Ubuntu 18.04 WiFi Networks are not displaying even though there are 3 nearby

Question

I recently installed Ubuntu 18.04 on my 2009 mac mini. I used a bootable flash drive and all is well. Initially, WiFi adapter where not found, but after going into the Software & Updates > Additional Drivers and installing and using the Broadcom 802.11 Linux STA wireless driver source from bcwl-kernel-source.

However there are no visible WiFi networks even though there are at least three around me as my phone and laptop are connected to them.

I have tried to reinstall the kernel, reinstall the network-manager, and dist-upgrade. Thank you for your help.

Edit

After running lspci -nnk | grep 0280 -A3 I get this for an output:

03:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Broadcom Limited BCM4321 802.11a/b/g/n [14e4:4328] (rev 05)
Subsystem: Apple Inc. AirPort Extreme [106b:0090]
Kernel driver in use: wl
Kernel modules: ssb, wl

And after running sudo iwlist chan I get:

    enp0s10   no frequency information.

lo        no frequency information.

enp0s4f1u7c4i2  no frequency information.

wlp3s0    32 channels in total; available frequencies :
          Channel 01 : 2.412 GHz
          Channel 02 : 2.417 GHz
          Channel 03 : 2.422 GHz
          Channel 04 : 2.427 GHz
          Channel 05 : 2.432 GHz
          Channel 06 : 2.437 GHz
          Channel 07 : 2.442 GHz
          Channel 08 : 2.447 GHz
          Channel 09 : 2.452 GHz
          Channel 10 : 2.457 GHz
          Channel 11 : 2.462 GHz
          Channel 12 : 2.467 GHz
          Channel 13 : 2.472 GHz
          Channel 14 : 2.484 GHz
          Channel 32 : 5.16 GHz
          Channel 34 : 5.17 GHz
          Channel 36 : 5.18 GHz
          Channel 38 : 5.19 GHz
          Channel 40 : 5.2 GHz
          Channel 42 : 5.21 GHz
          Channel 44 : 5.22 GHz
          Channel 46 : 5.23 GHz
          Channel 48 : 5.24 GHz
          Channel 50 : 5.25 GHz
          Channel 52 : 5.26 GHz
          Channel 54 : 5.27 GHz
          Channel 56 : 5.28 GHz
          Channel 58 : 5.29 GHz
          Channel 60 : 5.3 GHz
          Channel 62 : 5.31 GHz
          Channel 64 : 5.32 GHz
          Channel 66 : 5.33 GHz

After running sudo iw reg get I get:

    global
country 00: DFS-UNSET
    (2402 - 2472 @ 40), (N/A, 20), (N/A)
    (2457 - 2482 @ 20), (N/A, 20), (N/A), AUTO-BW, PASSIVE-SCAN
    (2474 - 2494 @ 20), (N/A, 20), (N/A), NO-OFDM, PASSIVE-SCAN
    (5170 - 5250 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (N/A), AUTO-BW, PASSIVE-SCAN
    (5250 - 5330 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), DFS, AUTO-BW, PASSIVE-SCAN
    (5490 - 5730 @ 160), (N/A, 20), (0 ms), DFS, PASSIVE-SCAN
    (5735 - 5835 @ 80), (N/A, 20), (N/A), PASSIVE-SCAN
    (57240 - 63720 @ 2160), (N/A, 0), (N/A)

Using the nmcli dev wifi list command I get:

(process:2078): libnm-WARNING **: 20:27:42.549: no object known for /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/1

IN-USE  SSID  MODE  CHAN  RATE  SIGNAL  BARS  SECURITY 

Solution

This will be a partial answer until we uncover more facts.

I recommend that your regulatory domain be set explicitly. Check yours:

sudo iw reg get

If you get 00, that is a one-size-maybe-fits-all setting. Find yours here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2 Then set it temporarily:

sudo iw reg set IS

Of course, substitute your country code if not Iceland. Set it permanently:

sudo nano /etc/default/crda

Change the last line to read:

REGDOMAIN=IS

Proofread carefully, save and close the text editor.

Reboot. Run and post:

sudo iwlist chan

We are confident that channels above 66 will now be available.

Comments

[Jeremy31]

Are the networks on a 2.4 GHz channel higher than 11?

[Lucas Kohorst]

@Jeremy31 How could I check that?

[Jeremy31]

A wifi scanner app for the phone?

[Lucas Kohorst]

Yes the channel is 161

[chili555]

Please edit your question to show: lspci -nnk | grep 0280 -A3 and also: sudo iwlist chan and also: sudo iw reg get Welcome to Ask Ubuntu.

[Lucas Kohorst]

@chili555 Thank you I have edited my answer.

[chili555]

Did the 'chan' reading actually end at channel 60? Or was something lost in copy and paste? What does this tell us? nmcli dev wifi list

[Lucas Kohorst]

@chili555 the 'chan' reading ended on channel 66. I copy and pasted that. I also updated my answer to show the output of the nmcli dev wifi list command

[Lucas Kohorst]

Now all of the wifi networks are visible! Thank you so much!