I have used David's builds in the past. You will be using the same drivers. David's builds provide a convenient set of packages, but no harm in trying.
I currently have 7 5G and 6 2.4G devices connected. If you have an android phone you might try using a wifi analyzer to check what channels are being used in case that is a problem.
Thanks for the information. I would appreciate a build of those older wifi drivers. I am a web developer so hardware drivers are a bit out of my comfort zone.
Thanks @dos. I have been using wifi analyzer and have always kept the router away from highly used channels around me.
I have tried EVERYTHING and the only thing that works is OpenWRT 18.06.1. It's really really strange.
Ok, which release? 19.07.0?
My memory tends to be fragile, if I do not answer in a couple of days, feel free to poke me.
Yes please, and thank you.
Try the packages here, please:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=10RaUzqiC_hVEztv2X4sNJSaa-5teo7BQ
For your device, you will need the "kmod-mlwifi_..." and "mwlwifi-firmware-88w8864_..." packages.
The packages installed correctly but... now the wireless devices just say "Device is not active" and I get no wireless connection at all:
Tue Jan 14 17:56:58 2020 user.notice mac80211: Failed command: iw phy phy0 set antenna 0xffffffff 0xffffffff
Tue Jan 14 17:56:58 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (4652): command failed: Not supported (-95)
Tue Jan 14 17:56:58 2020 user.notice mac80211: Failed command: iw phy phy0 set distance 0
Tue Jan 14 17:56:58 2020 daemon.err hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf
Tue Jan 14 17:56:58 2020 kern.debug kernel: [ 226.393816] ieee80211 phy0: change: 0xffffffff
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 kern.info kernel: [ 226.472077] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: INTERFACE-ENABLED
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.err hostapd: nl80211: Could not configure driver mode
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.err hostapd: nl80211 driver initialization failed.
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started
Tue Jan 14 17:56:59 2020 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: INTERFACE-DISABLED
If you have any other suggestions I would be grateful, but it looks like I am going back to 18.06.1 
@eduperez Thanks for your help. I installed the latest davidc build and I will see how that goes.
If the wifi still fails I will revert to 18.06.1.
Thanks again! Very much appreciated.
I have a WRT1900ACSv2 which I compiled 19.07.0 myself and the issue I'm having at the moment is that I can't change the transmit power. It just doesn't do anything.
cat /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy0/mwlwifi/info
power table loaded from dts: no
v2 flavours do not load a power table
I can understand the use of a high power limit to comply with regulations but I have two AP's and I need to be able to turn them down. Is there a workaround for this?
I did the 'iw phy0 info' command and is shows my maximum TX power for 5GHz is 23dB. Here is the output of that command
Wiphy phy0
max # scan SSIDs: 4
max scan IEs length: 2247 bytes
max # sched scan SSIDs: 0
max # match sets: 0
max # scan plans: 1
max scan plan interval: -1
max scan plan iterations: 0
Retry short limit: 7
Retry long limit: 4
Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
Device supports AP-side u-APSD.
Device supports T-DLS.
