Official RPi Wifi Dongle not working

[Rabus]

Hello all

I've recently purchased a WiFi dongle: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/usb-wifi-dongle/, which is based on BCM43143 as far as I could find.
It doesn't however work for me in any configuration that I've tried.
I'm currently using Raspbian Jessie Lite 4.1 (as it is said to be supporting that chipset) on both RPi2 and Zero, both bearing the same result.
Here are some errors that I'm getting:

dmesg, initialisation:

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[    3.063019] usb 1-1.2: new high-speed USB device number 4 using dwc_otg
[    3.176054] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=0a5c, idProduct=bd1e
[    3.186199] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[    3.196429] usb 1-1.2: Product: Remote Download Wireless Adapter
[    3.205038] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: Broadcom
[    3.215516] usb 1-1.2: SerialNumber: 000000000001

and then starts throwing errors (why does it say that wlan0 already exists for example?):

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[    5.673950] brcmfmac: brcmf_c_preinit_dcmds: Firmware version = wl0: Apr  3 2014 04:43:32 version 6.10.198.66 (r467479) FWID 01-32bd010e
[    5.707341] brcmfmac: brcmf_cfg80211_reg_notifier: not a ISO3166 code
[   13.161906] brcmfmac: brcmf_add_if: ERROR: netdev:wlan0 already exists
[   13.161928] brcmfmac: brcmf_add_if: ignore IF event

this messages follows (cycling):

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[   24.835578] brcmfmac: brcmf_dev_pno_clean: failed code -52
[   24.835605] brcmfmac: brcmf_cfg80211_sched_scan_start: failed error=-52

I've tried getting the newest firmware for brcmfmac from linux-firmware git, but no change at all.
Also tried different power supplies, but whether I supply 1A or 2A it doesn't change anything (not using that power for anything else, so not really surprising).
Using exactly the same system configuration, but with PiHut dongle http://thepihut.com/products/usb-wifi-a ... spberry-pi everything is running perfectly fine.

Would you be able to advise on this issue? Apologies if a similar thread was already posted, as I couldn't find one that would solve this issues.

Thank you

[mjoc27x]

Hi,

I'm facing the same problem with the same hardware; did you manage to find a fix for this?

Cheers,
Mike.

[Rabus]

Hello

Not yet and I've tried a lot of solutions throughout this time, it seems there is very little documentation in terms of issues like this for this dongle. My next try is going to be step by step procedure including kernel from source, drivers to see if there is anything that can help etc.

Thank you

[FTrevorGowen]

Hello all
I've recently purchased a WiFi dongle: https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/usb-wifi-dongle/, which is based on BCM43143 as far as I could find.
It doesn't however work for me in any configuration that I've tried.
I'm currently using Raspbian Jessie Lite 4.1
...

Hmmm... Could be a Jessie Lite issue since both "variants" of the dongle** worked O.K. for w/o problems using the current "full" release of Jessie on my P2B or PiZero****
What does uname -a report so we know exactly what version etc. of Jessie (Lite) you're trying?
Trev.
** http://www.cpmspectrepi.webspace.virgin ... pters.html
**** http://www.cpmspectrepi.webspace.virgin ... ased_Setup

[Rabus]

Hi Trevor

On my P2B where the dongle is connected I've got the following:

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Linux rpi 4.1.13-v7+ #826 SMP PREEMPT Fri Nov 13 20:19:03 GMT 2015 armv7l GNU/Linux

Thanks

[FTrevorGowen]

Hi Trevor
On my P2B where the dongle is connected I've got the following:

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Linux rpi 4.1.13-v7+ #826 SMP PREEMPT Fri Nov 13 20:19:03 GMT 2015 armv7l GNU/Linux

Thanks

O.K. that's exactly the same as on my P2B (and its equivalent on the Pi Zero) so something else is the issue - what does lsusb -t and usb-devices report? What else do you have plugged into the USB ports? Have you enabled the max_usb_current option in config.txt or are you running with the default of 600mA shared over the four ports?
Trev.

[Rabus]

Hello

Here is the current device tree (I've only got the dongle plugged in, but the Ethernet port is also on the same bus as USB, is that correct?). I'm also running default 600mA at the moment.

