I'm trying to set up the 5 GHz wifi that my router (Linksys EA3500) supports. Right now I'm trying to set it up as a separate network. I've got it configured the same way as my 2.5 GHz network(though with different frequencies/channels, obviously), and I can see the wifi network on my devices. However when I try to connect, it just times out.
Trying to connect with nmcli gives the following unhelpful error: Error: Connection activation failed: The Wi-Fi network could not be found., despite the fact that the network clearly shows up when scanning for them. dmesg is similarly unhelpful, and contains the following logs:
[34837.452742] wlan0: authenticate with [ROUTER MAC] (local address=[REDACTED])
[34837.453762] wlan0: send auth to [ROUTER MAC] (try 1/3)
[34837.563547] wlan0: send auth to [ROUTER MAC] (try 2/3)
[34837.634626] wlan0: send auth to [ROUTER MAC] (try 3/3)
[34837.707987] wlan0: authentication with [ROUTER MAC] timed out
This occurs regardless of the security on the network(currently it's open, though the errors are the same with WPA2).
Config for the 5 GHz radio and network in /etc/config/wireless:
config wifi-device 'radio1'
option type 'mac80211'
option path 'mbus@f1000000/mbus@f1000000:pcie@82000000/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/0000:02:00.0'
option band '5g'
option channel '36'
option htmode 'HT40'
option cell_density '0'
option country 'CA'
config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
option device 'radio1'
option mode 'ap'
option ssid 'network-ssid-5g'
option encryption 'none'
option key '[KEY]'
option network 'lan'
The router I'm using and the device(s) I'm trying to connect with(I've tried my computer and phone so far) all support 5 GHz wifi, so it's not a device incompatibility. Any ideas?
Let's take a look at the complete config to see if we can identify any potential issues.
Please connect to your OpenWrt device using ssh and copy the output of the following commands and post it here using the "Preformatted text </> " button:
Remember to redact passwords, MAC addresses and any public IP addresses you may have:
ubus call system board
cat /etc/config/network
cat /etc/config/wireless
cat /etc/config/dhcp
cat /etc/config/firewall
Here you go
{
"kernel": "6.6.73",
"hostname": "[HOSTNAME]",
"system": "Feroceon 88FR131 rev 1 (v5l)",
"model": "Linksys EA3500 (Audi)",
"board_name": "linksys,ea3500",
"rootfs_type": "squashfs",
"release": {
"distribution": "OpenWrt",
"version": "24.10.0",
"revision": "r28427-6df0e3d02a",
"target": "kirkwood/generic",
"description": "OpenWrt 24.10.0 r28427-6df0e3d02a",
"builddate": "1738624177"
}
}
config interface 'loopback'
option device 'lo'
option proto 'static'
option ipaddr '127.0.0.1'
option netmask '255.0.0.0'
config globals 'globals'
option ula_prefix 'fd19:c883:84dc::/48'
option packet_steering '1'
config device
option name 'br-lan'
option type 'bridge'
list ports 'ethernet1'
list ports 'ethernet2'
list ports 'ethernet3'
list ports 'ethernet4'
config interface 'lan'
option device 'br-lan'
option proto 'static'
option ipaddr '192.168.1.1'
option netmask '255.255.255.0'
option ip6assign '60'
config device
option name 'internet'
option macaddr '[MAC]'
config interface 'wan'
option device 'internet'
option proto 'pppoe'
option username '[REDACTED]'
option password '[REDACTED]'
option ipv6 'auto'
option type 'bridge'
config interface 'wan6'
option device 'internet'
option proto 'dhcpv6'
config wifi-device 'radio0'
option type 'mac80211'
option path 'mbus@f1000000/mbus@f1000000:pcie@82000000/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0'
option band '2g'
option channel '11'
option htmode 'HT40'
option cell_density '0'
option country 'CA'
config wifi-iface 'default_radio0'
option device 'radio0'
option network 'lan'
option mode 'ap'
option ssid '[network-ssid]'
option encryption 'psk2'
option key '[REDACTED]'
config wifi-device 'radio1'
option type 'mac80211'
option path 'mbus@f1000000/mbus@f1000000:pcie@82000000/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/0000:02:00.0'
option band '5g'
option channel '36'
option htmode 'HT40'
option cell_density '0'
option country 'CA'
config wifi-iface 'wifinet2'
option device 'radio1'
option mode 'ap'
option ssid '[network-ssid-5g]'
option encryption 'none'
option key '[REDACTED]'
option network 'lan'
