Wifi worked, but after updates, wifi doesn't work anymore

I’m a new user of Ubuntu MATE. Installed 16.04 LTS from de DVD, got my wifi working and have been happy and very content user since a couple of weeks. Then last week got the message that there were updates. followed instructions to install them and now my wifi isn’t working anymore. Cannot find the info to get it working again and would appreciate your help.
Read that I needed to do following command, but after that I’m lost.

esther@esther-Vostro1510:~$ sudo lshw -C network
[sudo] Mot de passe de esther :
*-network NON-RÉCLAMÉ
description: Network controller
produit: BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY
fabriquant: Broadcom Corporation
identifiant matériel: 0
information bus: pci@0000:06:00.0
version: 01
bits: 64 bits
horloge: 33MHz
fonctionnalités: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
ressources: mémoire:f4000000-f4003fff
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
produit: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
fabriquant: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
identifiant matériel: 0
information bus: pci@0000:07:00.0
nom logique: enp7s0
version: 02
numéro de série: 00:21:70:e7:d5:ba
taille: 1Gbit/s
capacité: 1Gbit/s
bits: 64 bits
horloge: 33MHz
fonctionnalités: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=full ip=192.168.1.34 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=MII speed=1Gbit/s
ressources: irq:28 portE/S:5000(taille=256) mémoire:f8610000-f8610fff mémoire:f8600000-f860ffff mémoire:c0000000-c000ffff

Hi @Esther_HV, I have a generic possibility. Beyond this I don’t have much experience with wireless drivers.

Open up System -> Preferences -> Hardware -> Additional Drivers

Look for your wireless, which seems to be a (rather old) Broadcom, and enable it if it is not. It may ask for a reboot.

Hope this helps.

Hi @Bill_MI thanks for your reply.
The 'rather old' Broadcam is because of my 'rather old' Dell Vostro 1510 that got a new life and works like new thanks to Ubuntu Mate.
The additional driver was already uploaded and worked (till 6 days ago before the upgrade)


I tried to change to "don't use" to be able to reload it afterwards, but doesn't work. I don't seem to be able to access it through the standard menus.

If you or anyone else has some ideas ?

Perhaps this askubuntu page might help:

The usual sequence is to remove your old Broadcom wifi driver first and then to install a broadcom firmware installer (using an ethernet connection of course) and then reboot. This page has a complete explanation.

Good luck Esther_HV.

1 Like

Thanks @mdooley for your answer. Went to the site and read that I should first undo previous installed drivers. Didn’t know how to do that, tried copying a guide from the forum, but got stuck half way. Rebooted my system, then tried it via the system>control center>updates & software
There I succeeded to undo the use of the broadcam pilot. Rebooted, via the same menu activated the broadcam pilot and Voilà… writing this message via Wifi connection.

thank you so much for your help and the link that got me unstuck :slight_smile:

You are entirely welcome.

I’m reopening my question because Wifi connection isn’t working. During some time it worked perfect, than intermittent and now not anymore.
I installed last updates, didn’t solve the problem.

I tried via System -> Preferences -> Hardware -> Additional Drivers to change to “don’t use” to be able to reload it afterwards, but doesn’t work. Cannot undo the installation.
Since I’m really a newby in Linux, can you please tell me what code to use to de-install drivers via Terminal ? So that I can try to re-install afterwards.

Otherwise : can anyone suggest a USB wifi that works well ? Don’t need mega speed because I’m in the countryside and don’t have fast connection, just want it to work.

Thanks in advance,

@Esther_HV Please see Broadcom wireless tip which I’ve largely copied below. These are all terminal commands and should let you connect once again.

First do

sudo lshw -class network

then

lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4

to find out if there is a broadcom (BCM4311) controller. Then

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

then issue

iwconfig

to verify. This avoids installing a proprietary device driver that may not work as well. Good luck Esther_HV

1 Like

Thanks @mdooley for your answer.
All goes well until I get to "sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer"
It asks me to insert disc. Which I do, I press enter and there it buggs.
Maybe it's because it asks me to insert in the drive '/media/cdrom/'
and I think it's called '/media/esther/' ? Could that be the source of the bug ?

Here's what it all looks like in the terminal :

