Master mode in iw

Master mode in iw

[Mark Ryden]

Hello,

I have a question about the iw: is it possible to
set with it an interface to be in master mode ? (as in the case of
Access Point)

I had git cloned the sources according to the URL from
http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/iw; and as far
as I understand from the code, it is not implemented yet. It will only
display when an interface is in master mode (but you cannot set to master mode).

I want to verify this point and ask if there is an inhernet reason for
not implementing this (setting other modes,
like mesh and monitor, is implemented). Or is it simply on the to-do list ?

Regards,
Mark

Re: Master mode in iw

[Kalle Valo]

Mark Ryden <markryde@gmail.com> writes:

> Hello,

Hello,

> I have a question about the iw: is it possible to
> set with it an interface to be in master mode ? (as in the case of
> Access Point)
>
> I had git cloned the sources according to the URL from
> http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/iw; and as far
> as I understand from the code, it is not implemented yet. It will only
> display when an interface is in master mode (but you cannot set to master mode).
>
> I want to verify this point and ask if there is an inhernet reason for
> not implementing this (setting other modes,
> like mesh and monitor, is implemented). Or is it simply on the to-do list ?

You have to use hostapd. See earlier mails in this list for more
information.

-- 
Kalle Valo

Re: Master mode in iw

[Mark Ryden]

Hello,
Thanks for you quick response.
I know that I can set master mode with hostapd.

My question is - is there something inherent which
prevents implementing it with "iw"?
When comparing to the old set of tools, which includes
iwconifg,
"iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some interfaces.

Regards,
Mark


On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 12:57 PM, Kalle Valo <kalle.valo@nokia.com> wrote:
> Mark Ryden <markryde@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Hello,
>
> Hello,
>
>> I have a question about the iw: is it possible to
>> set with it an interface to be in master mode ? (as in the case of
>> Access Point)
>>
>> I had git cloned the sources according to the URL from
>> http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/iw; and as far
>> as I understand from the code, it is not implemented yet. It will only
>> display when an interface is in master mode (but you cannot set to master mode).
>>
>> I want to verify this point and ask if there is an inhernet reason for
>> not implementing this (setting other modes,
>> like mesh and monitor, is implemented). Or is it simply on the to-do list ?
>
> You have to use hostapd. See earlier mails in this list for more
> information.
>
> --
> Kalle Valo
>

Re: Master mode in iw

[Johannes Berg]

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On Thu, 2008-11-13 at 13:49 +0200, Mark Ryden wrote:
> Hello,
> Thanks for you quick response.
> I know that I can set master mode with hostapd.
> 
> My question is - is there something inherent which
> prevents implementing it with "iw"?
> When comparing to the old set of tools, which includes
> iwconifg,
> "iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some interfaces.

Yes, the interface will do _nothing_ if you don't use hostapd.

johannes

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Re: Master mode in iw

[Kalle Valo]

Mark Ryden <markryde@gmail.com> writes:

> Thanks for you quick response. I know that I can set master mode
> with hostapd.
>
> My question is - is there something inherent which prevents
> implementing it with "iw"? When comparing to the old set of tools,
> which includes iwconifg, "iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some
> interfaces.

Just guessing, but most probably because there are no drivers which
use nl80211 and support AP mode without hostapd, so nobody hasn't
bothered to implement it, yet.

-- 
Kalle Valo

Re: Master mode in iw

[Johannes Berg]

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On Thu, 2008-11-13 at 13:56 +0200, Kalle Valo wrote:
> Mark Ryden <markryde@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > Thanks for you quick response. I know that I can set master mode
> > with hostapd.
> >
> > My question is - is there something inherent which prevents
> > implementing it with "iw"? When comparing to the old set of tools,
> > which includes iwconifg, "iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some
> > interfaces.
> 
> Just guessing, but most probably because there are no drivers which
> use nl80211 and support AP mode without hostapd, so nobody hasn't
> bothered to implement it, yet.

