Can't enable the proprietary drivers for Broadcom BCM43142 wireless after installing Ubuntu 14.10? Offline package required?

Solution 1:

Do you still have the install USB or DVD? Insert it and drill down to pool > restricted > b > bcmwl and drag bcmwl-kernel-source to your desktop. Do the same with pool > main > d >dkms and drag dkms to you desktop. Then install:

cd ~/Desktop
sudo dpkg -i dkms*.deb
sudo dpkg -i bcmwl*.deb

Reboot and tell us if your wireless is working.

Solution 2:

I also have the same wifi driver and i too was unable to use the driver after a fresh install. I was not able to make an offline install, but here is another way your problem may be solved. Using USB tethering, you can use you mobile internet connection (you can use either wifi or data pack, any of them will do) to access the internet. I was able to install my driver using these commands

sudo apt-get install linux-firmware-nonfree
sudo apt-get update

this will build repositories, not all update is required. Then update the Ubuntu list of PCI.IDs:

sudo update-pciids

And finally install the driver

sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source

Before ubuntu 14 only one command was required to install the driver, but in ubuntu 16, these two things are required and initially internet is required:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source