Broadcom Linux STA Driver

Requirements

Using the akmod Rather then the kmod

If you want to use the akmod rather then the static kmod, install the akmod package and lets dependencies pull in broadcom-wl:

1. Open a terminal .
2. Install the broadcom-wl packages:
   

su -c 'yum install akmod-wl'

3. Build the kmod:
   

   su -c 'akmods --akmod wl'

4. You now have the driver build and installed. Try loading it:
   

   su -c 'modprobe wl'

5.  If you don't plan on fiddling around to get it working and it didn't work after the modprobe, just reboot:
   

   su -c 'reboot'

Doing the Work - Without a pre-existing wired connection (aka: sneakernet)

If after a fresh install of F11 you want to get your broadcom wireless working without having to first setup a wired connection on the target machine, then you can also download the needed wireless drivers ahead of time and manually install them later.

You need to download three (3) packages from a RPMFusion "Everything" mirror (such as this one http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/rpmfusion/nonfree/fedora/releases/11/Everything/i386/os/). It is important to note that these wireless packages are built for the original kernel that ships with the initial Fedora release, which you'll need before you can yum update the first time to get a newer kernel and newer kmods:

Fedora 11:

1. kmod-wl-2.6.29.4-167.fc11.x86_64-5.10.79.10-2.fc11.9.x86_64.rpm
2. kmod-wl-5.10.79.10-2.fc11.9.x86_64.rpm
3. broadcom-wl-5.10.79.10-2.fc11.noarch.rpm

Fedora 10:

1. kmod-wl-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686-5.10.27.6-5.fc10.5.i686.rpm
2. kmod-wl-5.10.27.6-5.fc10.5.i686.rpm
3. broadcom-wl-5.10.27.6-3.fc10.noarch.rpm

Install them post-install:

rpm -ivh *rpm

Now "modprobe wl" (or reboot) and your wireless should be working (click on your NetworkManager icon). Before your first full yum update, be sure to have the rpmfusion repo installed, or else you'll lose wireless when your kernel is updated but the kmod-wl isn't.

Troubleshooting

More Information