[ath9k-devel] ath9k in wireless-testing won't work in AP mode

[Pavel Roskin <proski@gnu.org>]

Hello

ath9k in wireless-testing won't work in AP mode.  Stations fail to
associate:

# hostapd /etc/hostapd/wlan13.conf
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/wlan13.conf
Using interface wlan13 with hwaddr 00:15:6d:84:1f:37 and ssid 'mike2'
wlan13: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: did not acknowledge
authentication response
AP-STA-DISCONNECTED 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88
Could not set station 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 flags for kernel driver
(errno=11).
wlan13: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: disassociated
wlan13: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated due to
inactivity
Failed to remove interface (ifidx=0).

Everything is fine with rt73usb on the same system with the same client:

# hostapd /etc/hostapd/wlan5.conf
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/wlan5.conf
Using interface wlan5 with hwaddr 00:11:6b:39:40:19 and ssid 'mike2'
wlan5: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: authenticated
wlan5: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 1)
AP-STA-CONNECTED 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88
wlan5: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 RADIUS: starting accounting session
4B636488-00000000
wlan5: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)

The only difference between wlan13.conf and wlan5.conf is the interface
name.  The client runs MadWifi.  With ath9k on the client side things
look even weirder on the AP side:

# hostapd /etc/hostapd/wlan13.conf
Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/wlan13.conf
Using interface wlan13 with hwaddr 00:15:6d:84:1f:37 and ssid 'mike2'
wlan13: STA 00:17:c4:3b:fc:88 IEEE 802.11: did not acknowledge
authentication response
unknown mgmt cb frame subtype 10

Things are still OK with rt73usb on the AP side if the client uses
ath9k.

hostapd is current from the hostap git (essentially version 0.7.1 with a
few more changes).  The AP is an x86_64 PC with the current kernel from
wireless-testing.

I haven't used ath9k in AP mode for a long time if ever, so I don't know
when it broke.

I guess I'll need to look in Wireshark if the authentication response is
indeed acknowledged by the station, but I won't have time for that soon.

-- 
Regards,
Pavel Roskin