if_bwn_load="YES"
bwn_v4_ucode_load="YES"
```

Though make sure to install the bwn firmware port.

Good luck


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## wblock@ (Mar 8, 2011)

ReAX222 said:
			
		

> I put together a Dell 1750 laptop.  It has internal wifi, I got 8.2 to see it.
> 
> 
> ```
> ...



The card registered with the PCI bus, but the "none2" above shows that no driver connected to it.  That can be from a module that is needed but hasn't been built into the kernel (has to be loaded by hand or in /boot/loader.conf), like here with if_bwn.  Or there just may not be a driver for that hardware.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 9, 2011)

ifconfig

```
bwn0: flags=8803<UP,BROADCAST,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 2290
        ether 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
        media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11b
        status: associated
msk0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
        options=8010a<TXCSUM,VLAN_MTU,TSO4,LINKSTATE>
        ether 00:25:64:60:a9:8c
        inet 192.168.1.101 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.1.255
        media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex,flowcontrol,rxpause,txpause>)
        status: active
lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 16384
        options=3<RXCSUM,TXCSUM>
        inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x3 
        inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128 
        inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000 
        nd6 options=3<PERFORMNUD,ACCEPT_RTADV>
wlan0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
        ether 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
        inet 208.68.143.55 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 208.68.139.89
        media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
        status: no carrier
        ssid "" channel 1 (2412 MHz 11b)
        country US authmode OPEN privacy OFF txpower 30 bmiss 7 scanvalid 60
        bgscan bgscanintvl 300 bgscanidle 250 roam:rssi 7 roam:rate 1 wme
        bintval 0
```
I tried the [cmd=]ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev bwn0[/cmd] and [cmd=]ifconfig wlan0 up scan[/cmd]  It doesn't error out, but I get no results from the scan.


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## wblock@ (Mar 9, 2011)

`# ifconfig wlan0 up list scan`

Also make sure the radio isn't disabled with a Fn-key combination, button, or switch.

PS: the last line of your sig has a mistake.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 12, 2011)

Adding list still didn't show anything.  The *create wlandev* line gives me "create value bad."


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## wblock@ (Mar 12, 2011)

When you give error messages, give the exact text of what it shows.  Put it in 
	
	



```
tags.  Also show the command you're using.  It may just be giving an error if the wlan0 device has already been created (as shown in post #7).
```


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## richardpl (Mar 12, 2011)

Are you sure that firmware is actually loaded and siba_bwn attached? Give full *dmesg* output.

If firmware is not sucessfully loaded you will get nothing useful from wlan0.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 13, 2011)

There we go, 

```
wlan0: Ethernet address: 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
bwn_v4_lp_ucode15: could not load firmware image, error 2
bwn0: the fw file(bwn_v4_lp_ucode15) not found
bwn-open_v4_lp_ucode15: could not load firmware image, error 2
bwn0: the fw file(bwn-open_v4_lp_ucode15) not found
```
Now to figure out what that all means and how to fix it.


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## wblock@ (Mar 13, 2011)

`% man bwn | less -p requires`


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## ReAX222 (Mar 13, 2011)

I started over from the manual online. I installed net/bwn-firmware-kmod. I added 

```
device siba_bwn
device bwn
device wlan
device wlan_amrr
device firmware
```
to the GENERIC kernel and compiled it. I modified the code in the loader.conf to include the 15 (ucode15) hoping that would solve the 'not found'.

*dmesg* still returns

```
bwn0 on siba_bwn0
bwn0: WLAN (chipid 0x4312 rev 15) PHY (analog 6 type 5 rev 1) RADIO (manuf 0x17f ver 0x2062 rev 2)
bwn0: DMA (64 bits)
bwn0: Using 1 MSI messages
bwn0: [FILTER]
pcib3: <ACPI PCI-PCI bridge> at device 28.2 on pci0
pci9: <ACPI PCI bus> on pcib3
mskc0: <Marvell Yukon 88E8040 Fast Ethernet> port 0xde00-0xdeff mem 0xf68fc000-0xf68fffff irq 18 at device 0.0 on pci9
msk0: <Marvell Technology Group Ltd. Yukon FE+ Id 0xb8 Rev 0x00> on mskc0
msk0: disabling jumbo frame support
msk0: Ethernet address: 00:25:64:60:a9:8c
miibus0: <MII bus> on msk0
e1000phy0: <Marvell 88E3016 10/100 Fast Ethernet PHY> PHY 0 on miibus0
e1000phy0:  10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto, auto-flow
mskc0: [ITHREAD]
......
wlan0: Ethernet address: 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
bwn_v4_lp_ucode15: could not load firmware image, error 2
bwn0: the fw file(bwn_v4_lp_ucode15) not found
bwn-open_v4_lp_ucode15: could not load firmware image, error 2
bwn0: the fw file(bwn-open_v4_lp_ucode15) not found
msk0: link state changed to UP
drm0: <Mobile Intel\M-B\M-. GM45 Express Chipset> on vgapci0
info: [drm] MSI enabled 1 message(s)
vgapci0: child drm0 requested pci_enable_busmaster
info: [drm] AGP at 0xe0000000 256MB
info: [drm] Initialized i915 1.6.0 20080730
drm0: [ITHREAD]
```
It's something simple I'm missing, I'm sure.


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## richardpl (Mar 13, 2011)

Recompiling whole kernel is pointless. There is a reason to use modules. You are loading wrong firmware from loader.conf. There where two modules installed with the net/bwn-firmware-kmod port.

You need *lp* version of firmware. So modify loader.conf. I think this is not hard homework.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 13, 2011)

It happens when you don't have a complete picture.  I don't see where the *lp* module is called in the manual, only a note to call it.


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## richardpl (Mar 13, 2011)

Solution:

Add 
	
	



