Requesting Broadcom BCM43602 Firmware Files for Ubuntu Compatibility

Hello Apple Community,

I am reaching out to seek your assistance with an issue I am facing involving the Broadcom BCM43602 Wi-Fi chipset. Here's the situation:

Background

I own a 2019 MacBook Pro running macOS 14.6.1 and a 2017 MacBook Pro on which I have installed Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS (kernel version 6.8.0-51-generic). The 2017 MacBook Pro uses the same Broadcom BCM43602 Wi-Fi chipset as my 2019 model. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get the Wi-Fi adapter working optimally under Ubuntu because it requires specific firmware files.

This situation arose because, when preparing my 2017 MacBook Pro for sale, I encountered an issue where the system reported SMART errors on the internal SSD and refused to install macOS. Despite trying multiple approaches, the only macOS solution presented was to replace the entire motherboard, which wasn’t a practical option for me. Interestingly, Ubuntu doesn’t seem to have any issues with the integrated SSD, so I decided to proceed with it instead. For context, the machine had no issues prior to this final attempt to install macOS Sonoma via USB.

The Problem

The current default drivers on Ubuntu provide limited functionality for the Broadcom BCM43602 chipset. Wi-Fi performance is severely degraded, with poor signal strength and frequent disconnections when more than 15 feet away from the router. Additionally, 5 GHz networks are not supported.

Here is the output from the kernel logs for additional context:

$ sudo dmesg | grep brcmfmac
[    2.460009] usbcore: registered new interface driver brcmfmac
[    2.567287] brcmfmac: brcmf_fw_alloc_request: using brcm/brcmfmac43602-pcie for chip BCM43602/2
[    2.569057] brcmfmac 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43602-pcie.Apple Inc.-MacBookPro14,3.bin failed with error -2
[    2.574769] brcmfmac 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43602-pcie.txt failed with error -2
[    2.578310] brcmfmac 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43602-pcie.clm_blob failed with error -2
[    2.578650] brcmfmac 0000:03:00.0: Direct firmware load for brcm/brcmfmac43602-pcie.txcap_blob failed with error -2
[    2.979805] brcmfmac: brcmf_c_process_clm_blob: no clm_blob available (err=-2), device may have limited channels available
[    2.979829] brcmfmac: brcmf_c_process_txcap_blob: no txcap_blob available (err=-2)
[    2.980707] brcmfmac: brcmf_c_preinit_dcmds: Firmware: BCM43602/2 wl0: Nov 10 2015 06:38:10 version 7.35.177.61 (r598657) FWID 01-ea662a8c
[    3.042784] brcmfmac 0000:03:00.0 wlp3s0: renamed from wlan0

It appears that several critical firmware files are missing, resulting in the reduced functionality.

How You Can Help

I’m hoping someone with knowledge of macOS or access to the Broadcom firmware on macOS can assist me in locating and providing the necessary files. Typically, the firmware files are located in macOS system directories, such as:

/System/Library/Extensions/IO80211Family.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AirPortBrcmNIC.kext/Contents/Resources/

Specifically, I am looking for any files that might include firmware for the BCM43602 chipset, such as:

• brcmfmac43602-pcie.bin
• Related .txt or .clm_blob files

If anyone is able to locate these files on their macOS installation and can provide guidance on extracting them or sharing their contents (if permissible), it would be immensely helpful.

I understand the Apple Community may have limitations regarding sharing system files directly, but any advice, pointers, or alternative solutions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and support! Please let me know if additional details are required.