Wireless on SG-2440

dennypage

Okay, I'm frustrated…

Shinny new pfSense SG-2440 with wireless (WLE200NX / Atheros AR9280) running pfSense 2.2.1

I am absolutely unable to get the wireless to work. My current configuration is below, but I've tried all sorts of combinations. No matter what I do, I am unable to see the SSID in either my network scanner, my computer, or phone.

The only thing I see in the system log is an occasional "kernel: ath0: device timeout" which seems to be pretty common according to the forums.

I've included some Pertinent information below.

Any suggestions welcome...

Could it be a bad card?

Current configuration:

Standard: 802.11ng [I've also tried 802.11g and 802.11an]
Channel: 11 b/g/n 10 (2457 Mhz 30.0 / 30) [I've also tried various an settings as well]
Antenna settings: Auto & Auto [I've also tried Default & Default, #1 & #2]
Regulatory settings: FCC & United States (US, FCC) & Indoor [I've also tried combinations of Default & Default & Default/Anywhere]
Mode: Access Point
SSID: Test
Minimum Wireless Standard: Any
Enable WME: true
Hide SSID: False
WPA: Enable WPA
WPA Mode: WPA2
WPA Key Management: Pre-Shared Key
Authentication: Both
WPA Pairwise: Both
Key Rotation: 600
Master Key Regeneration 3600

–--

Output from ifconfig:

ath0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 2290
ether 04:f0:21:15:ea:80
nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11ng <hostap>status: running

ath0_wlan0: flags=8843 <up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>metric 0 mtu 1500
ether 04:f0:21:15:ea:80
inet6 fe80::6f0:21ff:fe15:ea80%ath0_wlan0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xa
inet 192.168.228.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.228.255
nd6 options=21 <performnud,auto_linklocal>media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect mode 11ng <hostap>status: running
ssid Test channel 10 (2457 MHz 11g ht/40-) bssid 04:f0:21:15:ea:80
regdomain FCC country US indoor ecm authmode WPA2/802.11i
privacy MIXED deftxkey 2 AES-CCM 2:128-bit txpower 30 scanvalid 60
protmode OFF ampdulimit 64k ampdudensity 8 shortgi wme burst -apbridge
dtimperiod 1 -dfs</hostap></performnud,auto_linklocal></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast></hostap></performnud,auto_linklocal></up,broadcast,running,simplex,multicast>

Guest

How about from your WebGUI under Status
Checkout >>Interfaces>>Your Wfi Interface
See if you have blockage or packets flowing

Also under Status on the WebGUI checkout Wireless. This gives you some more info,

I am attaching my setup to compare.

![interface status.jpg](/public/imported_attachments/1/interface status.jpg)
![interface status.jpg_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/interface status.jpg_thumb)
![status Wireless.jpg](/public/imported_attachments/1/status Wireless.jpg)
![status Wireless.jpg_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/status Wireless.jpg_thumb)

dennypage

The SSID doesn't appear, so there are no associations. Just one outbound packet:

Status up
MTU 1500
Media autoselect mode 11na <hostap>Channel 48
SSID Test
In/out packets 0/1 (0 bytes/96 bytes)
In/out packets (pass) 0/1 (0 bytes/96 bytes)
In/out packets (block) 0/0 (0 bytes/0 bytes)
In/out errors 0/1
Collisions 0</hostap>

stephenw10

Hmm, I've not tried those two pieces of hardware (yet!) but I have one running great in the APU.
Some things I found were:
To run any sort of 'N' mode you must have WME enabled, be using WPA and select a valid region. You look to have done that.
If you select a channel that isn't valid in your selected region you will get nothing, like you're seeing.
I never got NA mode to work but I don't have any 'A' devices to test with.
Do you have any crash reports?

Steve

dennypage

I've sent several in via the gui (and then deleted them).