```
bwn_v4_lp_ucode_load="YES"
```
 to /boot/loader.conf and remove any other 
	
	



```
bwn_v4_ucode_load="YES"
```

It is not so hard.


----------



## wblock@ (Mar 13, 2011)

ReAX222 said:
			
		

> it is when you don't have a complete picture.  I don't see where the lp module is called in the manual, only a note to call it.



The bwn module told you it needed it in post #12.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 13, 2011)

I'm just getting into it, find files and knowing where to put is the learning curve I'm on now.  But it's partially working.  Wifi networks manager is finding my router and can even poll for an ip.  However when I don't have the wired connection connected I have very high latency or no connection.  Hoping it was an issue of not accepting two IPs from two connections I did a reboot without the wired and it still did not want to connect and when it would load pages it took dial up speeds.

I am getting an error of 

```
bwn0: need multicast update callback
```
and it comes up three times.  The searching I've done on multicast callback says you just have to live with it.  So how do I go about diagnosing wifi issues?

Edit: I just finished setting up failover.  I can now plug/unplug the wire.  I still have the ssid in the wifi manager and it looks connected.  No connection though with the cable unplug.


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## richardpl (Mar 14, 2011)

Set *ucastrate* and *mcastrate* via ifconfig(8) for wlan0 interface to 2 (for start) and see if that helps.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 18, 2011)

```
Hera# ifconfig wlan0 ucastrate 2
Hera# ifconfig wlan0 mcastrate 2
Hera# ifconfig wlan0
wlan0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
        ether 70:1a:04:0c:7c:1c
        media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet DS/2Mbps mode 11g
        status: associated
        ssid Comon_Goals channel 4 (2427 MHz 11g) bssid e0:91:f5:f0:cc:36
        country US authmode OPEN privacy OFF txpower 30 bmiss 7 ucastrate 2
        mcastrate 2 scanvalid 450 bgscan bgscanintvl 300 bgscanidle 250
        roam:rssi 7 roam:rate 5 protmode CTS wme roaming MANUAL
Hera# ping 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
^Z
Suspended
```

With the wired connection unplugged, I tried setting the MAC address for the router in Hera, but that didn't seem help either. With the wired connection unplugged, trying some diagnostics.


```
Hera# dhclient wlan0
DHCPREQUEST on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPREQUEST on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 4
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 10
DHCPDISCOVER on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 9
DHCPOFFER from 192.168.1.1
DHCPREQUEST on wlan0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
DHCPACK from 192.168.1.1
bound to 192.168.1.10 -- renewal in 43200 seconds.
Hera# ping 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
ping: sendto: No route to host
^Z
Suspended
Hera# ping 192.168.1.10
PING 192.168.1.10 (192.168.1.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.036 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.030 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.042 ms
^Z
Suspended
Hera#
```

So I am able to send a DHCP request to my router. Eventually, it sends and receives DHCP info, and I get an IP address. In this case 192.168.1.10. 

So I ping the router at 192.168.1.1 and get 'no route to host'. I then ping my wireless adapter's IP address at 192.168.1.10 and I can ping it.  

It would seem that the problem lies between the device/device settings and my router.  This is over my head. Why can I ask for, and receive, an IP address but not communicate with the router? Ping works on the wired connection, so it's not a router configuration issue of not accepting pings.


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## ReAX222 (Mar 20, 2011)

It's working. Haven't really done anything to make it work though.  Maybe resetting the router after changing those two settings to 2?


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## ReAX222 (Apr 23, 2011)

I'm back at it, had to kill the hard drive.  I did a much better job but I'm having trouble again.  Now I can command line scan and find my wireless router, but I can't get 
	
	



```
ifconfig
```
 to show 
	
	



```
wlan0
```
 as associated.  I've reread this thread, the wireless networking page in the handbook and the manual for the bwn driver.  I'm looking for some reading on the how/why networking works.  Also I tried installing the wifimgr, when I try to run it, it tells me





> no wifi interface is configured in
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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