BCM43228 wireless card broken in kernel update [b43]

BCM43228 wireless card broken in kernel update [b43]

[Duncan de Wet]

After the kernel update to 3.17.1-1-ARCH, I can view a list of wireless
networks but not connect to any. Both GNOME network manager and wicd-gtk
say "Connecting..." then without an error message change to "Not
Connected".

Here is the dmesg output that occurs when trying to connect to a
wireless network, with my router hardware address redacted:

[ 1363.980448] wlp4s0: authenticate with [redacted]
[ 1364.066378] wlp4s0: send auth to [redacted] (try 1/3)
[ 1364.068641] wlp4s0: authenticated
[ 1364.069358] wlp4s0: associate with [redacted] (try 1/3)
[ 1364.073798] wlp4s0: RX AssocResp from [redacted] (capab=0x411
status=0 aid=2)
[ 1364.073869] wlp4s0: associated
[ 1364.073927] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlp4s0: link becomes ready
[ 1364.074029] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
[ 1369.624786] wlp4s0: deauthenticating from [redacted] by local choice
(Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING)

Here is the exact model of the card, and other information from lspci if
it is helpful:

04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM43228
802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4359]
        Subsystem: Broadcom Corporation Device [14e4:0607]
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
        Memory at f2500000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [58] Vendor Specific Information: Len=78 <?>
        Capabilities: [48] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [d0] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
        Capabilities: [13c] Virtual Channel
        Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number [redacted]
        Capabilities: [16c] Power Budgeting <?>
        Kernel driver in use: bcma-pci-bridge
        Kernel modules: bcma, wl

I do not know why "wl" is listed as an available module because I
uninstalled broadcom-wl already.

I am using the b43 driver, along with b43-firmware from Arch Linux AUR,
but broadcom-wl does not work either (same issue where I can view
networks but not connect). Everything worked before I updated my kernel.

It also may be interesting that on startup, I get this dmesg output:

Broadcom BCM4359 802.11 Hybrid Wireless Controller 6.30.223.248
(r487574)

however my card is BCM43228 not BCM4359.

Here is the output of `lsmod | grep b43`:

b43                   410153  0 
mac80211              604456  1 b43
ssb                    65506  1 b43
rng_core               12808  1 b43
pcmcia                 53108  2 b43,ssb
cfg80211              445286  2 b43,mac80211
led_class              12859  2 b43,thinkpad_acpi
bcma                   45915  1 b43
mmc_core              110434  3 b43,ssb,rtsx_pci_sdmmc

I am connected by Ethernet right now but would prefer to use wireless.
My distribution is Arch Linux.

Thank you for any help.

-- 
Duncan de Wet

Re: BCM43228 wireless card broken in kernel update [b43]

[Rafał Miłecki]

Hi,

First of all, your e-mail thread suggests a regression in b43 after
kernel update. This is impossible, as 3.17 is the first kernel with
b43 support for BCM43227/BCM43228/BCM43131. First thing unclear about
your report.

On 1 November 2014 02:15, Duncan de Wet <duncandewet@gmail.com> wrote:
> After the kernel update to 3.17.1-1-ARCH, I can view a list of wireless
> networks but not connect to any. Both GNOME network manager and wicd-gtk
> say "Connecting..." then without an error message change to "Not
> Connected".
>
> Here is the dmesg output that occurs when trying to connect to a
> wireless network, with my router hardware address redacted:
>
> [ 1363.980448] wlp4s0: authenticate with [redacted]
> [ 1364.066378] wlp4s0: send auth to [redacted] (try 1/3)
> [ 1364.068641] wlp4s0: authenticated
> [ 1364.069358] wlp4s0: associate with [redacted] (try 1/3)
> [ 1364.073798] wlp4s0: RX AssocResp from [redacted] (capab=0x411
> status=0 aid=2)
> [ 1364.073869] wlp4s0: associated
> [ 1364.073927] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlp4s0: link becomes ready
> [ 1364.074029] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
> [ 1369.624786] wlp4s0: deauthenticating from [redacted] by local choice
> (Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING)

This could be some problem with the driver (I'm still not sure *which*
driver), I guess running wpa_supplicant with -dd could tell us more.


> Here is the exact model of the card, and other information from lspci if
> it is helpful:
>
> 04:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM43228
> 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4359]
>         Subsystem: Broadcom Corporation Device [14e4:0607]
>         Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
>         Memory at f2500000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
>         Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
>         Capabilities: [58] Vendor Specific Information: Len=78 <?>
>         Capabilities: [48] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
>         Capabilities: [d0] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
>         Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting
>         Capabilities: [13c] Virtual Channel
>         Capabilities: [160] Device Serial Number [redacted]
>         Capabilities: [16c] Power Budgeting <?>
>         Kernel driver in use: bcma-pci-bridge
>         Kernel modules: bcma, wl
>
> I do not know why "wl" is listed as an available module because I
> uninstalled broadcom-wl already.

It doesn't seem you really uninstalled it. AFAIK otherwise "lspci"
wouldn't have idea about "wl".


> I am using the b43 driver, along with b43-firmware from Arch Linux AUR,
> but broadcom-wl does not work either (same issue where I can view
> networks but not connect). Everything worked before I updated my kernel.

Broadcom's "wl" uses cfg80211 API. There could be some cfg80211 change
in 3.17 that caused a regression for your setup, not sure how likely
is that.


> It also may be interesting that on startup, I get this dmesg output:
>
> Broadcom BCM4359 802.11 Hybrid Wireless Controller 6.30.223.248
> (r487574)

So you didn't uninstall Broadcom's wl. More over, you still load this module!


> however my card is BCM43228 not BCM4359.

Broadcom's "wl" has broken chipset reporting. It treats PCI ID as a
chipset which is obviously not correct.

Re: BCM43228 wireless card broken in kernel update [b43]

[Rafał Miłecki]

On 1 November 2014 02:15, Duncan de Wet <duncandewet@gmail.com> wrote:
> After the kernel update to 3.17.1-1-ARCH, I can view a list of wireless
> networks but not connect to any. Both GNOME network manager and wicd-gtk
> say "Connecting..." then without an error message change to "Not
> Connected".
>
> (...)
>
> Thank you for any help.

So what I suggest you is to re-do all tests with a *proper*
(un)installing drivers and/or blacklisting them.

There is no point in tracking b43 regression as there can't be one.
There weren't any bcma/b43 changes between 3.17 and 3.17.1.

I suggest you to check if Broadcom's wl can work with your BCM43228
and 3.17.1. Make sure (I mean *sure*) you use *only* wl.ko. Then try
to connect. This will let us know if there is anything wrong about
cfg80211.

-- 
Rafał