Adding OpenWrt support for Xiaomi AX3600 (Part 1)

joba-1 · 2021-07-14T08:37:49.386Z

sure, here are my notes:

after first compile (to have a build_dir) ...

* menuconfig -> kernel modules -> wireless -> ath10k small buffers
* build_dir/toolchain-aarch64_cortex-a53_gcc-8.4.0_musl/linux-5.10.46/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath11k/hw.h(67): #define ATH11K_QUEUE_LEN 2048 (from 4096)

do you know (could you tell me) how to make a proper patch out of this #define?

FYI: I did not exactly verify in source what difference changing ATH11K_QUEUE_LEN makes for memory allocation. It just looked promising at first and second glance and my (not so statistically relevant) test on two devices looked promising.

Strange enough, the AP that does not run the DHCP/DNS and has less attached stations uses a bit more memory on average. Go figure...

foxium2 · 2021-07-14T09:43:17.367Z

Bladiebla:

I can connect to the AP, but I can't get any traffic in or out.

Could this potentially be the same problem described in this thread?

Roaming Issues Xiaomi AX3600 Installing and Using OpenWrt

Hi, I have two "dumb" openwrt APs (Xiaomi AX3600) connected with a LAN. No WAN, VLAN or firewall. Both APs have one ath10k (only 2.4 GHz used) and one ath11k (2.4 and 5 GHz used). While ultimately I want to roam between ath11k 2.4 and 5 GHz with one SSID, currently they are two separate SSIDs. All are in the same IP4 subnet (for now IPV6 is disabled as far as I could do that). One AP is the DHCP- and DNS-server of the LAN. When I move a device from one AP to the other, it usually takes a ve…

Bladiebla · 2021-07-14T09:53:23.260Z

It could... it appears to be relatively stable now all of a sudden, but especially:

the AX3600 configured as a dumb AP where sometimes WLAN clients can't get any access to LAN for the first few minutes after they associate

Sounds highly plausible. Once I experience it again, I'll use my Android phone with ever changing MAC-address to connect to the AP and check if it's able to connect right away.

labrok · 2021-07-14T11:53:31.134Z

Guys i have an importand question, i have this Router and i am totally dissapointed by its firmware which seems to have been stucked for 10 months in this 3.0.22 buggy as hell version (no port forwarding on lan, pihole is not working at all with it i, FTL service shut down due to huge trafic caused by the buggy xiaomi factory firmware!) and i am sure Xiaomi will not ever fix them, especially the pihole issues (i am sure they want eliminate pihole usability) So i am asking : will it ever get a custom firmware like any other Router loaded by the web interface without all those downgrades and extreme dangerous solutions? or to sell it to someone who want it for just simple jobs? Thank you

castiel652 · 2021-07-14T12:25:15.620Z

Don't think it will ever get a easy flash method.
Besides we are still far from making it upstream.

dspalu32 · 2021-07-14T12:46:04.815Z

I've seen some odd temporary blockages too, but didn't imagine they were AX3600-specific - rather maybe a bug in SNAPSHOT, my setup, or ath11k driver snapshot in general.

I have AX3600 #1 in a cupboard acting as a WAN router, DHCP server, plugged into a wired NAS and having a 5GHz (ath11k) WDS master linking to AX3600 #2 in the living area with all the actual wireless clients. This setup worked OK on Archer C7s for years.

All LAN & WLAN segments are simply bridged in br-lan.

I've definitely seen situations where a wireless client on AP #2 can't ping the NAS, but can ping the AP #1 and access the WAN OK. In this situation, remaining connected to AP #2, I've ssh'd to AP #1, then ssh'd to the NAS and the instant I ping the wireless client from the NAS everything starts working and remains good. I'm no expert, but it seems that ARP broadcast/response is failing.

Most of the time it all works OK even from cold boot. This doesn't seem to be a static trunking/bridge configuration issue.

Ansuel · 2021-07-14T13:54:32.478Z

can you find where the info about the firmware was mentioned ?

castiel652 · 2021-07-14T14:10:48.866Z

This commit
ath11k: remove WAR for xmit callback when hwencap enable

Ansuel · 2021-07-14T15:09:55.767Z

and the current firmware we have is

castiel652 · 2021-07-14T15:12:07.599Z

WLAN.HK.2.4.0.1-01746 uploaded in May

dchard · 2021-07-15T07:40:59.721Z

Hm... I knew I have seen something similar with higher tier MTK radios:

github.com/openwrt/mt76

mt76: reduce rx buffer size to 2048

committed 03:13PM - 09 Jun 21 UTC

LorenzoBianconi

+10 -19

Reduce rx buffer size to 2048 for mt7921/mt7915/mt7615 since we now support rx a…msdu offload Signed-off-by: Lorenzo Bianconi <lorenzo@kernel.org> Signed-off-by: Felix Fietkau <nbd@nbd.name>

@Ansuel Can there be a relation?

castiel652 · 2021-07-15T07:43:26.676Z

Probably not a good idea until encap/decap offload is working?

dchard · 2021-07-15T08:15:30.308Z

That is why I asked Ansuel I assume noone has access to the FW variant mentioned in that commit. (WLAN.HK.2.5.0.1-00844) nor has an expected release date...

labrok · 2021-07-15T08:36:11.478Z

the problem is that all these chinese companies had a good advertising team and forced us to buy products with zero support and the companies not even care about them, i am sure that ax 3600 in its factory firmware have hidden algorithms witch download ads , kills adblocks and send private infos back to China,i also beleive that they will never allow us to load their products with custom firmwares, these dirty practices are happenenig to both xiaomi and huawei, Routers and phones, i think its time for all of us to move away from such practices!!

joba-1 · 2021-07-15T08:39:06.814Z

The define I changed is used in just one location (in mac.c):

    ar->hw->wiphy->tx_queue_len = ATH11K_QUEUE_LEN;

Seems to be TX, not RX.

Either way, I expect a too small queue to end up in packet loss and I'd rather accept lost packages during high (or even moderate) traffic over out of memory conditions. Lost packages are usually retransmitted automatically while oom usually asks for operator intervention.

Ansuel · 2021-07-15T10:13:21.902Z

Did we check if it's present in the beta driver?

dchard · 2021-07-15T11:47:20.263Z

Beta driver?

I dont think so.

Ansuel · 2021-07-15T11:59:58.938Z

github.com

kvalo/ath11k-firmware

master/IPQ8074/hw2.0/testing

Firmware files for ath11k, a mac80211 driver for Qualcomm Technologies 802.11ax devices

here we have 2.5.0.1 but old revision

castiel652 · 2021-07-15T12:03:43.761Z

Yeah I tested that as well.
Didn't work.

Kiina · 2021-07-15T14:20:36.533Z

Nobody forced you to buy anything, or does your ISP force you to buy a Xiaomi router if you want service? Also you really getting into conspiracy territory here with all the adblock stuff