Wireless on SG-2440

dennypage

Okay, after a few dozen more tests…

I've learned that to get consistent results, I need to make the changes in the interface, halt the system, and remove the power cord for a few seconds.

Here is where I am at as a baseline:

Persist common settings off
Standard 802.11ng
Protection mode off
Channel 11b/g/n
Transmit antennas auto and auto
Regulatory domain FCC
Country United States (US, FCC)
Location indoor
Mode Access Point
SSID Test
Minimum wireless standard Any
Enable WME on
Enable WEP off
Enable WPA off

With this configuration, the system will boot. The Status->Wireless page will show several other APs within reach. Based on this, I assume that the PCIe connection is functional.

The AP Test does not show up as advertised on the wifi scanner. Nor can it be joined.

If I change the mode to Ad-hoc without removing the SSID, the system will crash on boot.
If I change the mode to Ad-hoc but change the SSID to blank, the system will boot.

doktornotor

Did you try to run some Linux on it to check whether the wifi works at all?

dennypage

@doktornotor:

Did you try to run some Linux on it to check whether the wifi works at all?

I'm not sure I understand the question.

Are you asking if I've installed Linux on the pfSense hardware as a test? If so, then no I haven't.

doktornotor

Yeah… that's exactly what I'm asking.

Guest

Just for testing have you tried creating an Access Point without WPA or WPA2, just to eliminate WPA supplicant as a culprit?

Also under System Logs>>Wireless what does it show??

stephenw10

You will need to have WPA enabled to create an AP with 'ng' mode selected as I understand it.

Steve

dennypage

@Phishfry:

Just for testing have you tried creating an Access Point without WPA or WPA2, just to eliminate WPA supplicant as a culprit?

Yes, in G mode.

Guest

What about the Wireless>>System Logs, anything these usable for hostapd diagnosing?

dennypage

@Phishfry:

What about the Wireless>>System Logs, anything these usable for hostapd diagnosing?

Nope, just rekey messages.

Guest

Just for the record, WPA/2 is not required for AP mode, in G or NG/NA mode. I just tested to ensure nothing changed. I know some field verification was added for ease of setup in wireless.
In fact WAP is not checked by default.

doktornotor

For N, you need either WPA2 or no authentication whatsoever. WEP/WPA not supported.

Guest

Well I may not have been much help but i had to ask some of those basic questions..
Good luck, i am sure the support crew will get you going in no time.

stephenw10

Yeah, even if you choose wpa or both if you check the encryption used it's wpa2.

Steve

dennypage

At a minimum, it would appear that pfSense isn't invoking ifconfig correctly:

Even with a standard of 11na and channel 36 specified in the config, ifconfig ath0_wlan0 reports

media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11b <hostap>An explicit call to ifconfig specifying channel 36 will result in

media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11na <hostap></hostap></hostap>

dennypage

My current config if it helps:

<opt2><if>ath0</if>
<wireless><standard>11na</standard>
<mode>hostap</mode>
<protmode>off</protmode>
<ssid>Test</ssid>
<channel>36</channel>
<authmode><txpower><distance><regdomain>fcc</regdomain>
<regcountry>US</regcountry>
<reglocation>indoor</reglocation>
<auth_server_addr><auth_server_port><auth_server_shared_secret><auth_server_addr2><auth_server_port2><auth_server_shared_secret2><wme><enable></enable></wme>
<txantenna>0</txantenna>
<rxantenna>0</rxantenna>
<wpa><macaddr_acl><auth_algs>1</auth_algs>
<wpa_mode>2</wpa_mode>
<wpa_key_mgmt>WPA-PSK</wpa_key_mgmt>
<wpa_pairwise>CCMP</wpa_pairwise>
<wpa_group_rekey>60</wpa_group_rekey>
<wpa_gmk_rekey>3600</wpa_gmk_rekey>
<passphrase><ext_wpa_sw></ext_wpa_sw></passphrase></macaddr_acl></wpa>
<puren><enable></enable></puren></auth_server_shared_secret2></auth_server_port2></auth_server_addr2></auth_server_shared_secret></auth_server_port></auth_server_addr></distance></txpower></authmode></wireless>
<enable><spoofmac><ipaddr>192.168.228.1</ipaddr>
<subnet>24</subnet></spoofmac></enable></opt2>

Guest

The SG-2440 is rarely pretty new on the market and not so many peoples get their hands on
but often if more then 2 or 3 miniPCIe slot where soldered on the board on is only for setting
up an mSATA in it, because this ports is assigned to an SATA interface, could this be perhaps?

So if so you might be only changing the miniPCIe WiFi card to another miniPCIe slot and all
is fine then. ;)

cmb

@dennypage:

At a minimum, it would appear that pfSense isn't invoking ifconfig correctly:

It's set correctly, but there is a bug in the FreeBSD wireless bits with specifying mode. Related to: https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4517

In 2.2.2, there is an option "auto" for standard, which leaves it unspecified. That will work around the issue you're showing there. We have a FreeBSD bug report opened on that. Though I've never seen that affect hostap mode.

The only difference I see in your config and what I've been testing with is setting the regdomain, country and location, where I left mine to defaults. I'll try that exact config you have there.

dennypage

With this config I get a continual reboot/crash/reboot/crash cycle.

<opt2><if>ath0</if>
<wireless><standard>11na</standard>
<mode>hostap</mode>
<protmode>off</protmode>
<ssid>Test</ssid>
<channel>36</channel>
<authmode><txpower><distance><regdomain><regcountry><reglocation><auth_server_addr><auth_server_port><auth_server_shared_secret><auth_server_addr2><auth_server_port2><auth_server_shared_secret2><wme><enable></enable></wme>
<wpa><macaddr_acl><auth_algs>1</auth_algs>
<wpa_mode>2</wpa_mode>
<wpa_key_mgmt>WPA-PSK</wpa_key_mgmt>
<wpa_pairwise>CCMP</wpa_pairwise>
<wpa_group_rekey>60</wpa_group_rekey>
<wpa_gmk_rekey>3600</wpa_gmk_rekey>
<passphrase><ext_wpa_sw></ext_wpa_sw></passphrase></macaddr_acl></wpa>
<puren><enable></enable></puren></auth_server_shared_secret2></auth_server_port2></auth_server_addr2></auth_server_shared_secret></auth_server_port></auth_server_addr></reglocation></regcountry></regdomain></distance></txpower></authmode></wireless>
<enable><spoofmac><ipaddr>192.168.228.1</ipaddr>
<subnet>24</subnet></spoofmac></enable></opt2>

If I change the two lines:

Then the unit will successfully boot.

I still have the crash report if you would like.

cmb

I worked with Denny via support to check this out on his system. Of the few configs that crash his system, and the other few that don't crash but don't work at all either, all of them work just fine for me here on the same hardware with no crashes. So seems this is a hardware issue of some sort with his system and we're facilitating a return. I'll take a look at the box when we get it back to further investigate the specific root cause. I'm guessing it's a bad wifi card but we'll see.

dennypage

Once again, thanks for taking the time Chris.