Solved Broadcom BCM43xx wifi setup

Help with setting up network cards, including WiFi cards.
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wb7odyfred
Posts: 203
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2016 5:44 pm

Solved Broadcom BCM43xx wifi setup

Post by wb7odyfred »

Broadcom bwn BCM43xx BCM43xxx wifi setup

Working chipsets BCM4311
https://forums.ghostbsd.org/viewtopic.p ... 331#p10712 place 3 different firmwares in /boot/modules
/boot/loader.conf select one firmware to load.
This driver requires firmware to be loaded before it will work.The ports/net/bwn-firmware-kmod port needs to be installed before ifconfig(8) will work. In most cases the bwn_v4_ucode kernel module from the port should be used. However, if an LP (low power) PHY is being used, the bwn_v4_lp_ucode module should be used. or maybe bwn_v4_n_ucode_load be used with BCM4322 chipset

bwn_v4_ucode_load="YES"
or
bwn_v4_lp_ucode_load="YES"
or
bwn_v4_n_ucode_load="YES"

in loader.conf

most likely bwn_v4_ucode_load="YES" like my imac.
at the bottom Eric tells probono he has the BCM4322 chip in his iMac working
Maybe test boot a helloSystem USB flash drive or a nomadbsd.org USB Flash drive and see if these FreeBSDs work on your hardware

https://wiki.freebsd.org/Laptops/HP_Compaq_6715b Laptop HP Compaq 6715b
https://wiki.freebsd.org/IntelMacMini Intel Mac Mini wiki, look for BCM4331 setup
https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/commen ... _mac_mini/ Reddit Gettting BCM4331 working on a mac mini
https://github.com/lostcarrier/macbookpro-freebsd 2016 FreeBSD setup for a Mac Book Pro
https://mail-archive.freebsd.org/cgi/ge ... d-wireless Old 2018 Patch on file if_bwn_phy_n_core.c
https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/bcm4 ... pen.87765/ BCM4331 not working on Mac Book Pro 2011
https://www.freshports.org/net/bwn-firmware-kmod bwn firmware kmod
https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?que ... ease-ports FreeBSD release ports
Code Src
https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/ ... ipc.c#L102 chipc.c file changes/patches
https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/ ... pc.c#L1311

please comment below and add confirmations of which chipsets have been confirmed testing and working by editing the RE: TITLE and changing to your Solved: BCM43xx with exact chipset name and number. Like BCM4331 or BCM43258

Which firmware file name that particular Broadcom BCM chipset uses.

The output of your

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ghostbsd-version[
freebsd-version/code] and 
[code]uname -aKmnopr
These 3 items, will help nexr guy make his Broadcom WiFi chipset work with Ghostbsd/Freebsd

Clockwork:
@Finster_Fred:
> ifconfig create wlan0 wlandev bwn0
I did without this line. In my case, the interface was created independently and did not require additional actions on my part.
> where does firmware files go in what path directory? how to get firmware files? /boot/modules
I'm not sure about the firmware, but I wrote that you need to install net/bwn-firmware-kmod. This port contains the necessary modules for work. You can do pkg info -lx bwn-firmware-kmod and you will see that during installation it already put the necessary modules in the right place. /boot/modules

Fred Finster:
Good work Job well done. Thank you. Appreciate the screen grabs you made.
I really do want to know and share the firmware name for your bcm4311 chipset and path location where wifi firmware files are stored. yes the net/bwn-firmware-kmod did install the firmware files correctly. I just wish to be precise for future users that may just copy a firmware file to a path and not use the freshports method. Place the firmware files in /boot/modules directory.
Clockwork:
https://www.freshports.org/net/bwn-firmware-kmod
has info on this if they don't want to set the port. You can click the button: Expand this list (7 items) to expand the message. According to pkg-plist, he brought these three files with him:
/boot/modules/bwn_v4_ucode.ko
/boot/modules/bwn_v4_lp_ucode.ko
/boot/modules/bwn_v4_n_ucode.ko

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ifconfig -HT wlan0 create wlandev bwn0
or

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ifconfig  wlan0 create wlandev bwn0

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man ifconfig
for details

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sudo ifconfig wlan0 up scan
find access points around you.


Now edit these 3 files /boot/loader.conf, /etc/rc.conf, and /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf

examples of editing 3 files:
EDIMAX EW-7811un v1 https://forums.ghostbsd.org/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=526
RTL8188ce https://forums.ghostbsd.org/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=570

/boot/loader.conf

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boot_verbose="1"
verbose_loading="YES"
bwn_pci="YES"
bwn_v4_n_ucode_load="YES"
if_bwn_load="YES"
bwn_v4_n_ucode_load="YES"
if_bwn_load="YES"

 
https://wiki.freebsd.org/Laptops/HP_Com ... D%22YES%22

/etc/rc.conf

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rc_debug="YES"
rc_info="YES"
network_interfaces="AUTO"
wpa_supplicant_enable="YES"

# wlans_bwn0="wlan0"
# ifconfig_wlan0="WPA SYNCDHCP"

wlans_bwn0="wlan0"
create_args_wlan0="down country US"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA DHCP"
Command to use on the CLI

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ifconfig create wlan0 wlandev bwn0
# or use this next line for wlan1
ifconfig create wlan1 wlandev bwn0
Service commands to restart the network. Usually issue the first line and all is well

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service netif restart
service routing restart
dimwit_flathead
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2024 8:52 pm

Re: Solved Broadcom BCM43xx wifi setup

Post by dimwit_flathead »

The bwn manpage says that you have to rebuild the kernel. I had to uncomment "device bwn" in FreeBSD's 14.0 kernel config.

https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?bwn%284%29
wb7odyfred
Posts: 203
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2016 5:44 pm

Re: Solved Broadcom BCM43xx wifi setup

Post by wb7odyfred »

Can you share the vendor and product pci ID numbers of which BCM43xx wifi device you got working? Also the related lines in those 3 files
/boot/loader.conf /etc/rc.conf and a sample /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf file

ls -lh /boot/modules/ with the related Broadcom device module files

Thanks, I am quite happy someone was able to use the above information and succeed in using a BCM43xx wifi chip on Freebsd 14.0
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