AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pali Rohár]

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Hi!

In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI wl1251 
chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which supports managed 
and ad-hoc modes.

For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
(wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode. But for 
wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is missing.

Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti wilink4 
wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, can you help?

I see that STA firmware was added into linux-firmware tree in year 2013 
by this pull request [2].

[1] - https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/ti-connectivity

[2] - http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1566500/focus=1571382

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@gmail.com

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Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Kalle Valo]

Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@gmail.com> writes:

> In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI wl1251 
> chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which supports managed 
> and ad-hoc modes.
>
> For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
> (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode. But for 
> wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is missing.
>
> Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti wilink4 
> wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, can you help?

It's a long time ago but IIRC wl1251 has not ever supported AP mode and
wl1271 was the first one to support it. But I might be wrong of course.

-- 
Kalle Valo

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pali Rohár]

On Monday 21 March 2016 12:35:32 Kalle Valo wrote:
> Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI wl1251 
> > chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which supports managed 
> > and ad-hoc modes.
> >
> > For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
> > (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode. But for 
> > wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is missing.
> >
> > Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti wilink4 
> > wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, can you help?
> 
> It's a long time ago but IIRC wl1251 has not ever supported AP mode and
> wl1271 was the first one to support it. But I might be wrong of course.

Support for AP mode in current kernel driver wl1251.ko is missing, but I
could try to write it if there will be firmware for it.

According to some TI whitepaper about TI wilink4 devices (wl1251 and
wl1253) those devices have support for some Soft-AP mode.

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@gmail.com

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pali Rohár]

On Sunday 20 March 2016 00:40:25 Pali Rohár wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI wl1251 
> chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which supports managed 
> and ad-hoc modes.
> 
> For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
> (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode. But for 
> wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is missing.
> 
> Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti wilink4 
> wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, can you help?
> 
> I see that STA firmware was added into linux-firmware tree in year 2013 
> by this pull request [2].
> 
> [1] - https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/tree/ti-connectivity
> 
> [2] - http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1566500/focus=1571382
> 

Hi! Anybody has some idea about that AP firmware?

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@gmail.com

RE: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Machani, Yaniv]

On Mon, Apr 04, 2016 at 15:39:44, Pali Rohár wrote:

> > In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI 
> > wl1251 chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which supports 
> > managed and ad-hoc modes.
> >
> > For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
> > (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode. But 
> > for
> > wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is missing.
> >
> > Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti wilink4
> > wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, can you help?
> >
> > I see that STA firmware was added into linux-firmware tree in year
> > 2013 by this pull request [2].
> >
> > [1] -
> > https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware
> > .g
> > it/tree/ti-connectivity
> >
> > [2] - 
> > http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1566500/focus=1571382
> >
> 
> Hi! Anybody has some idea about that AP firmware?
> 

Hi,
wl1251 does not support AP mode, so there is no firmware for it in the tree.

Regards,
Yaniv

> --
> Pali Rohár
> pali.rohar@gmail.com

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pali Rohár]

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On Wednesday 06 April 2016 13:30:22 Machani, Yaniv wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 04, 2016 at 15:39:44, Pali Rohár wrote:
> > > In linux-firmware repository [1] is missing AP firmware for TI
> > > wl1251 chip. There is only STA firmware wl1251-fw.bin which
> > > supports managed and ad-hoc modes.
> > > 
> > > For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files
> > > (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode.
> > > But for
> > > wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is
> > > missing.
> > > 
> > > Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti
> > > wilink4 wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI,
> > > can you help?
> > > 
> > > I see that STA firmware was added into linux-firmware tree in
> > > year 2013 by this pull request [2].
> > > 
> > > [1] -
> > > https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmw
> > > are .g
> > > it/tree/ti-connectivity
> > > 
> > > [2] -
> > > http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1566500/focus=1571382
> > 
> > Hi! Anybody has some idea about that AP firmware?
> 
> Hi,
> wl1251 does not support AP mode, so there is no firmware for it in
> the tree.
> 
> Regards,
> Yaniv

Hi Yaniv! I read on some TI whitepaper, that wl1251 hardware supports 
some Soft-AP mode. So I expect that either special FW is needed for it 
or somehow it is possible to use current released. Do you have any 
information about it?

