I'm having a hell of a time getting devices to smoothly transition from one AP to another. All running OpenWRT 21.02, all with the same SSID and FT configured. FT actually works, but the network doesn't...
Something I learned about hostapd logging: you can turn on debug logging using
uci set wireless.radio0.log_level=1
but restarting hostapd (e.g. service hostapd restart) is not sufficient. I ended up doing service network restart and that finally regenerated the right config file so debug logging turned on.
The problem I'm having is that after my phone (pixel3a) switches to another AP it does not receive anything. It ARPs and pings (I'm running WifiMan signal mapper) and never receives a reply.
Here's what syslog says. Note "802.11: authentication OK (FT)". But 4 seconds after authenticating it disconnects and unless I'm misinterpreting something, that disconnect comes from the device.
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.err hostapd: nl80211: kernel reports: key addition failed
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: binding station to interface 'wlan1'
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: authentication OK (FT)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb MLME: MLME-AUTHENTICATE.indication(58:cb:52:38:a3:bb, FT)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: association OK (aid 2)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 2)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: AP-STA-CONNECTED 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb MLME: MLME-REASSOCIATE.indication(58:cb:52:38:a3:bb)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: binding station to interface 'wlan1'
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb WPA: event 6 notification
Fri Sep 9 11:00:28 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb WPA: FT authentication already completed - do not start 4
-way handshake
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: AP-STA-DISCONNECTED 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb WPA: event 3 notification
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.1X: unauthorizing port
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb MLME: MLME-DEAUTHENTICATE.indication(58:cb:52:38:a3:bb, 3
)
Fri Sep 9 11:00:32 2022 daemon.debug hostapd: wlan1: STA 58:cb:52:38:a3:bb MLME: MLME-DELETEKEYS.request(58:cb:52:38:a3:bb)
Fri Sep 9 11:01:00 2022 cron.err crond[1079]: USER root pid 2920 cmd /root/iwinfo_stations.sh
I've done tcpdumps on the AP and on my router and the router receives the ARP requests and replies but the replies never show up at the ethernet port of the AP. I have relatively old D-Link Gbit smart switches and I'm wondering whether they are messing something up. I'm now working my way through port mirroring on the switches to determine where the reply packets end up... I'm using VLANs which adds yet another wrinkle to everything...
If anyone has seen anything like this and has suggestions I'm all ear! I know it's slightly tangential to FT but it's still part of the larger picture of "does fast roaming from one AP to another work?"