Configuration Belkin 802.11g 54g Wireless Desktop Network Card (BCM4306) for linux using native drivers

So I got myself one of these WLAN desktop cards from Belkin a long time ago when I was just using Windoze. No I learned how set it up in linux.

When I installed Linux this card identified itself to the system as:

#lspci
01:08.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4306 802.11b/g Wireless LAN Controller (rev 03)

and (suprise suprise) it turned out that Broadcom refuses to support the Linux Open Sorce community with drivers (neither closed nor open source) or the specifications about the chip.

Luckily with Suse 10.0 I managed to use this card by the help of the ndiswrapper which is the remedy for most Linuxusers forgotten by the Hardware manufacturers.

But now Suse 10.2 comes with an open source driver for BCM4306 devices bcm43xx. Thanks to those nice guys who reverse engeneered the specs so the driver could be developed. --> THANKS GUYS :D. The developent of the driver is of particular importance, sicne my SE515 WlanRouter also runs with Broadcom chips and probably all efforts to develop an firmware for this device by openWRT will depend on these drivers.

Theres onle one catch. The bcm43xx driver needs firmware in /lib/firmware before it can be activated. Luckyly there is a tool to download and install the firmware autmomatically.

Just install the packet "bcm43xx-fwcutter and execute as root:
# /usr/sbin/install_bcm43xx_firmware

thats all. N0w you can configure and activate the device using Yast or which ever technique you prefer.

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Links:
OpenSuse Forum Thread
bcm43xx Linux driver home site