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@gmail.com

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RE: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Machani, Yaniv]

On Wed, Apr 06, 2016 at 15:12:43, Pali Rohár wrote:
> > > > For other TI wilink chips there are <CHIP>-ap.bin firmware files 
> > > > (wl1271-fw-ap.bin and wl128x-fw-ap.bin) which support AP mode.
> > > > But for
> > > > wl1251 firmware file with guessed name "wl1251-fw-ap.bin" is 
> > > > missing.
> > > >
> > > > Do you have any idea what happened with AP firmware for ti
> > > > wilink4 wl1251 wifi chip? Or where can be found? Guys from TI, 
> > > > can you help?
> > > >
> > > > I see that STA firmware was added into linux-firmware tree in 
> > > > year
> > > > 2013 by this pull request [2].
> > > >
> > > > [1] -
> > > > https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firm
> > > > w
> > > > are .g
> > > > it/tree/ti-connectivity
> > > >
> > > > [2] -
> > > > http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1566500/focus=1571382
> > >
> > > Hi! Anybody has some idea about that AP firmware?
> >
> > Hi,
> > wl1251 does not support AP mode, so there is no firmware for it in 
> > the tree.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Yaniv
> 
> Hi Yaniv! I read on some TI whitepaper, that wl1251 hardware supports 
> some Soft-AP mode. So I expect that either special FW is needed for it 
> or somehow it is possible to use current released. Do you have any information about it?
> 
> --
> Pali Rohár
> pali.rohar@gmail.com

Hi Pali,
This must be some typo, the device does not support Soft-AP.
More than that, wl1251 family is not officially supported via the mainline Linux.
For Soft-AP, and other new features based on Linux you should use WiLink8 chip family.

Regards,
Yaniv

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Kalle Valo]

"Machani, Yaniv" <yanivma@ti.com> writes:

> More than that, wl1251 family is not officially supported via the
> mainline Linux.

I guess you mean not officially supported by TI? Because wl1251 driver
has been in mainline for ages and reportedly working.

-- 
Kalle Valo

RE: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Machani, Yaniv]

On Wed, Apr 06, 2016 at 22:07:39, Kalle Valo wrote:
> 
> > More than that, wl1251 family is not officially supported via the 
> > mainline Linux.
> 
> I guess you mean not officially supported by TI? Because wl1251 driver 
> has been in mainline for ages and reportedly working.
> 	
Correct.

Yaniv 
> --
> Kalle Valo

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pavel Machek]

Hi!

> > > wl1251 does not support AP mode, so there is no firmware for it in 
> > > the tree.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Yaniv
> > 
> > Hi Yaniv! I read on some TI whitepaper, that wl1251 hardware supports 
> > some Soft-AP mode. So I expect that either special FW is needed for it 
> > or somehow it is possible to use current released. Do you have any information about it?
> 
> Hi Pali,
> This must be some typo, the device does not support Soft-AP.
> More than that, wl1251 family is not officially supported via the mainline Linux.


> For Soft-AP, and other new features based on Linux you should use WiLink8 chip family.

Too late for that, we already have the devices, and they were manufactured quite long
time ago.

Is it "hardware can't do AP", "firmware can't do AP" or "current drivers 
do not support AP"?

Best regards,
									Pavel
-- 
(english) http://www.livejournal.com/~pavelmachek
(cesky, pictures) http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/picture/horses/blog.html

Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Pali Rohár]

On Sunday 10 April 2016 13:51:41 Pavel Machek wrote:
> Is it "hardware can't do AP", "firmware can't do AP" or "current drivers 
> do not support AP"?

We know that current linux TI wl1251.ko driver does not support AP. And
I'm still do not know if "hardware can do AP" or not. Also I'm not sure...
maybe current firmware can be "forced" for implementing AP mode.

David Gnedt implemented packet injection for wl1251.ko via JOIN firmware
command. And he wrote me that aircrack utils contains one application
which implementing full AP station in userspace just via packet
injection radiotap (which is supported by wl1251).

So maybe using other firmware (filter) commands together with current
packet injection implementation could be possible to create AP mode
(usable for standard hostapd daemon)? Just thinking...

Anyway, other TI wilink devices have different firmware for AP mode...

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@gmail.com

RE: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)

[Machani, Yaniv]

On Mon, Apr 11, 2016 at 14:41:18, Pali Rohár wrote:
> Mishol, Guy; Arik Nemtsov; Gery Kahn; Felipe Balbi; David Woodhouse; 
> Aaro Koskinen; Ben Hutchings; David Gnedt; Ivaylo Dimitrov; Sebastian 
> Reichel; Tony Lindgren; Menon, Nishanth; 
> linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org; netdev@vger.kernel.org; 
> linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
> Subject: Re: AP firmware for TI wl1251 wifi chip (wl1251-fw-ap.bin)
> 
> On Sunday 10 April 2016 13:51:41 Pavel Machek wrote:
> > Is it "hardware can't do AP", "firmware can't do AP" or "current 
> > drivers do not support AP"?
> 

As both Firmware and HW are not in a stage where they can be modified, there is no support for AP mode in both.

Regards,
Yaniv Machani