martinw >> again thanks.
rfkill produces nothing at all, root or user. Why?
Fortunately I still have my paper copy of the earlier rfkill. It is
"ID TYPE DEVICE SOFT HARD
0 wlan phy0 unblocked blocked".
I suspect that FN F2 is my wifi switch because there is an aerial logo on the F2 key. Pressing that - often - seems to do nothing.
I have just had a deeper look at the Broadcom site and, yes, the Linux driver is dated in 2015. And I found and saved a 7 and a half page README file!
Broadcom's email is dated 10 July and headed "New or Updated 'Linux [R] STA 64-bit driver' is available". You and I can only see the 2015 effort!
They suggest (near top of page 2) "lspci -n | grep 14e4"; I get "04:00.0 0280: 14e4:4727 (rev 01)". The whole procedure sounds very complicated (kernel-devel, etc). I wouldn't know how to mess about with the kernel.
I have looked at the attempted wifi connection and get Broadcom error messages:
1. "Could not install the package (dkms-broadcom-wl, dkms-broadcom-wl)!";
2. "Some packages (broadcom-wl) are required but aren't available. These packages can be found in Mageia, or in the official non-free package repository. The following component is missing: wl. The required files can also be installed from this URL:
http://www.broadcom/support/802.11/linux-sta.php" [As you observed]
I have sidestepped Broadcom for years (since it never worked) so don't remember if these messages appeared in M6.
In MCC - Wireless. Select the network interface to configure:
1. Broadcom Inc. and subsidiaries BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter
2. Use a Windows-driver (with ndiswrapper).
For ages there was a third "network"? I used all the time; it has disappeared (in MCC). It might have been 'wlpOs29ulu4' - just discovered it is mentioned in active (the only wireless) interfaces on the Mageia desktop toolbar 'Active interfaces' menu option. Although I have a feeling it was another network.
On the desktop I am usually asked for my root password and then the Network box appears in the top-left corner; sometimes I am not asked for the password and the Network box has been disappearing. Sometimes rebooting helps me get on line but even that doesn't seem to work.
Where do we go from here please? Is it possible that the FN F2 key is not working? How are keyboards fixed?!
As ever, ethernet works perfectly.