Kmod-iwlwifi - backported modules loading failed?

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

I'm new to OpenWRT coming from m0n0 and derivates and tried to install openwrt-19.07. or openwrt-18.06. to my Zotac ZBox Pro CI329 nano.
Both installations worked as expected with the exception of using the installed wifi-modul Intel 3165 ngw.
If I try to install kmod-iwlwifi I get the following dmesg:

kmodloader: loading kernel modules from /etc/modules.d/*
[ 5920.936157] Loading modules backported from Linux version wt-2017-11-01-0-gfe248fc2c180
[ 5920.945077] Backport generated by backports.git v4.14-rc2-1-31-g86cf0e5d
[ 5920.955360] Intel(R) Wireless WiFi driver for Linux
[ 5920.960792] Copyright(c) 2003- 2015 Intel Corporation
[ 5920.966962] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-29.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5920.977277] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5920.985820] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-29.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5920.994700] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-28.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.004959] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.011547] kmodloader: done loading kernel modules from /etc/modules.d/*
[ 5921.013434] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-28.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.027744] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-27.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.037993] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.046402] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-27.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.055263] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-26.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.065478] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.073697] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-26.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.082383] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-25.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.092514] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.100996] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-25.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.109768] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-24.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.119958] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.128643] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-24.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.137459] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-23.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.147640] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.155910] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-23.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.164698] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-7265D-22.ucode failed with error -2
[ 5921.174933] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: Falling back to user helper
[ 5921.183241] firmware iwlwifi-7265D-22.ucode: firmware_loading_store: map pages failed
[ 5921.191872] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: no suitable firmware found!
[ 5921.198193] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: minimum version required: iwlwifi-7265D-22
[ 5921.205845] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: maximum version supported: iwlwifi-7265D-29
[ 5921.213649] iwlwifi 0000:01:00.0: check git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

Same result in 18.06. or 19.07.rc2.
Are the backported links broken, do I misunderstood the reports or am I wrong in installation procedures?

Please give me a useful hint to proceed, and thanks a lot for this great freedom to use OpenWRT!

Roland

2

The hint is right in the dmesg output you posted: install the firmware blob. Often is /lib/firmware.

3

Hmm, isn't that done automatically by opkg install ... ?

4

IIRC iwlwifi doesn't have firmware as dependencies for opkg/source builds

For 3165/7265D

opkg install iwlwifi-firmware-iwl7265d
1 Like
5

Thanks, WiFi is now up and running.
Will test OpenWRT 19.07.rc2 with Intel 3165ngw tomorrow, too.

6

iwlwifi covers a huge range of different chipsets, each requiring their own dedicated firmware blobs - installing them all on the faint chance that one of them will fit would be wasteful (admittedly, not that much of an issue on the kind of hardware that typically comes with Intel WLAN cards, but those aren't quite OpenWrt's main target), therefore there is no dependency from the kernel module to the (~dozen of different) firmware packages.

Aside from these packaging differences, be aware that almost no Intel WLAN cards support AP mode (if you're lucky only on the 2.4 GHz band, never in the 5 GHz band).

2 Likes
7

@slh: Thanks for your answers

Roger

This is the most important hint, I didn't checked before.
So I have to change the preinstalled M.2 2230 to another one with support of AP mode.

@All
Is there a good link where I can find WiFi adapters with AP mode and M.2 2230 form factor supported by OpenWRT listed?
Which chipset should I pay particular attention to?

8

In general you'd be looking for QCA-Atheros (using the ath9k driver for 802.11n cards or ath10k for 802.11ac ones - QCA9xxx, avoid QCA6174) or Mediatek (mt76xx) PCIe wireless cards.

2 Likes
9

What are your reasons for avoiding QCA6174A?
A lot of shop offerings relating to M.2 2230 form factor beside Intel chips (which do not work as 5 GHz AP's) are based on QCA6174A ...