New Broadcom driver allows 300 mbit/s and gets rid of Audio dropouts (DPCs)

I'm trying to locate newer drivers for Vista 32bit, for a Broadcom 4328. Mine are dated 2007, and I keep getting dropouts from the chip when I put some heavy load through it. Broadcoms site doesnt list anything, Apples just has the Bootcamp 2.1 drivers and Windows Update says its up-to-date. Anyone know different?

First go here using either XP or Vista.

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx

You are looking for this driver.

Broadcom 4322AG driver dated 10/22/08

that's it.

pancenter-

Unbelievable, but after 3 weeks of web research, this actually solved my problem.

I detected Audio dropouts in Vista Ultimate on my iMac 24" (Feb 2009) while I was connected to a wireless router. I ran DPC Latency Checker and observed that while my Broadcom wireless adaptor was connected to any wireless network, my DPC was unreasonably high. When I disabled the adaptor, DPC went back to a normal level.

My initial research and esp. in this forum showed that it was related with driver of the Broadcom 802.11n. I tried to install version 4.102.15.61, 4.150.22.0 and 4.170.xx (that was the version from my leopard DVD - broadcominstaller.exe) - no change.

Then I tried your source at MS and although there no installation files included (even the driver update function of the device manager wasnt working) I was able to install the driver by just copying bcmwl6.sys to my system32/drivers folder.

All fine now, thanks a lot for that link!

Broadcom Windows (XP & Vista) drivers (see changelog):
Broadcom Wireless LAN Windows Vista Drivers
Broadcom Wireless LAN Windows XP drivers

Current version is 5.10.91.8 with WHQL certificate.

BootCamp Install DVD drivers:
Apple Boot Camp 3.0 (3.0.0 Build 2052)- OSX Snow Leopard 10.6 (Build 10A380): Broadcom BCM43xx 10/22/2008, 5.10.38.26
Apple Boot Camp 3.0 (3.0.0 Build 2051)- OSX Snow Leopard 10.6 (Build 10A354): Broadcom BCM43xx 10/22/2008, 5.10.38.26
Apple Boot Camp 3.0 (3.0.0 Build 2050)- OSX Snow Leopard 10.6 (Build 10A335): Broadcom BCM43xx 10/22/2008, 5.10.38.26
Apple Boot Camp 3.0 (3.0.0 Build 2048)- OSX Snow Leopard 10.6 (Build 10A314): Broadcom BCM43xx 10/22/2008, 5.10.38.26
Apple Boot Camp 2.1 (2.1.2 Build 1256) - OSX Leopard 10.5.6: Broadcom BCM43xx 09/10/2008, 5.10.38.14
Apple Boot Camp 2.1 (2.1.1. Build 1131) - OSX Leopard 10.5.x: Broadcom BCM43xx 03/21/2008, 4.170.77.3
Apple Boot Camp 2.0 (2.0.3) - OSX Leopard 10.5.2: Broadcom BCM43xx 09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12
Apple Boot Camp 2.0 (2.0.1) - OSX Leopard 10.5.1 probably: 09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12
Apple Boot Camp 2.0 - OSX Leopard 10.5.0: Broadcom 43xx 01/08/2007, 4.80.75.0 (no 64-bit drivers)

Apple Downloads:
Boot Camp Update 2.1 for Windows XP - Broadcom BCM43xx 09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12
Boot Camp Update 2.1 for Windows Vista 32 - Broadcom BCM43xx 09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12
Boot Camp Update 2.1 for Windows Vista 64 - Broadcom BCM43xx 09/20/2007, 4.170.25.12

Message was edited by: limo79

Yes - these problems are finally fixed with the HP driver package.

First off, the HP version of the Broadcom 4322AG driver fixes the hard freezing/crash that occurs when trying to disable/enable the Broadcom 802.11n wirelss adapter from the Windows Status bar in Bootcamp 2.1 running Win XP Pro SP2. A quick search will uncover this problem a lot.

Previously, I was running driver version 4.170.25.12 that comes with Bootcamp 2.1, but trying to disable/enable the wirelss froze my machine completely. No BSOD - just frozen in a hard loop that meant a power off and reboot.

One last note about installation - as Dee Jay says - you can't use the Windows Hardware/Driver Update Wizard normally. When you try to update the wireless driver, XP will freeze because the Update Wizard disables the wireless card to change the driver. I used the Wizard to remove the driver (which froze my machine). Then I did a hard reboot so I could apply the new driver. Once the system restarts, you must manually select the new broadcom bcmwl5.inf file in the unzipped HP install package. This wil install the new Broadcom driver without issue. Make sure to pick 4322AG.

As others have indicated, I also don't see my wireless network connection drop and I'm getting full speed on my N router. These are just iciing compared to the crashes I've been having when I forget.

Wow! Why can't this get rolled into a Bootcamp update? The wireless network drops and hard crashes (nothign like disabling while flying on a plane and loosing all your work) are too much. This should go out as a critical update.

Message was edited by: NEggen

Message was edited by: NEggen

null

This article was very handy. For Vista 32bit, it looked like sp43743 was the correct download to get driver version 5.10.91.8.

One question though, is there a way to confirm what exact Broadcom model is in the new MacBook Pros (mid 2009)? I went ahead and forced the 4322AG draft N driver and it seems to be working better. Does it matter if that is the correct model or not? I am new to the Apple OS environment and haven't really found the Apple equivalent of Device Manager. In Device Manager, the card is listed as Broadcom 802.11n Wireless Adapter (before forcing the driver change).

' Er... Strangely enough I have no need to jump through any of these hoops to update my system... I've checked and there is no roll-back option for my drivers - so it would seem that the drivers on my system have been the one mentioned in this thread as of day-one. I.E. it would appear that said driver was part-and-parcel of my Bootcamp driver pack.
' I'm working on a two-month (3 months?) old MBP 17-inch Unibody btw.
' Just thought y'all may find this info interesting - I sure did!

~Menageryl
-Jack of All Trades, Master of Some!-

Hi

I found the Vista 64 Drivers here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en &cc=us&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=3687779&swItem=ob-68694-1&prodNameId=36877 95&swEnvOID=2104&swLang=13&taskId=135&mode=5

bye!
Jens

You do know it really dosent matter if your router can put out 300mb sec and windows can get 300mb a sec too because you dont have a 300mb sec connection normaly its around 7mb connection from your internet provider so it really dosent matter unless your getting 300mb sec connection from your ISP and thats unreal.