Slow wireless with BCM4313 until "wl" reloaded.

[computer_freak_8]

I'd noticed that my wireless had been slow for a while... I'm not sure when this occurred - whether it was before, after, or during the upgrade from 12.04 to 12.10, but I've confirmed (via several clean installs) that it's alive in 12.10 for sure.

When the computer boots up, and I log in, my wireless speed is limited to a max of just over 5 Mbps; usually it hovers around 2-3 Mbps. (Both upload and download speeds are like this, with uploads being ever-so-slightly higher.)

However, if I run the following commands (or the attached script, as root), the issue goes away:
sudo modprobe -r wl
sudo modprobe wl

...and then re-appears the next time I reboot (or shutdown/startup). It's really annoying to need to run some command before I can use my wireless card at full speed - especially since, as it requires root privileges, it's not possible to add it to my login script without needing me to type in my password (I tried).

Also, if a script is made and run via "/etc/rc.local", it doesn't help; it acts the same as if I'd never done anything (but it does run the script; I confirmed this by some debugging stuff in the script).

Attached is the script my "/etc/rc.local" file runs.

Commands/output:

'lsb_release -rd'
Description: Ubuntu 12.10
Release: 12.10

'sudo apt-cache policy bcmwl-kernel-source'
bcmwl-kernel-source:
  Installed: 5.100.82.112+bdcom-0ubuntu3
  Candidate: 5.100.82.112+bdcom-0ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 5.100.82.112+bdcom-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/restricted amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[computer_freak_8 (j8t8b)]

Found a work-around; the new "fix-wl.sh" script is attached. Basically, it just delays long enough for me to log in, before resetting the wireless adapter.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Andrey (waster2008)]

Hm, the same thing, on the Lenovo Ideapad Z470, wl module reloading helps.

[Pedro Henrique (ph-figueiredo)]

I just called the ISP technicians in order to solve my slow internet before realizing my windows machine is working fine. My ubuntu machine is a HP dm1. By executing the OP's commands everything wireless works as supposed.

[Pedro Henrique (ph-figueiredo)]

Just like to let you know that this solved my problems:
http://catlingmindswipe.blogspot.com.br/2012/07/broadcom-wireless-fix-for-ubuntu-1210.html

So it seems that it is just a matter of not installing the closed drivers and using the open ones. Hope someone submits a patch for this soon.

[Adam Porter (alphapapa)]

Bernardo,

The last response to this bug says, "So it seems that it is just a matter of not installing the closed drivers and using the open ones." Therefore this bug is a duplicate of bug 1097519. Do not remove my duplicate marking without explaining why.