And there never will be since we don't want the whole AP MLME in the
kernel regardless of the driver.

johannes

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Re: Master mode in iw

[Kalle Valo]

Johannes Berg <johannes@sipsolutions.net> writes:

>> > My question is - is there something inherent which prevents
>> > implementing it with "iw"? When comparing to the old set of tools,
>> > which includes iwconifg, "iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some
>> > interfaces.
>> 
>> Just guessing, but most probably because there are no drivers which
>> use nl80211 and support AP mode without hostapd, so nobody hasn't
>> bothered to implement it, yet.
>
> And there never will be since we don't want the whole AP MLME in the
> kernel regardless of the driver.

Actually I was thinking about fullmac hardware which support AP mode.
In theory we might need to support those, but I guess in practise
there hasn't been, nor ever will be, such hardware. I'll just shut up
now :)

-- 
Kalle Valo

Re: Master mode in iw

[Stefanik Gábor]

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Kalle Valo <kalle.valo@nokia.com> wrote:
> Johannes Berg <johannes@sipsolutions.net> writes:
>
>>> > My question is - is there something inherent which prevents
>>> > implementing it with "iw"? When comparing to the old set of tools,
>>> > which includes iwconifg, "iwconfig wlan0 mode Master" works on some
>>> > interfaces.
>>>
>>> Just guessing, but most probably because there are no drivers which
>>> use nl80211 and support AP mode without hostapd, so nobody hasn't
>>> bothered to implement it, yet.
>>
>> And there never will be since we don't want the whole AP MLME in the
>> kernel regardless of the driver.
>
> Actually I was thinking about fullmac hardware which support AP mode.
> In theory we might need to support those, but I guess in practise
> there hasn't been, nor ever will be, such hardware. I'll just shut up
> now :)
>
> --
> Kalle Valo
> --
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>

I doubt that any fullmac hardware should have a mac80211-based driver...

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Re: Master mode in iw

[Michael Buesch]

On Friday 14 November 2008 14:39:50 Stefanik G=E1bor wrote:
> I doubt that any fullmac hardware should have a mac80211-based driver=
=2E..

nl80211 is not limited to mac80211.

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Re: Master mode in iw

[John W. Linville]

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 02:39:50PM +0100, Stefanik G=E1bor wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Kalle Valo <kalle.valo@nokia.com> wr=
ote:

> > Actually I was thinking about fullmac hardware which support AP mod=
e.
> > In theory we might need to support those, but I guess in practise
> > there hasn't been, nor ever will be, such hardware. I'll just shut =
up
> > now :)

> I doubt that any fullmac hardware should have a mac80211-based driver=
=2E..

cfg80211 !=3D mac80211

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linville@tuxdriver.com			of your literate lifestyle.
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Re: Master mode in iw

[Stefanik Gábor]

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 3:19 PM, John W. Linville
<linville@tuxdriver.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 02:39:50PM +0100, Stefanik G=E1bor wrote:
>> On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Kalle Valo <kalle.valo@nokia.com> w=
rote:
>
>> > Actually I was thinking about fullmac hardware which support AP mo=
de.
>> > In theory we might need to support those, but I guess in practise
>> > there hasn't been, nor ever will be, such hardware. I'll just shut=
 up
>> > now :)
>
>> I doubt that any fullmac hardware should have a mac80211-based drive=
r...
>
> cfg80211 !=3D mac80211
>
> --
> John W. Linville                Linux should be at the core
> linville@tuxdriver.com                  of your literate lifestyle.
>

But is cfg80211 supposed to be used for completely-fullmac cards that
do AP in hardware?

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Re: Master mode in iw

[Michael Buesch]

On Friday 14 November 2008 15:35:48 Stefanik G=E1bor wrote:
> But is cfg80211 supposed to be used for completely-fullmac cards that
> do AP in hardware?

it's supposed to be a replacement for wext.

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Re: Master mode in iw

[Johannes Berg]

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On Fri, 2008-11-14 at 15:35 +0100, Stefanik Gábor wrote:

> But is cfg80211 supposed to be used for completely-fullmac cards that
> do AP in hardware?

I very much hope that such cards will never exist, or at least will have
a mode where everything is done by the host software in which case the
driver will be using that mode. Everything else is plain stupid anyway,
with all the new amendments coming out all the time.

johannes

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