Re: Iwd: unable to start AP with NXP 88W9098 chipset

[James Prestwood <prestwoj@gmail.com>]

Hi Joao,

On 12/21/23 7:46 AM, Joao Marcos Costa wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I hope this email finds you well.
>
> I'm currently facing what seems to be the very same bug reported at 
> https://lore.kernel.org/iwd/AM7PR01MB67244F63EBEAB9A65D965BEAADC69@AM7PR01MB6724.eurprd01.prod.exchangelabs.com/
>
> As for my own context, I'm using:
>
> - Ublox wifi module Jody-W377-00A
>
> - IWD v1.26 (from meta-openembedded)
This is quite an old version, there have been many changes to AP mode 
since then.
>
> - Linux v6.1.68 (x86_64)
>
> - NXP Wi-Fi driver for NXP 88W9098 chipset, from 
> github.com/nxp-imx/mwifiex (branch=lf-6.1.55_2.2.0)
>
> I followed the steps in https://iwd.wiki.kernel.org/ap_mode, and this 
> is the error I get in my iwctl console:
>
> # iwctl
> NetworkConfigurationEnabled: enabled
> StateDirectory: /var/lib/iwd
> Version: 1.26
> [iwd]# device muap0 set-property Mode ap
> [iwd]# device list
> Devices                                   *
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>
>   Name                Address             Powered   Adapter Mode
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>
>   uap0                62:09:c3:80:9b:1d   on        mwiphy0 ap
>   mlan0              60:09:c3:80:9a:1d   on        mwiphy0 station
>   muap0             62:09:c3:80:9b:1e   on        mwiphy1 ap
>   mmlan0           60:09:c3:80:9a:1e   on        mwiphy1 station
> [iwd]# ap list
>                           Devices in Access Point 
> Mode                        *
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>
>   Name                Started
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>
>   uap0                no
>   muap0             no
>
> [iwd]# ap muap0 start-profile testap
> [iwd]# [22444.663032] wlan: Starting AP
> [22444.668197] fw doesn't support 11ax
> [22444.674130] CMD_RESP: cmd 0xb1 error, result=0x1
> [22444.679286] IOCTL failed: 00000000ae152881 id=0x20000, 
> sub_id=0x20001 action=1, status_code=0x1
> [22444.689145] woal_cfg80211_add_beacon: start uap failed
> Operation failed
>
> My /var/lib/iwd/ap/testap.ap file is identical to the one provided in 
> the Wiki, and as for my main.conf:
>
> ---
>
> [General]
> EnableNetworkConfiguration=true
> UseDefaultInterface=true
>
> [Network]
>
> [Scan]
> DisablePeriodicScan=true
>
> ---
>
> I tried adding Country=FR and ControlPortOverNL80211=false, but 
> without any success.
>
> I also added DisableHT=true in the testap.ap file later on, but the 
> result was the same.
This is a more recent option. I have a feeling if you updated IWD and 
set DisableHT it would work.
>
> However, I was able to start the Access Point using hostapd, and it 
> worked fine.
>
> I can provide you with my hostapd.conf, if you find it pertinent.
>
>
> Since referencing the original thread, are there any updates?
>
> Has anyone else encountered a similar issue? Even if the chipset is 
> not precisely the same.
>
> Please feel free to ask for logs or other unmentioned details, and 
> thank you for your assistance.

When helping  Salahaldeen in the original thread I remember that 
hardware being extremely flaky. It would start sometimes and not others, 
and if it failed once it would need a full reboot to get it working 
again. Even with hostapd if I used an option it didn't like it required 
a full reboot to get it going again.

IIRC there was also some success on one of the interfaces but not the 
others. If you could provide some IWD debug logs too that would be 
great, and might as well show the hostapd configuration that works as well.

Thanks,

James