Hi all,
 First of all thank you all.
  Finally i  got my wireless card working with b43 drivers. But throughput is really low :-(.

Below is dmesg output for b43 driver.
<snip>
flukebox flukebox # dmesg|grep b43
[   27.087297] kobject b43: registering. parent: <NULL>, set: module
[   27.087328] kobject holders: registering. parent: b43, set: <NULL>
[   27.087404] fill_kobj_path: path = '/module/b43'
[   27.087501] kobject notes: registering. parent: b43, set: <NULL>
[   27.088021] bus ssb: add driver b43
[   27.088030] kobject b43: registering. parent: <NULL>, set: drivers
[   27.088060] fill_kobj_path: path = '/bus/ssb/drivers/b43'
[   27.088075] ssb: Matched Device ssb0:0 with Driver b43
[   27.088077] ssb: Probing driver b43 with device ssb0:0
[   27.088201] b43-phy0: Broadcom 4311 WLAN found
[   27.124445] b43-phy0 debug: Found PHY: Analog 4, Type 2, Revision 8
[   27.124465] b43-phy0 debug: Found Radio: Manuf 0x17F, Version 0x2050, Revision 2
[   27.163484] bound device 'ssb0:0' to driver 'b43'
[   27.163487] ssb: Bound Device ssb0:0 to Driver b43
[   27.163505] kobject drivers: registering. parent: b43, set: <NULL>
[   74.710234] input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input11
[   74.936281] b43-phy0 debug: Loading firmware version 351.126 (2006-07-29 05:54:02)
[   76.197406] b43-phy0 debug: Chip initialized
[   76.199682] b43-phy0 debug: 32-bit DMA initialized
[   76.213855] DEV: registering device: ID = 'b43-phy0:tx'
[   76.213863] kobject b43-phy0:tx: registering. parent: leds, set: devices
[   76.213883] PM: Adding info for No Bus:b43-phy0:tx
[   76.213906] fill_kobj_path: path = '/class/leds/b43-phy0:tx'
[   76.213927] Registered led device: b43-phy0:tx
[   76.213939] DEV: registering device: ID = 'b43-phy0:rx'
[   76.213947] kobject b43-phy0:rx: registering. parent: leds, set: devices
[   76.213966] PM: Adding info for No Bus:b43-phy0:rx
[   76.213989] fill_kobj_path: path = '/class/leds/b43-phy0:rx'
[   76.214007] Registered led device: b43-phy0:rx
[   76.214019] DEV: registering device: ID = 'b43-phy0:radio'
[   76.214027] kobject b43-phy0:radio: registering. parent: leds, set: devices
[   76.214045] PM: Adding info for No Bus:b43-phy0:radio
[   76.214068] fill_kobj_path: path = '/class/leds/b43-phy0:radio'
[   76.214086] Registered led device: b43-phy0:radio
[   76.214183] b43-phy0 debug: Wireless interface started
[   76.253791] b43-phy0 debug: Adding Interface type 2
</snip>


Actually this kernel log lines really help me out.

<snip>

Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.088239] ssb: Matched Device ssb0:0 with Driver b43
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.088367] b43-phy0: Broadcom 4311 WLAN found
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.122350] b43-phy0 debug: Found PHY: Analog 4, Type 2, Revision 8
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.122371] b43-phy0 debug: Found Radio: Manuf 0x17F, Version 0x2050, Revision 2
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.161505] bound device 'ssb0:0' to driver 'b43'
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.161508] ssb: Bound Device ssb0:0 to Driver b43
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   28.161534] kobject drivers: registering. parent: b43, set: <NULL>
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   98.817654] input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input11
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.063914] b43-phy0 ERROR: YOUR FIRMWARE IS TOO NEW. Please downgrade your firmware.
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.063917] b43-phy0 ERROR: Use this firmware tarball: http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.063920] b43-phy0 ERROR: Use this b43-fwcutter tarball: http://bu3sch.de/b43/fwcutter/b43-fwcutter-009.tar.bz2
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.063923] b43-phy0 ERROR: Read, understand and _do_ what this message says, please.
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.081093] input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input12
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.218499] b43-phy0 ERROR: Microcode not responding
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.218503] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware (version 4).
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.339472] input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input13
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.475159] b43-phy0 ERROR: YOUR FIRMWARE IS TOO NEW. Please downgrade your firmware.
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.475163] b43-phy0 ERROR: Use this firmware tarball: http://downloads.openwrt.org/sources/broadcom-wl-4.80.53.0.tar.bz2
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.475166] b43-phy0 ERROR: Use this b43-fwcutter tarball: http://bu3sch.de/b43/fwcutter/b43-fwcutter-009.tar.bz2
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [   99.475169] b43-phy0 ERROR: Read, understand and _do_ what this message says, please.
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [  100.073085] input: b43-phy0 as /class/input/input14
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [  100.211085] b43-phy0 ERROR: Microcode not responding
Feb 14 02:29:45 [kernel] [  100.211088] b43-phy0 ERROR: You must go to http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware and download the correct firmware (version 4).

