Hostap mode

freebee

Image generated today.

Tested on a Alix board 2d13 (from pc engines) with dnma92 (Atheros AR9220) but different in dmesg ( ath0: <atheros 9280="">mem 0xe0080000-0xe008ffff irq 9 at device 12.0 on pci0 ).

In the OPT page (web admin - wireless interface), the access point mode is not accept (hostap). The page still asking for "Mode required". After edit config.xml in system changing from bss to hostap, works fine at g speeds.
IBSS do panic in kernel.</atheros>

voona

I noticed when selecting ad-hoc mode i get kernel panics as well. Only happens on the new 2.1 Version

torontob

I thought this card is supported. This sucks. I was excited about buying it from Alix MFG and none of the modes work. Here is what I get in ad-hoc mode:

Jan 26 17:34:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:35:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:36:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:37:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:38:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:39:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:40:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:41:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK
Jan 26 17:42:20 hostapd: ath0_wlan2: WPA rekeying GTK

Both Infrastructure and AccessPoint show no carrier. Using pfSense 2.1 and tried both in g and ng mode. Can someone please confirm if this is supported or not?

I am using two 5Ghz antsma5 with the card. Should that work with "n" only? or both g and n?

Thanks

jimp

Try one of the 2.1 images from here, see if it works there with newer drivers:
http://iserv.nl/files/pfsense/releng83/

torontob

Hi Jimp,

I tried a 2.1 image last week and that's the error I get from 2.1. Can you please confirm if this card is supported? FreeBSD seems to support the chip and its recognized but then not working. Doesn't make sense.

Thanks

databeestje

what image do you need?

torontob

databeestje: I am not sure. I am saying that the card is not working in the latest version either that I tried. Can you confirm if the card should work if it shows up in the interfaces section?

jimp: Did you say 2.1? or you meant 2.0.1. I checked the link you provided but there are no files there. I am using Alix so I will need nanobsd version.

Thanks

stephenw10

Looks like unfortunate timing. Your post at 14.51; file you need uploaded at 14.54!

http://iserv.nl/files/pfsense/releng83/i386/

Steve

Edit: Maybe not so close from your timezone. ::)

torontob

Thanks guys.

This developmental version is really cool. I like the IPv6, antena power settings, distance setting, AMAZING!!!

Here are my findings and questions now:
1- There is an upgrade image which I didn't download but under System Information on first page it tells me it's all updated. If I need to upgrade to that latest extra 65MBs, how should I do it? (Alix nanobsd here)

2- I setup in Access Point mode and I get "no carrier" and following system logs under wireless:
Apr 2 17:33:02 hostapd: ath0_wlan0: WPA rekeying GTK
Apr 2 17:33:42 hostapd: ath0_wlan0: IEEE 802.11 Fetching hardware channel/rate support not supported.

AND:
Apr 2 18:33:14 check_reload_status: Reloading filter
Apr 2 18:33:37 php: /status_interfaces.php: Deny router advertisements for interface opt2
Apr 2 18:33:39 kernel: ath0: unable to reset hardware; hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:41 kernel: ath0: ath_chan_set: unable to reset channel 1 (2412 MHz, flags 0x480), hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:45 kernel: ath0: ath_reset: unable to reset hardware; hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:45 kernel: ath0: ath_chan_set: unable to reset channel 6 (2437 MHz, flags 0x480), hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:49 kernel: ath0: ath_reset: unable to reset hardware; hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:49 kernel: ath0: ath_chan_set: unable to reset channel 11 (2462 MHz, flags 0x480), hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:51 kernel: ath0: ath_chan_set: unable to reset channel 7 (2442 MHz, flags 0x480), hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:53 kernel: ath0: ath_chan_set: unable to reset channel 2 (2417 MHz, flags 0x480), hal status 3
Apr 2 18:33:55 kernel: ath0: unable to reset hardware; hal status 3
Apr 2 18:34:06 php: /status_interfaces.php: The command '/sbin/dhclient -c /var/etc/dhclient_opt2.conf ath0_wlan0 > /tmp/ath0_wlan0_output > /tmp/ath0_wlan0_error_output' returned exit code '1', the output was ''
Apr 2 18:34:08 kernel: ath0: unable to reset hardware; hal status 3

Please guide.

Thanks,

wallabybob

@torontob:

1- There is an upgrade image which I didn't download but under System Information on first page it tells me it's all updated. If I need to upgrade to that latest extra 65MBs, how should I do it? (Alix nanobsd here)

One way is to go to System -> Firmware, click on Auto Update tab which won't do anything significant while the home page of your pfSense box says its on the latest version.

