Broadcom network card doesn't connect to wireless network

[anon222]

Broadcom again

Code:

sudo apt-get update

update list of PCI IDs

Code:

sudo update-pciids

The key to finding the correct driver for any network card is what is known as the PCI ID.
You can find the PCI ID with this command:

Code:

lspci -nn -d 14e4:

The ID 14e4 is in most cases is used for a Broadcom Wireless Card.
The output will look like this:
Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter [14e4:4320] (rev 03)
You are searching for something like this [14e4:4320] (rev 03)
Purge the packages you installed and find the one you need from the list.

PCI.ID                                  14.04 LTS
-------------------------------------------------------
14e4:0576                          Special Case #1       
14e4:4301                  firmware-b43legacy-installer   
14e4:4306                  firmware-b43legacy-installer   
14e4:4306 rev 02        firmware-b43legacy-installer   
14e4:4306 rev 03        linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4307                  linux-firmware-nonfree         
14e4:4311                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4312                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4313                  linux-firmware-nonfree       
14e4:4315                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4315 rev 01        firmware-b43-installer     
14e4:4318                  linux-firmware-nonfree         
14e4:4318 rev 02        firmware-b43-installer         
14e4:4319                  linux-firmware-nonfree       
14e4:4320 rev 02        linux-firmware-nonfree       
14e4:4320 rev 03        linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4324                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4325                  linux-firmware-nonfree 
14e4:4328                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4329                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:432a                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:432b                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:432c                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:432d                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:4331                  linux-firmware-nonfree     
14e4:4335                  linux-firmware-nonfree 
14e4:4353                  Special Case #1       
14e4:4357                  Special Case #1       
14e4:4358                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:4359                  bcmwl-kernel-source   
14e4:4365                  bcmwl-kernel-source
14e4:43a0                  bcmwl-kernel-source       
14e4:4727                  Special Case #1   
14e4:a962                  linux-firmware-nonfree 
---------------------------------------------------------

Special Case #1 - This device uses the driver combination bcma and brcmsmac. It shouldn't be necessary to install anything at all. Required firmware is installed by default in the package linux-firmware.

IMPORTANT NOTE - After September 2014, if you follow this answer and still you have problems installing the correct driver, please try the firmware-b43-installer package. There were some changes and some drivers will only work with this package. Remember to have a clean system before installing it:

Code:

sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer

After you install the correct driver, reboot.

Try to connect. If it doesn't work try the rokytnji command.
That will check if the OS has blocked the wireless card.

Code:

rfkill list all
0: acer-wireless: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no
1: brcmwl-0: Wireless LAN
    Soft blocked: no
    Hard blocked: no

To unblock use:

Code:

rfkill unblock all

Sometimes, just turning  the WiFi switch on your laptop off and then on again (Physical switch available on laptops) works.