Broadcom BCM43xx Wireless Cards

Overview

Broadcom BCM43xx series wireless cards have opensource drivers for ubuntu but the firmware required isn't installed by default. For these cards to work they need a package installed and the firmware extracted.

Ubuntu 10.04

Lucid has finally included both the open b43 and b43-legacy drivers, as well as Broadcom's proprietary driver in its repositories. If you have a BCM43XX, it's now just a matter of going to System >> Administration >> Hardware Drivers and letting Ubuntu work its magic. Make sure you're connected to the internet (and clicked through our wireless splash page) before attempting it!

Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron and Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

In Hardy all you need to do is install the fwcutter package and it will extract and install the firmware for you.

sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter

The configure script will ask you if you want to extract and install the firmware. Select 'Yes'.

Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake

Open a terminal. code:

oem@freekbox:~$sudo apt-get install bcm43xx-fwcutter
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  bcm43xx-fwcutter
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 16.6kB of archives.
After unpacking 102kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com dapper/universe bcm43xx-fwcutter 20060108-6build1 [16.6kB]
Fetched 16.6kB in 0s (169kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package bcm43xx-fwcutter.
(Reading database ... 154295 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking bcm43xx-fwcutter (from .../bcm43xx-fwcutter_20060108-6build1_i386.deb) ...
Setting up bcm43xx-fwcutter (20060108-6build1) ...

oem@freekbox:~$

This will install a program that will fetch the required firmware for Broadcom 43xx cards. Now we have to run it. code:

oem@freekbox:~$sudo /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh

Reboot and test your wifi.