@torontob:

2- I setup in Access Point mode and I get "no carrier" and following system logs under wireless:

. . .
Please guide.

What particular variant of the Atheros WiFi chipset is in your card? (A starting point would be to provide the output of the pfSense shell command pciconf -l )

What WiFi mode are you trying to use (AP? Infrastructure?)

Are you trying to use 802.11n features?

torontob

One way is to go to System -> Firmware, click on Auto Update tab which won't do anything significant while the home page of your pfSense box says its on the latest version.

Since that doesn't work, is there another way? The firmware upgrade image is about 65MB and it's uploaded on 21st of the month while main image is from 19th. I am assuming there is a significant difference?!

What particular variant of the Atheros WiFi chipset is in your card? (A starting point would be to provide the output of the pfSense shell command pciconf -l )

It's an Atheros AR9220.

What WiFi mode are you trying to use (AP? Infrastructure?)

Both Access Point and Infrastructure yielded the same "no carrier" error.

Are you trying to use 802.11n features?

The card supports "n" but I tried "g" alone as well and same error of "no carrier" comes up. Same with "ng" mode as well.

wallabybob

@torontob:

What particular variant of the Atheros WiFi chipset is in your card? (A starting point would be to provide the output of the pfSense shell command pciconf -l )

It's an Atheros AR9220.

What reports the card as AR9220? the startup?

The output of the pfSense shell command pciconf -l could be helpful to identify the particular revision or variant of the "AR9220", not that I know that will be significant.

stephenw10

@torontob:

The firmware upgrade image is about 65MB and it's uploaded on 21st of the month while main image is from 19th. I am assuming there is a significant difference?!

Those images are all old now. The snapshot build server is back up and running you should use one of the images from there or manually update. Once you are on one of those images it will update from there.

You may simply be able to select the dev snaphots as your update URL in System: Firmware: Settings: otherwise look here:
http://snapshots.pfsense.org/

@torontob:

It's an Atheros AR9220.

This is interesting. As I understood it this card shouldn't work at all. It's supported by the new Atheros drivers but they are only in 9(head). Have they been backported? Or perhaps that's only 'n' support?

Steve

torontob

You may simply be able to select the dev snaphots as your update URL in System: Firmware: Settings: otherwise look here:
http://snapshots.pfsense.org/

I don't see any NANOBSD version here. Should I still update the URL to that? Of course I can't slap the full version onto Alix board.

This is interesting. As I understood it this card shouldn't work at all. It's supported by the new Atheros drivers but they are only in 9(head). Have they been backported? Or perhaps that's only 'n' support?

Well, it shows up all right and detected well but it doesn't work from there on. I bought this in hopes to have it working at least in "n" version. Are there any development going on for 9(head)?

Is there anything you can advise for me to test to see why the card is no supported or not working?

Thanks

stephenw10

There are full NanoBSD images:
http://snapshots.pfsense.org/FreeBSD_RELENG_8_3/i386/pfSense_HEAD/nanobsd/?C=M;O=D

and NanoBSD update files:
http://snapshots.pfsense.org/FreeBSD_RELENG_8_3/i386/pfSense_HEAD/updates/?C=M;O=D

Steve

torontob

Thanks stephenw10. But I am assuming that it won't help me if it's not FreeBSD 9 with this chip?

stephenw10

That's what I thought except that it's clearly working for you to some degree so either my earlier recollection was incorrect or the driver has since been backported.

Steve

torontob

This shows supported under HAL_4 in list of FreeBSD 8.

A bug is filed and fixed for this device. Probably same should be done for pfSense?

http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-bugs/2011-August/045242.html

Also, confirmed fix posted here:
http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-wireless/2011-September/000690.html

Thanks

stephenw10

Both of those are quite old, before 8.3 was branched from 8-stable. I would expect that code to be in already. However the first link is a kernel panic in 9beta running on Atheros CPU (MIPS?), not relevant here I think. The second link references -head which is also 9.
Where are you seeing this listed as supported by 8?

Steve

torontob

steve, you are right. Those two might be old.

Though here is the 8.1 supported device list:
http://www.freebsd.org/releases/8.1R/hardware.html#SUPPORT

Shows all Atheros supported except for a specific one which is not AR9220.

What is the deep down dirty way that I can check in SSH to see if it's really supported or not?
Results of: pciconf -l
ath0@pci0:0:12:0: class=0x028000 card=0x2096168c chip=0x0029168c rev=0x01 hdr=0x00

Using the latest developmental image, in Access mode (b/g), I can see "up" but "n" shows "no carrier". Despite showing up in b and g mode, I can't see the SSID though when I search for it. Could it be due to my 5Mhz antennas?

Thanks