14e4:170c Broadcom bcm4401-b0 network card no longer functional

[Tom Masterson]

This actually happedned when I did an upgrade to 3.2.0-36-generic about a week ago. The network card was working fine until I rebooted after the update. Now to get internet access on this machine I have had to use a pcmcia network card. It appears though I have been unable to confirm this, that the bcmlw update blacklisted all broadcom drivers.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: linux-image-3.2.0-37-generic 3.2.0-37.58
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-37.58-generic 3.2.35
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-37-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: tom 9780 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: tom 9780 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xefebc000 irq 42'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9200'
   Components : 'HDA:83847690,102801d4,00102201 HDA:14f12bfa,14f100c3,00090000'
   Controls : 14
   Simple ctrls : 7
Date: Sat Feb 2 13:17:39 2013
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=bb8dbb09-d641-48d1-a1ca-e4f9296956e5
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Latitude D520
MarkForUpload: True
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   5.0V
  16-bit
  PC Card
   Subdevice 0 (function 0) bound to driver "axnet_cs"
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-37-generic root=UUID=98c0e985-6278-48f4-832d-b54216f77312 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-37-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-37-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.79.1
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2013-01-30 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 10/13/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A02
dmi.board.name: 0NF743
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA02:bd10/13/2006:svnDellInc.:pnLatitudeD520:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0NF743:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Latitude D520
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.8 kernel[0] (Not a kernel in the daily directory) and install both the linux-image and linux-image-extra .deb packages.

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.8-rc6-raring/

[Tom Masterson (kd7cyu)]

This may or may not be a kernel bug but it was my best bet on a package. Even the older kernels that sorked before do not work nor does the mainline. I do need to see if I have found all the places it was blacklist by bcmwl (which is removed for the mainline kernel). Any suggesiont of where or what too look for to further this would be great. Note that lshw shows teh card as UNCLAIMED.

[Adi Ratiu (adirat)]

I solved this problem by using the b44 driver and blacklisting wl

[Tom Masterson (kd7cyu)]

I finally solved the problem by using the b44 driver and not only blacklisting wl but uninstalling bcmwl and broadcom-sta-common.

[Tom Masterson (kd7cyu)]

I should note that on that computer I am now using version 1304 of ubuntu and I have not tried this fix with earlier versions although I see no reason it should not work.

[Marco Graziotti (graziottimarco)]

In a forum where I partecipate we solved the problem.
We found that the problem is caused about a file called "blacklist-bcm43.conf" that put all the broadcom driver in blacklist after the installation (that no happened during live cd session).
This is the cause of the issue.

You have to move this file from /etc/modprobe.d and reboot, later network card works fine.

This is the content of /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf

***
paola@paola-Inspiron-1520:/etc/modprobe.d$ cat blacklist-bcm43.conf
# Warning: This file is autogenerated by bcmwl. All changes to this file will be lost.
blacklist b43
blacklist b43legacy
blacklist ssb
blacklist bcm43xx
blacklist brcm80211
blacklist brcmfmac
blacklist brcmsmac
blacklist bcma
blacklist b44
install wl modprobe -r b43 b44 b43legacy ssb; modprobe --ignore-install wl ; modprobe --ignore-install b44

***

Can see that all broadcom are blacklisted.
I solved moving this file to Desktop and after a reboot the network card works fine.

From terminal I used command "mv" to move the file to Desktop:

***
paola@paola-Inspiron-1520:~$ sudo mv /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-bcm43.conf /home/paola/Scrivania

***

And after a reboot the network card works.

We talk about this problem on this thread: http://www.linux-magazine.it/forum/index.php/topic,15933.msg53955.html#msg53955 but it's only in italian, I'm sorry.
I hope that solution works for other people that have this problem.

I dont know how this thread works, but if is possible someone report this solution and what is the problem to whom it may concern.

Thank you.

[Dmitry Antonov (dantonov)]

Ubuntu 13.10 and laptop HP Compaq nx6310 (
$ lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4
02:0e.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX [14e4:170c] (rev 02)
08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14e4:4311] (rev 01)
)
I use:

sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

Of cause "install" needs internet connection, I use cheap usb-wifi-mini-stick (RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter).

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Tom Masterson, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1113779/comments/6 regarding this being fixed with a configuration change. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.