</snip>

There after i did exactly what these error lines are saying.  I unloaded the b43 module.  Removed my b43 firmware. Then got firmware and b43-fwcutter listed in error lines and
installed them. And then modprobe the b43 module again. Thats it.  My wireless card began to work again.

Now,  Is there anyway i can choose or change the Bit rate ?

Output of iwconfig is as below,

<snip>

flukebox flukebox # iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wmaster0_rename  no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"iitk" 
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.442 GHz  Access Point: 00:11:95:D8:E3:33  
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=27 dBm  
          Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2346 B  
          Encryption key:off
          Link Quality=86/100  Signal level=-41 dBm  Noise level=-69 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

</snip>

Output for iwlist wlan0 scan is as below.

<snip>
flukebox flukebox # iwlist wlan0 scan
wlan0     Scan completed :
          Cell 01 - Address: 00:11:95:D8:E3:33
                    ESSID:"iitk"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:7
                    Frequency:2.442 GHz (Channel 7)
                    Quality=83/100  Signal level=-44 dBm  Noise level=-68 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=000000011b4e9037
          Cell 02 - Address: 00:0F:B5:96:C6:70
                    ESSID:"iitk"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:10
                    Frequency:2.457 GHz (Channel 10)
                    Quality=53/100  Signal level=-71 dBm  Noise level=-68 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=0000000ecfc4aabc
          Cell 03 - Address: 00:11:95:D8:E3:46
                    ESSID:"iitk"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:12
                    Frequency:2.467 GHz
                    Quality=41/100  Signal level=-82 dBm  Noise level=-68 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              48 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=0000005e677b0059
          Cell 04 - Address: 00:0F:B5:96:C5:2B
                    ESSID:"iitk"
                    Mode:Master
                    Channel:11
                    Frequency:2.462 GHz (Channel 11)
                    Quality=43/100  Signal level=-80 dBm  Noise level=-68 dBm
                    Encryption key:off
                    Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s
                              24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s; 6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s
                              12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s
                    Extra:tsf=0000007fa688b18

</snip>
 
Moreover,  Card was working with 56Mb/s bit rate with ndiswrapper perfectly. 

Anyway to increase that ??


thanks and regards,
flukebox


On Feb 13, 2008 4:41 AM, Etaoin Shrdlu <shrdlu@unlimitedmail.org> wrote:
On Tuesday 12 February 2008, dell core2duo wrote:

>but I am still getting WEXT errors.
>Starting wpa_supplicant on wlan0
> ...
> ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not supported
> WEXT auth param 4 value 0x0 - ioctl[SIOCSIWAUTH]: Operation not
> supported               [ ok ]
> th param 5 value 0x1 -
>  *   Starting wpa_cli on wlan0
> ...
> [ ok ]
>  *     Backgrounding ...

WEXT seems to suggest "wireless extensions" (but I might be wrong of
course). I have the following options enabled in my kernel (some might
be redundant):

CONFIG_WIRELESS_EXT=y
CONFIG_CFG80211=y
CONFIG_NL80211=y
CONFIG_MAC80211=y
CONFIG_MAC80211_RCSIMPLE=y
CONFIG_MAC80211_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_MAC80211_VERBOSE_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_WEP=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_CCMP=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_CRYPT_TKIP=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_SOFTMAC=y
CONFIG_IEEE80211_SOFTMAC_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_WLAN_80211=y
CONFIG_B43=y
CONFIG_B43_PCI_AUTOSELECT=y
CONFIG_B43_PCICORE_AUTOSELECT=y
CONFIG_B43_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_B43_DMA=y
CONFIG_B43_PIO=y
CONFIG_B43_DMA_AND_PIO_MODE=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_PCI_AUTOSELECT=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_PCICORE_AUTOSELECT=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_DEBUG=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_DMA=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_PIO=y
CONFIG_B43LEGACY_DMA_AND_PIO_MODE=y

I'm pretty sure some of them are redundant, but I have not had the time
yet to read about the wireless extensions/*80211 changes and their
implications. However, my card is working correctly with the above
config.

Is the firmware in place (the correct one for your driver)? Post the
relevant sections from /var/log/messages where the wireless card is
recognized and initialized.
--