Info:Ubuntu:Dell Inspiron 1564, Ubuntu, Broadcom Drivers

Most of the Dell Inspiron 1564 comes with preinstalled Windows 7. The wireless network adapter would work fine this. But, if we try to install ubuntu any version (i presume, tried 9.04,9.10,10.04) as dual os /single os, the wireless network wont be detected. To Circumvent this problem, we have to download and compile and manually install the required module in uubuntu.

Download the driver tar file and extract and follow the steps mentioned in README file.

http://www.broadcom.com/support/802.11/linux_sta.php

Steps followed by me.


a) First downloaded 64 bit version, since windows 7 is 64 bit os. After extracting and giving make, it gaves some error regarding compatability issue (some i386) while linking.

b) So downloaded 32 bit version, it compiled and linked correctly and gave wl.ko

# make clean   (optional)
# make 

c) Checked whether wl.ko existed in lib/modules/"kernel_version"/kernel/net/wireless

d) It does not exist in my case

e) we have to remove the existing b43, ssb and wl modules, before installing new wl module, so checked and removed it (b43 and ssb existed for me)

# lsmod  | grep "b43\|ssb\|wl"
# rmmod b43
# rmmod ssb
# rmmod wl
f) Also blacklisted the removed module b43 and ssb from future loading. [Did not work in next bootup, it loaded]boot u
# echo "blacklist ssb" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
# echo "blacklist b43" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
g) Insmod the driver, by initiating the security module lib80211
# modprobe lib80211
# insmod wl.ko    (Inside /lib/modules/"kernel version"/net/wireless folder)
We have to do (e) and (g), everytime when we restart the ubuntu, if we had shutdown the system earlier. 
I am checking how to load it during bootup of ubuntu.
Made changes to load at boot up.
a) First, after performing the above steps
b) depmod  (Inside /lib/modules/"kernel version"/net/wireless folder) So that no need to cd into this folder, to give insmod wl.ko, we can give this command from any where as insmod wl
c) Add lib80211 and wl to /etc/modules 
d) Then,
# cp /boot/initrd.img-`uname -r`  somewheresafe
# update-initramfs -u
e) Then reboot