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pi@rpi:~ $ lsusb -t
/:  Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=dwc_otg/1p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/5p, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=smsc95xx, 480M
        |__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=brcmfmac, 480M

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pi@rpi:~ $ usb-devices

T:  Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 1
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.01
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.1.13-v7+ dwc_otg_hcd
S:  Product=DWC OTG Controller
S:  SerialNumber=3f980000.usb
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 5
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=02 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0424 ProdID=9514 Rev=02.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=2mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 1 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=02 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0424 ProdID=ec00 Rev=02.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=2mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=ff Driver=smsc95xx

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=04 Cnt=02 Dev#=  4 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0a5c ProdID=bd1e Rev=00.01
S:  Manufacturer=Broadcom
S:  Product=Remote Download Wireless Adapter
S:  SerialNumber=000000000001
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=200mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 4 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=02 Prot=ff Driver=brcmfmac

Thanks

[FTrevorGowen]

Hello
Here is the current device tree (I've only got the dongle plugged in, but the Ethernet port is also on the same bus as USB, is that correct?). I'm also running default 600mA at the moment.

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pi@rpi:~ $ lsusb -t
/:  Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=dwc_otg/1p, 480M
    |__ Port 1: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Hub, Driver=hub/5p, 480M
        |__ Port 1: Dev 3, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=smsc95xx, 480M
        |__ Port 5: Dev 4, If 0, Class=Vendor Specific Class, Driver=brcmfmac, 480M

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pi@rpi:~ $ usb-devices

T:  Bus=01 Lev=00 Prnt=00 Port=00 Cnt=00 Dev#=  1 Spd=480 MxCh= 1
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=1d6b ProdID=0002 Rev=04.01
S:  Manufacturer=Linux 4.1.13-v7+ dwc_otg_hcd
S:  Product=DWC OTG Controller
S:  SerialNumber=3f980000.usb
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  2 Spd=480 MxCh= 5
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=02 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0424 ProdID=9514 Rev=02.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=2mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 1 #EPs= 1 Cls=09(hub  ) Sub=00 Prot=02 Driver=hub

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=00 Cnt=01 Dev#=  3 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0424 ProdID=ec00 Rev=02.00
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=2mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 3 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=ff Driver=smsc95xx

T:  Bus=01 Lev=02 Prnt=02 Port=04 Cnt=02 Dev#=  4 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D:  Ver= 2.00 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=00 Prot=00 MxPS=64 #Cfgs=  1
P:  Vendor=0a5c ProdID=bd1e Rev=00.01
S:  Manufacturer=Broadcom
S:  Product=Remote Download Wireless Adapter
S:  SerialNumber=000000000001
C:  #Ifs= 1 Cfg#= 1 Atr=a0 MxPwr=200mA
I:  If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 4 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=02 Prot=ff Driver=brcmfmac

Thanks

That all looks O.K. How are you attempting to configure the connection - via the Desktop GUI tool or some other method? What happens if you try it in different socket(s) - it's beginning to look as if either the dongle is faulty or one of the ports has a poor connection. It may be worth checking for physical "damage" of the latter with a magnifying lens etc.
Trev.

[Rabus]

I'm only using the CLI method with WPA supplicant in /etc/network/interfaces (hence the Lite version). I did check all the ports and the results seems the same however I will inspect closer. I've also just tried to up the amperage to 1.2A and no change.

Thanks

[Rabus]

Hello

I have now tested all USB ports and also tested the dongle on my PiZero, exactly the same results unfortunately.
Seems we're running out of options .

Thank you

[Mithrandir]

are you trying to use 2 of these devices at the same time on the same network? I had a problem that they all have a default MAC address and one will connect but the second one on will not until I power down the first one.

here was a thread about it.

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=131986&p=902294#p902294

[dobra-dobra]

Hi Rabus

Have you got any luck with this issue? I just started a similar topic on forum (viewtopic.php?f=28&t=137349) as I can't get Broadcom dongle to work on Jessie Lite, while other dongles work fine.

[Rabus]

are you trying to use 2 of these devices at the same time on the same network? I had a problem that they all have a default MAC address and one will connect but the second one on will not until I power down the first one.

here was a thread about it.

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=131986&p=902294#p902294

Hi Mithrandir

I've been only using one of these, but heard of that issue before.
Right now I'll give it a go with a different distro (ArchLinux and Minibian - which is Raspbian really) and see if anything changes.
As a side note, just plugged it in my Ubuntu PC and it's throwing errors as well, so there must be something wrong.

Thanks

[Mithrandir]

Hi Rabus,

Mine worked fine on ubuntu one at a time, sounds like you have some other issue. maybe at the router end?

[Rabus]

Hi

I'm sure it is the hardware itself, I've got around 10 wireless devices including 3 different dongles that work like a charm, but through what I've seen, the support for this chip seems to be dodgy at best. I'll keep at it though.

Thanks

[Rabus]

Hello

It turns out Mithrandir, that you were right. According to https://wiki.debian.org/brcm80211 the current driver only supports channels 1-12 (preferably max 11), thus it didn't even see my network on channel 13. Hopefully that will help to anyone else that might have that problem.

Thanks