sudo lshw -class network
  *-network               
       description: Network controller
       produit: BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY
       fabriquant: Broadcom Limited
       identifiant matériel: 0
       information bus: pci@0000:06:00.0
       version: 01
       bits: 64 bits
       horloge: 33MHz
       fonctionnalités: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
       configuration: driver=b43-pci-bridge latency=0
       ressources: irq:19 mémoire:f4000000-f4003fff
  *-network
       description: Ethernet interface
       produit: RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
       fabriquant: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
       identifiant matériel: 0
       information bus: pci@0000:07:00.0
       nom logique: enp7s0
       version: 02
       numéro de série: 00:21:70:e7:d5:ba
       taille: 100Mbit/s
       capacité: 1Gbit/s
       bits: 64 bits
       horloge: 33MHz
       fonctionnalités: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=full ip=192.168.1.34 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s
       ressources: irq:28 portE/S:5000(taille=256) mémoire:f8610000-f8610fff mémoire:f8600000-f860ffff mémoire:c0000000-c000ffff
esther@esther-Vostro1510:~$ lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4
06:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Limited BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY [14e4:4315] (rev 01)
esther@esther-Vostro1510:~$ sudo apt-get update
Ign:1 cdrom://Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719) xenial InRelease
Atteint:2 cdrom://Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719) xenial Release
Atteint:4 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                 
Réception de:5 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [102 kB]
Atteint:6 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                 
Atteint:7 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease         
Atteint:8 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease       
102 ko réceptionnés en 0s (120 ko/s)                                           
Lecture des listes de paquets... Fait
esther@esther-Vostro1510:~$ sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
Lecture des listes de paquets... Fait
Construction de l'arbre des dépendances       
Lecture des informations d'état... Fait
Les paquets suivants ont été installés automatiquement et ne sont plus nécessaires :
  calligra-l10n-engb calligra-l10n-fr dkms iucode-tool kde-l10n-engb
  kde-l10n-fr linux-headers-4.4.0-64 linux-headers-4.4.0-64-generic
  linux-headers-4.4.0-66 linux-headers-4.4.0-66-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-71
  linux-headers-4.4.0-71-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-72
  linux-headers-4.4.0-72-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-75
  linux-headers-4.4.0-75-generic linux-headers-4.4.0-78
  linux-headers-4.4.0-78-generic linux-image-4.4.0-64-generic
  linux-image-4.4.0-66-generic linux-image-4.4.0-71-generic
  linux-image-4.4.0-72-generic linux-image-4.4.0-75-generic
  linux-image-4.4.0-78-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-64-generic
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-66-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-71-generic
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-72-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-75-generic
  linux-image-extra-4.4.0-78-generic snap-confine
Veuillez utiliser « sudo apt autoremove » pour les supprimer.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  b43-fwcutter
Les NOUVEAUX paquets suivants seront installés :
  b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer
0 mis à jour, 2 nouvellement installés, 0 à enlever et 32 non mis à jour.
Il est nécessaire de prendre 0 o/27,2 ko dans les archives.
Après cette opération, 147 ko d'espace disque supplémentaires seront utilisés.
Souhaitez-vous continuer ? [O/n] O
Media change: please insert the disc labeled
 'Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719)'
in the drive '/media/cdrom/' and press [Enter]
Media change: please insert the disc labeled                                   
 'Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719)'
in the drive '/media/cdrom/' and press [Enter]
Media change: please insert the disc labeled                                   
 'Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719)'
in the drive '/media/cdrom/' and press [Enter]
Media change: please insert the disc labeled
 'Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719)'
in the drive '/media/cdrom/' and press [Enter]
Media change: please insert the disc labeled
 'Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.1 LTS _Xenial Xerus_ - Release i386 (20160719)'
in the drive '/media/cdrom/' and press [Enter]

@Esther_HV In order to install firmware-b43-installer, you must have an ethernet connection. For me, that meant walking my laptop over to my router and connecting to the internet via an ethernet cable. Is that possible where you are?

Edit2: Sorry to be so forgetful. I looked on my DVD installation disc and found where you can get the b43-fwcutter .deb without a working internet connection. Hopefully this will help you get through this connectivity issue. Please see screenshot below.

Edit: Finding and using the B43-fwcutter deb was insufficient to get my Broadcom device working on an install of UM 17.10. I had to connect via an ethernet cable and run the commands in post #8 above.

1 Like

Hi @mdooley,
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my newbe questions. Did programming, but all in DOS and Pascal when at universaty, but that is already 25 years ago. I’ m kind of handy with computer compared to the average user, but with Ubuntu Mate (Linux) I’m beginner. Don’t know the codes, have a hard time figuring out what extensions are programs, etc. So you help is really appreciated.

Yes I do have connection to the internet via cable. Am most of the time on my couch with laptop on knees, but hard for my back, so really want to get this wifi connection going again.

Think I can find the file you mentioned, where do you suggest I paste it.
How do I adapt the code you suggested me :

First do

sudo lshw -class network

then

lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4

to find out if there is a broadcom (BCM4311) controller. Then

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
sudo apt-get remove bcmwl-kernel-source
sudo reboot
then issue

iwconfig

Thanks again. I owe you !

Don't ask me why, but finally got it working again and via the menu
System -> Preferences -> Hardware -> Additional Drivers
This time only selected the drivers for the Broadcam and didn't activate the drivers for Processor and this worked.
Don't know for how long, but at least learned something again about Linux and commandes (looked up some commands on internet, so was useful for something).
Thanks again @mdooley for your help, was much appreciated.

1 Like

I’m glad you got this sorted out Esther_HV. Good luck.

1 Like

Hello, reopening my question, because I still have a strange problem with WIFI connection.
In the office, WIFI works without any problems. Connects automatically.
At home, wifi doesn’t work. No way I can get it running.
So I want to buy a USB WIFI dongel and trying to figure out which one will work with Ubunt MATE 16.04.01.
Our livebox at home is a 802.11ac.

Anyone with advice on what material to buy that works without all kinds of adaptations ?
Thanks in advance.

I just installed Mate on my Dell Latitude and had no wifi. i checked the forum and found this thread. Your fix worked, Bill!

1 Like