Tell me more ×
Ask Ubuntu is a question and answer site for Ubuntu users and developers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

I have a bcm4312 wireless card (Dell Inspiron 1545). I have suddenly lost my wireless card! Well, not literally, its still in my laptop, but Ubuntu denies all knowledge of it even existing! I've tried lspci - not there, I've grep'd the lspci to be sure I'm not just crazy, it's not there.

Its also not acknowledged as being there in Additional Drivers - "no proprietary drivers are in use on this system".

This is very frustrating! Any ideas? I'm completely stumped.

On a semi-related note, if I cant get it working, is there a wireless mini card that is open source that works with the dell inspiron 1545?

share|improve this question
1  
I would double check to make sure you have disabled the hardware switch, on my laptop it is an actual switch, but I have seen some that are buttons, or even keys on the keyboard. – Gui Sep 12 '11 at 20:08
I have the same chip in my AAO D260 - it dissapeared after I upgraded compat wireless drivers. Try to install some older ones. – user24876 Sep 12 '11 at 20:33

1 Answer

up vote 1 down vote accepted

First, check that removing and reinserting brings the card to life.

I would boot from a live USB/CD and check lspci. If it still reports that the card is not available then the card has most probably died.

I've just checked ebay - lots of dell inspiron 1545 mini cards for less than $10. Perhaps better to stick with a card that you know definitely works in your laptop model.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.