Broadcomm BCM57780 network card can be installed in 32 or 64 bit (it helps if you are a dentist)

[taylorkh]

This is definitely like pulling teeth but it works. Distilling my 427 installation tests/attempts over the last couple of days, here is what I learned.

To recap, the machine in question is a Dell Studio XPS quad core desktop with the offending NIC built in. The NIC is recognized and installed just fine with Ubuntu 9.10 or 10.04 or CentOS 5.6. It does not like CentOS 6 or vice versa.

Here is how to do the deed (assuming you are installing a GUI desktop system).

Step 1 - Install some other network card (I have used a D-Link and a Belkin - both 10/100 cards and both work).
Step 2 - Disable the Broadcom card in the PC BIOS (press F2 at boot; under Advanced Chipset Features find Onboard LAN Controller and toggle it to DISABLED. Press F10 to boot)
Step 3 - Install CentOS 6 from the DVD - when the "Please name this computer..." screen appears make sure that the "Configure Network" button is enabled. If it is not, the secondary NIC has not been recognized and you are toast. You can choose to Configure Network and set the "System eth0" connection to automatically start but it is not required.
Step 4 - At the end of the install do the first reboot. The initial startup process will run. Agree to the license, create a user, set date and time. If you set System eth0 to automatically start you can use a network time server. Otherwise set the time and date manually for now.
Step 5 - Login with your normal user name (not root). You should see the Network Manager applet (looks like a couple of PCs close together).
Step 6 - Right click on the NM applet and choose Edit Connections. You can also invoke Network Manager from the System menu - System; Preferences; Network Connections.
Step 7 - Select "System eth0" from the wired connections. It should be the only one present and it represents the secondary NIC installed in step 1. Delete the "System eth0" entry. Enter the root password if prompted.
Step 8 - Shut down the PC.
Step 9 - Remove the secondary NIC which was installed in Step 1.
Step 10 - Boot the PC, Press F2 and enable the Onboard Network Controller in BIOS (see Step 2)
Step 11 - The PC should boot with the Broadcom NIC enabled and connected.

Comments:

I tried installing CentOS 32 bit with the Broadcom card enables as normal but the network never came up and the Network Manager applet was missing.

I tried installing CentOS 32 bit with the Broadcom card disabled an not other card present then enabling the card. That did not work.

This procedure will also work with the 64 bit version of CentOS 6.

I guess this is some sort of bug. However, it also occurs in Scientific Linux so I guess it is an upstream thing from the Hat folks. I am not sure how to submit a CentOS bug back up the stream but if someone wants to coach me I would be glad to do so.

Ken

[pschaff]

This is your third topic on this same issue. It would be far preferable, and less confusing, to add the information to the original thread rather than starting new ones.

Old threads:
[url=https://www.centos.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=32076&forum=57]Broadcomm BCM57780 network card not recognized[/url]
[url=https://www.centos.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=32119&forum=57]Broadcomm BCM57780 network card RECOGNIZED in 64 bit, not in 32 bit[/url]

[taylorkh]

Sorry Phil. The first two threads got rather long and went down dead end roads. This one at least offered a kludgey work around. By all means I would like to close the first two threads. However, I am afraid I do not know how to do that here. Can a user close a thread or is that a moderator prerogative? Either way I have no objections to shooting the first two threads.

Thanks,

Ken

[pschaff]

At this point we are where we are, and neither of the other threads ends with a clean resolution, except for the pointers I added to this one. If you consider the matter [RESOLVED] a moderator can mark a thread or threads appropriately, but there still seem to be outstanding issues. As this is the latest thread I will lock the other two to avoid compounding the confusion.

As far as a bug report, starting with a CentOS [url=http://bugs.centos.org/main_page.php]report[/url] is advisable. CentOS and SL users do regularly submit upstream [url=https://bugzilla.redhat.com/]bugzilla[/url] reports. It is best if the issue can be demonstrated to exist in RHEL. There is even a CentOS choice in the upstream reporting system for external bug reports that can be used to point to a CentOS bug report. For CentOS, providing a link to any upstream or other external bugs is good form.

[taylorkh]

Thanks again Phil. I have just confirmed that RHEL 6 fails to recognize the Broadcom NIC at the point in the install process where the "Please name this computer..." screen appears. The "Configure Network" button which launches Network Manager is grayed out. Based upon my experience installing CentOS 6 and Scientific Linux 6 on this machine I believe that continuing with the RHEL install would result in a machine with no network connectivity.

Therefor... I will work on submitting a detailed CentOS bug report which hopefully can be pushed upstream.

Ken

[pschaff]

Please do submit a CentOS report, but the best way to get it pushed upstream is for you to make a report there also. It will not happen automatically.

[taylorkh]

I have filed bug [url=http://bugs.centos.org/view.php?id=4981]4981[/url] on this issue. As there is a (yes, admittedly convoluted) work around, I would be willing to call this resolved. If the bug gets addressed I will retest and go from there. I defer to the moderators' discretion.
Ken

[pschaff]

My discretion leans toward leaving it open pending filing an upstream bug report, and some feedback from either [url=http://wiki.centos.org/FAQ/General?highlight=%28TUV%29#head-d29a2b7e61ffc544973098f9dd49fe4663efba50]TUV[/url] or CentOS devs.