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When I installed ubuntu, everything was working perfectly except for the wireless networks. When i click on networks wireless is not an option. I know my wireless works because it worked fine before on fedora and windows. Can anyone help me?

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Start by typeing lspci | grep Ethernet and edit your question with the results. If this command gives no results try a plain lspci and locate the wifi adapter model. – To Do Nov 25 '12 at 21:18
Here are the results "03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX (rev 02)" – Joel Hunt Nov 25 '12 at 21:24
That's the cable network connection not the wifi. Try lspci again and fetch the wireless card type. – To Do Nov 25 '12 at 21:30
Is this it? "03:03.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 02)" – Joel Hunt Nov 25 '12 at 21:40

1 Answer

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  1. Open Update Manager
  2. Open Settings
  3. Go the the Additional drivers tab.
  4. Check if a Broadcom proprietary driver is offered. Install it.
  5. Reboot.

If that doesn't work, try following these instructions.

In short:

  1. Identify your card by typing in a terminal lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4
  2. Check which driver is suitable for you from this list
  3. In your case (BCM4318) you need the b43 driver
  4. Open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and run sudo apt-get update followed by sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer
  5. Reboot.
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It will not let me apply the changes do i have to be logged in as root? – Joel Hunt Nov 25 '12 at 22:01
Didn't it simply ask you for the sudo password? – To Do Nov 25 '12 at 22:02
It did not ask me. However it did show one driver which is identified as Unkonwn with do not use checked and when i check Continue using as a manuel driver (the only avalible option that is clickable) it higlights red. – Joel Hunt Nov 25 '12 at 22:04
I would try the instructions in the link in my answer above installing the b43 driver. – To Do Nov 25 '12 at 22:06
Thank you sir It worked with the other instructions – Joel Hunt Nov 25 '12 at 22:48
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