Iwd: unable to start AP with NXP 88W9098 chipset

Joao Marcos Costa
2023-12-21T15:46:51Z

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)

- 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.

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.