b43#

For relicensing, the content of this page was removed.

The old website for now has a copy of the old content:

http://linuxwireless.sipsolutions.net/en/users/Drivers/b43/

b43 and b43legacy are wireless drivers for Broadcom SoftMAC chipsets. Kernel will automatically pick a proper module for you:

  • b43 for any new (supported) hardware

  • b43legacy for BCM4301 and early BCM4306 versions

Summary#

  • You need to have firmware files (usually in /lib/firmware/) so b43(legacy) can upload them to the card and run properly.

  • For FullMAC devices support see brcmfmac and rndis_wlan

Known problems & limitations#

  • Some stalls (on G-PHY only?) possibly related to CCK vs. OFDM, see WRT54g / b43 / mac802.11 BREAKTHROUGH

  • N-PHY: 5 GHz support requires kernel 3.17+

  • HT-PHY: no support for 5 GHz

  • No support for 802.11n features (HT, aggregation, 40 MHz width)

Resolved problems#

  • G-PHY devices: not working with kernels 3.15 and 3.16-rc1 (a regression). This was fixed in 3.15.5 (6f3f164) and 3.16-rc3 (2fc68eb).

  • Scanning/connectivity problems: caused by b43 bug exposed with kernel 3.8 (by 0172bb7). Fixed in kernel 3.14 (by 64e5acb) and backported to 3.13.2, 3.12.10, 3.10.29.

List of hardware#

To check for a present hardware model execute following command:

lspci -nn -d 14e4:

If the chipset isn’t listed, check if it’s connected via SSB (Sonics Silicon Backplane). Such connected chipsets only become visible after the ssb kernel module has been loaded.

Please look carefully at device ID and chipset name.

PCI-ID

Supported?

Chip ID

Modes

PHY version

Alternative

14e4:0576

not tested

BCM43224

a/b/g/n

?

brcm80211

14e4:4301

yes (b43legacy)

BCM4301

b

B

14e4:4306

yes (b43legacy)

BCM4306/2

b/g

G

14e4:4307

yes

BCM4306/3

b/g

G

14e4:4311

yes

BCM4311

b/g

G

wl

14e4:4312

yes

BCM4311

a/b/g

G (r8)

wl

14e4:4313

not tested

BCM4311

a

?

wl

no

BCM4313

b/g/n

LCN (r1)

brcm80211

14e4:4315

yes

BCM4312

b/g

LP (r1)

wl

14e4:4318

yes

BCM4318

b/g

G (r7)

14e4:4319

yes

BCM4318

a/b/g

G

14e4:4320

yes (b43legacy)

BCM4306/2

b/g

G (r1)

yes

BCM4306/3

?

G (r2)

14e4:4321

partially

BCM4321

?

N (r2)

14e4:4322

yes (3.18+)

BCM4322

b/g/n

N (r4)

14e4:4324

yes (b43legacy)

BCM4306

a/b/g

G (r1)

yes

BCM4306/3

a/b/g

G (r5)

14e4:4325

yes (b43legacy)

BCM4306/2

b/g

G (r1)

14e4:4328

partially

BCM4321

a/b/g/n

N (r2)

wl

14e4:4329

partially

BCM4321

b/g/n

N (r1)

wl

14e4:432a

not tested

BCM4321

a/n

N

wl

14e4:432b

partially

BCM4322

a/b/g/n

N (r4)

wl

14e4:432c

yes

BCM4322

b/g/n

N

wl

14e4:432d

not tested

BCM4322

a/n

N

wl

14e4:4331

yes (3.2-rc3+)

BCM4331

a/b/g/n

HT (r1)

wl

14e4:4350

yes (3.8+)

BCM43222

a/b/g/n

N (r6)

14e4:4353

yes (3.1+)

BCM43224

a/b/g/n

N (r6)

wl/brcm80211

14e4:4357

yes (3.1+)

BCM43225

b/g/n

N (r6)

wl/brcm80211

14e4:4358

yes (3.17+)

BCM43227

b/g/n

N (r16)

wl

14e4:4359

yes (3.17+)

BCM43228

a/b/g/n

N (r16)

wl

14e4:4360

no

BCM4360

?

AC (r1)

14e4:4365

no

BCM43142

b/g/n

LCN40 (r3)

wl

14e4:43a0

no

BCM4360

a/b/g/n/ac

AC?

wl

no

BCM4352

a/b/g/n/ac

?

wl

14e4:43a9

yes (3.17+)

BCM43217

b/g/n

N (r17)

14e4:43aa

yes (3.17+)

BCM43131

b/g/n

N (r17)

14e4:43b1

no

BCM4352

a/b/g/n/ac

AC (r3)

14e4:4727

no

BCM4313

b/g/n

LCN (r1)

wl/brcm80211

14e4:a8d6

not tested

BCM43222

?

N (6)

14e4:a8d8

yes (3.6+)

BCM43224

a/b/g/n

N (r6)

brcm80211

yes (3.6+)

BCM43225

?

N (r6)

brcm80211

14e4:a8db

partially (3.18+)

BCM43217

b/g/n

N (r17)

14e4:a99d

not tested

BCM43421?

?

?

Contact#

  • For instant contact you can try #bcm-users channel in IRC freenode network. Please note the limited activity and that you may need to wait for an answer.

  • As a more reliable way you can use b43-dev mailing list.

In case of any problem, please start with providing hardware model (including ID) and description of the issue.