My last crash was caused by simply changing the WPA PSK. :)

I saved the entire dump if you would care to have a look, but the most pertinent sections are:

show pcpu
cpuid = 0
dynamic pcpu = 0x638780
curthread = 0xfffff800034bb000: pid 0 "ath0 net80211 taskq"
curpcb = 0xfffffe0045628cc0
fpcurthread = none
idlethread = 0xfffff80003291000: tid 100003 "idle: cpu0"
curpmap = 0xffffffff8217a048
tssp = 0xffffffff82194f90
commontssp = 0xffffffff82194f90
rsp0 = 0xfffffe0045628cc0
gs32p = 0xffffffff821969e8
ldt = 0xffffffff82196a28
tss = 0xffffffff82196a18

db:0:kdb.enter.default> bt
Tracing pid 0 tid 100030 td 0xfffff800034bb000
__mtx_lock_sleep() at __mtx_lock_sleep+0x1a1/frame 0xfffffe0045628960
ieee80211_node_psq_drain() at ieee80211_node_psq_drain+0x50/frame 0xfffffe00456289b0
node_cleanup() at node_cleanup+0x75/frame 0xfffffe00456289e0
node_free() at node_free+0x25/frame 0xfffffe0045628a00
ieee80211_tx_complete() at ieee80211_tx_complete+0x2c/frame 0xfffffe0045628a20
ath_tx_draintxq() at ath_tx_draintxq+0x22/frame 0xfffffe0045628a60
ath_legacy_tx_drain() at ath_legacy_tx_drain+0xeb/frame 0xfffffe0045628ac0
ath_stop_locked() at ath_stop_locked+0x110/frame 0xfffffe0045628af0
ath_ioctl() at ath_ioctl+0x235/frame 0xfffffe0045628b30
taskqueue_run_locked() at taskqueue_run_locked+0xe5/frame 0xfffffe0045628b80
taskqueue_thread_loop() at taskqueue_thread_loop+0xa8/frame 0xfffffe0045628bb0
fork_exit() at fork_exit+0x9a/frame 0xfffffe0045628bf0
fork_trampoline() at fork_trampoline+0xe/frame 0xfffffe0045628bf0
–- trap 0, rip = 0, rsp = 0xfffffe0045628cb0, rbp = 0 ---

db:0:kdb.enter.default> alltrace
Tracing command ifconfig pid 71419 tid 100095 td 0xfffff80006c96000
sched_switch() at sched_switch+0x2b3/frame 0xfffffe00459c2760
mi_switch() at mi_switch+0xe1/frame 0xfffffe00459c27a0
sleepq_wait() at sleepq_wait+0x3a/frame 0xfffffe00459c27d0
_sleep() at _sleep+0x287/frame 0xfffffe00459c2850
taskqueue_drain() at taskqueue_drain+0xf9/frame 0xfffffe00459c2890
ieee80211_waitfor_parent() at ieee80211_waitfor_parent+0x28/frame 0xfffffe00459c28b0
ieee80211_ioctl() at ieee80211_ioctl+0x41b/frame 0xfffffe00459c2900
if_setlladdr() at if_setlladdr+0x1c2/frame 0xfffffe00459c2960
ifioctl() at ifioctl+0x1272/frame 0xfffffe00459c2a20
kern_ioctl() at kern_ioctl+0x255/frame 0xfffffe00459c2a90
sys_ioctl() at sys_ioctl+0x15b/frame 0xfffffe00459c2ae0
amd64_syscall() at amd64_syscall+0x351/frame 0xfffffe00459c2bf0
Xfast_syscall() at Xfast_syscall+0xfb/frame 0xfffffe00459c2bf0
--- syscall (54, FreeBSD ELF64, sys_ioctl), rip = 0x800fcc2ba, rsp = 0x7fffffffe438, rbp = 0x7fffffffe480 ---

Fatal trap 12: page fault while in kernel mode
cpuid = 0; apic id = 00
fault virtual address = 0x378
fault code = supervisor read data, page not present
instruction pointer = 0x20:0xffffffff80aa71b1
stack pointer = 0x28:0xfffffe00456288e0
frame pointer = 0x28:0xfffffe0045628960
code segment = base 0x0, limit 0xfffff, type 0x1b
= DPL 0, pres 1, long 1, def32 0, gran 1
processor eflags = interrupt enabled, resume, IOPL = 0
current process = 0 (ath0 net80211 taskq)

stephenw10

Hmm, interesting. Certainly looks at first glance to be some driver issue though it works flawlessly in the APU.
Are you able to try both miniPCIe slots?

Steve

dennypage

I'm a bit reluctant to open it up until I talk with the pfSense store folk.

I just had to do the install on Easter weekend… :)

stephenw10

Ah, OK it came with the card installed already?

These things are so new you guys have them before we do. ;)

Steve

dennypage

@stephenw10:

Ah, OK it came with the card installed already?

Correct.

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.