[SOLVED] Master mode on AR928X using ath9k driver.

Jophish · 09-18-2009, 02:33 PM

Hi all

EDIT
Turns out I was running a really old version of ath9k. compiling the newest version worked great.
/EDIT

I am trying to get my wireless card working in master mode. I am running Jaunty server 2.6.28-11 x86_64.
I have compiled hostapd with nl80211 enabled. The interface is using ath9k.

I have tried to compile compat-wireless with this patch. However IEEE80211_IF_TYPE_AP was undefined along with IEEE80211_IF_TYPE_VLAN. In addition the latest version of compat-wireless needs to be patched for kernels < 2.6.31 with this. However when using this patch IRQ_WAKE_THREAD is still undefined.

I have got to this message:

Code:

$ sudo hostapd /home/jophish/.hostapd.conf 
Configuration file: /home/jophish/.hostapd.conf
Failed to set interface wlan0 to master mode.
nl80211 driver initialization failed.
ELOOP: remaining socket: sock=5 eloop_data=0xe05040 user_data=(nil) handler=0x433350

.hostapd.conf:

Code:

interface=wlan0
driver=nl80211
ssid=Testnet
channel=1
hw_mode=g
auth_algs=1
wpa=3
wpa_passphrase=1234567890
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
wpa_pairwise=TKIP CCMP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP

Thanks

Joe

Some useful information:

$ sudo lshw -C Network

Code:

  *-network               
       description: Ethernet interface
       product: MCP79 Ethernet
       vendor: nVidia Corporation
       physical id: a
       bus info: pci@0000:00:0a.0
       logical name: eth0
       version: b1
       serial: 00:01:2e:27:58:15
       size: 100MB/s
       capacity: 1GB/s
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 66MHz
       capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
       configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=forcedeth driverversion=0.61 duplex=full ip=192.168.0.3 latency=0 link=yes maxlatency=20 mingnt=1 module=forcedeth multicast=yes port=MII speed=100MB/s
  *-network DISABLED
       description: Wireless interface
       product: AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express)
       vendor: Atheros Communications Inc.
       physical id: 0
       bus info: pci@0000:04:00.0
       logical name: wmaster0
       version: 01
       serial: 00:25:d3:3d:9b:19
       width: 64 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix bus_master cap_list logical ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ath9k latency=0 module=ath9k multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bgn

$ dmesg | grep -e ath -e wlan

Code:

[   15.371737] ath9k: 0.1
[   15.373213] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LN3A] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
[   15.373232] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[   15.800779] phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'ath9k_rate_control'
[   15.842715] Registered led device: ath9k-phy0:radio
[   15.842758] Registered led device: ath9k-phy0:assoc
[   15.842796] Registered led device: ath9k-phy0:tx
[   15.842833] Registered led device: ath9k-phy0:rx
[ 3704.324281] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[ 6377.225165] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[67178.380725] ath_hal: module license 'Proprietary' taints kernel.
[67178.383995] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[67178.415378] wlan: 0.9.4
[67178.434237] ath_pci: 0.9.4
[67189.736303] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[67617.963271] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[68301.016316] ath_pci: driver unloaded
[68306.091446] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[68306.091527] ath9k: driver unloaded
[68316.125010] ath_hal: driver unloaded
[68355.378628] ath9k: 0.1
[68355.378715] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LN3A] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
[68355.378732] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[68355.812298] phy1: Selected rate control algorithm 'ath9k_rate_control'
[68355.814239] Registered led device: ath9k-phy1:radio
[68355.814304] Registered led device: ath9k-phy1:assoc
[68355.814358] Registered led device: ath9k-phy1:tx
[68355.814420] Registered led device: ath9k-phy1:rx
[71192.024009] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A disabled
[71192.024096] ath9k: driver unloaded
[71208.671421] ath_hal: 0.9.18.0 (AR5210, AR5211, AR5212, RF5111, RF5112, RF2413, RF5413)
[71208.687656] ath_pci: 0.9.4
[71232.363604] ath_pci: driver unloaded
[71236.845164] ath9k: 0.1
[71236.845261] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LN3A] -> GSI 19 (level, low) -> IRQ 19
[71236.845282] ath9k 0000:04:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[71237.277830] phy2: Selected rate control algorithm 'ath9k_rate_control'
[71237.279894] Registered led device: ath9k-phy2:radio
[71237.279949] Registered led device: ath9k-phy2:assoc
[71237.280065] Registered led device: ath9k-phy2:tx
[71237.280131] Registered led device: ath9k-phy2:rx
[72341.584129] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready

$ iwconfig

Code:

lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wmaster0  no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11bgn  ESSID:""  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated   
          Tx-Power=20 dBm   
          Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2352 B   
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

$ sudo iwconfig wlan0 mode master

Code:

Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
    SET failed on device wlan0 ; Invalid argument.

archtoad6 · 10-26-2010, 06:05 AM

Thanks for posting the solution. That's the LQ spirit.

A suggestion for the future: If you answer your own question, put the solution in a separate post; this does 2 good things:

It generates e-mail to anyone who subscribed to either the thread or the forum.
In avoids the creation of oxymoronic 0-reply solved threads.