config dnsmasq
option domainneeded '1'
option localise_queries '1'
option rebind_protection '1'
option rebind_localhost '1'
option local '/lan/'
option domain 'lan'
option expandhosts '1'
option cachesize '1000'
option authoritative '1'
option readethers '1'
option leasefile '/tmp/dhcp.leases'
option resolvfile '/tmp/resolv.conf.d/resolv.conf.auto'
option localservice '1'
option ednspacket_max '1232'
config dhcp 'lan'
option interface 'lan'
option start '100'
option limit '150'
option leasetime '12h'
option dhcpv4 'server'
option dhcpv6 'server'
option ra 'server'
option ra_slaac '1'
list ra_flags 'managed-config'
list ra_flags 'other-config'
config dhcp 'wan'
option interface 'wan'
option ignore '1'
config odhcpd 'odhcpd'
option maindhcp '0'
option leasefile '/tmp/hosts/odhcpd'
option leasetrigger '/usr/sbin/odhcpd-update'
option loglevel '4'
config host
list mac '[device MAC]'
option ip '192.168.1.83'
option leasetime 'infinite'
option duid '0004ece8db3f307068ea6eab427a07b0367b'
option dns '1'
config defaults
option input 'REJECT'
option output 'ACCEPT'
option forward 'REJECT'
option synflood_protect '1'
config zone
option name 'lan'
option input 'ACCEPT'
option output 'ACCEPT'
option forward 'ACCEPT'
list network 'lan'
config zone
option name 'wan'
option input 'REJECT'
option output 'ACCEPT'
option forward 'REJECT'
option masq '1'
option mtu_fix '1'
list network 'wan'
list network 'wan6'
config forwarding
option src 'lan'
option dest 'wan'
config rule
option name 'Allow-DHCP-Renew'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'udp'
option dest_port '68'
option target 'ACCEPT'
option family 'ipv4'
config rule
option name 'Allow-Ping'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'icmp'
option icmp_type 'echo-request'
option family 'ipv4'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-IGMP'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'igmp'
option family 'ipv4'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-DHCPv6'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'udp'
option dest_port '546'
option family 'ipv6'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-MLD'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'icmp'
option src_ip 'fe80::/10'
list icmp_type '130/0'
list icmp_type '131/0'
list icmp_type '132/0'
list icmp_type '143/0'
option family 'ipv6'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-ICMPv6-Input'
option src 'wan'
option proto 'icmp'
list icmp_type 'echo-request'
list icmp_type 'echo-reply'
list icmp_type 'destination-unreachable'
list icmp_type 'packet-too-big'
list icmp_type 'time-exceeded'
list icmp_type 'bad-header'
list icmp_type 'unknown-header-type'
list icmp_type 'router-solicitation'
list icmp_type 'neighbour-solicitation'
list icmp_type 'router-advertisement'
list icmp_type 'neighbour-advertisement'
option limit '1000/sec'
option family 'ipv6'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-ICMPv6-Forward'
option src 'wan'
option dest '*'
option proto 'icmp'
list icmp_type 'echo-request'
list icmp_type 'echo-reply'
list icmp_type 'destination-unreachable'
list icmp_type 'packet-too-big'
list icmp_type 'time-exceeded'
list icmp_type 'bad-header'
list icmp_type 'unknown-header-type'
option limit '1000/sec'
option family 'ipv6'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-IPSec-ESP'
option src 'wan'
option dest 'lan'
option proto 'esp'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config rule
option name 'Allow-ISAKMP'
option src 'wan'
option dest 'lan'
option dest_port '500'
option proto 'udp'
option target 'ACCEPT'
config redirect
option dest 'lan'
option target 'DNAT'
option name '[Rule name]'
option src 'wan'
option src_dport '443'
option dest_ip '192.168.1.83'
option dest_port '443'
Has this device been upgraded from an earlier version of OpenWrt while keeping the configuration?
Aside form that...
Remove the last 2 lines here:
And try VHT40 instead of HT40:
Reboot and test again.
Made those changes, didn't seem to do anything though. Still can't connect to the 5G network, and same vague errors.
Has this device been upgraded from an earlier version of OpenWrt while keeping the configuration?
Nope. I did reset and restore the configuration from a backup at one point, but it has never had a previous version of OpenWRT on it.