Available Antennas: TX 0 RX 0
Supported interface modes:
* managed
* AP
* AP/VLAN
* monitor
* mesh point
Band 2:
Capabilities: 0x106f
RX LDPC
HT20/HT40
SM Power Save disabled
RX HT20 SGI
RX HT40 SGI
No RX STBC
Max AMSDU length: 3839 bytes
DSSS/CCK HT40
Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 4 usec (0x05)
HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-23, 32
VHT Capabilities (0x33837930):
Max MPDU length: 3895
Supported Channel Width: neither 160 nor 80+80
RX LDPC
short GI (80 MHz) SU Beamformer
SU Beamformee
RX antenna pattern consistency
TX antenna pattern consistency
VHT RX MCS set:
1 streams: MCS 0-9
2 streams: MCS 0-9
3 streams: MCS 0-9
4 streams: not supported
5 streams: not supported
6 streams: not supported
7 streams: not supported
8 streams: not supported
VHT RX highest supported: 0 Mbps
VHT TX MCS set:
1 streams: MCS 0-9
2 streams: MCS 0-9
3 streams: MCS 0-9
4 streams: not supported
5 streams: not supported
6 streams: not supported
7 streams: not supported
8 streams: not supported
VHT TX highest supported: 0 Mbps
Frequencies:
* 5180 MHz [36] (23.0 dBm)
* 5200 MHz [40] (23.0 dBm)
* 5220 MHz [44] (23.0 dBm)
* 5240 MHz [48] (23.0 dBm)
* 5260 MHz [52] (20.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5280 MHz [56] (20.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5300 MHz [60] (20.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5320 MHz [64] (20.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5500 MHz [100] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5520 MHz [104] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5540 MHz [108] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5560 MHz [112] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5580 MHz [116] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5600 MHz [120] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5620 MHz [124] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5640 MHz [128] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5660 MHz [132] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5680 MHz [136] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5700 MHz [140] (27.0 dBm) (radar detection)
* 5720 MHz [144] (disabled)
* 5745 MHz [149] (13.0 dBm)
* 5765 MHz [153] (13.0 dBm)
* 5785 MHz [157] (13.0 dBm)
* 5805 MHz [161] (13.0 dBm)
valid interface combinations:
* #{ AP } <= 16, #{ mesh point } <= 1, #{ managed } <= 1,
total <= 16, #channels <= 1, radar detect widths: { 20 MHz (no HT), 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz }
HT Capability overrides:
* MCS: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
* maximum A-MSDU length
* supported channel width
* short GI for 40 MHz
* max A-MPDU length exponent
* min MPDU start spacing
Supported extended features:
* [ RRM ]: RRM
* [ CONTROL_PORT_OVER_NL80211 ]: control port over nl80211I cant. Due to their (mis)interpretation of one country's regulatory body rules, they have pegged the TX power at the maximum permissible; but it is what it is. If your interest in the region code unlocking PR is around this issue, that PR will not allow you to change TX levels.
Have you tried the httpstorm patches to see if they solve the TX power override issue?
Someone replied to one of the GitHub pages found here > https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/2397#issuecomment-576282087 with the links to the two patches. I will be trying them over the weekend and I'll get back to you.
my understanding is the tx power is locked at high in hardware
Took a bit of a look at the two httpstorm patch contents, contrary to the remarks in the CC PR you linked above, they are not meant to override TX power; pretty much fall through as per the original code. They do attempt to add:
- 160 MHz on 5GHz
- Cyclic delay diversity
- remove CC lockdown on mwlwifi
- remove CC lockdown on mwifiex
so the target device is really the rango and venom.
Hi all, I can confirm the same experience with WRT1900ACS. I bought the device in summer of 2019 and after a few day with stock FW changed it to DD-WRT. Quite a few months I observed the poor 2.4GHz connection speeds and link drops. Reverting to stock resolved link speed immediately. Then switched to OpenWRT. Initially I thought it was better, but after a few weeks I realized it was the same intermittent 2.4GHz speed. My workaround was I select 20MHz bandwidth, bg-only support. It is now quite stable, though I'm still concerned about one or two link drops for the last month.
Once I experienced for 5 GHz:
Resolved it by router restart and thought it might power save mode.
Hope there will be resolution to that WiFi instability as for the same price I could get 3 ASUS N18U devices.
To add to the discussion. I am having an issue with the latest OpenWrt version (19.07.2) and a WRT1900AC (v1). I am going to try OpenWrt version 18.06.1 and will update this thread if that helps.
Edit: Version 18.06.1 did not work for me, it gave me the same issue as the latest OpenWrt version.
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Same issue here. Is your SSID the same as your 2ghz network? Mine is and I'm running into trouble with that setup.
See [Fixed] WIFI connectivity issues when upgrading from version 19 to 22 for a possible fix to at least some of your problems.
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