Raspberry Pi 4 WIFI controller not behaving

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Openwrt newbie here. I've installed OpenWRT on a rpi 4 and the wifi is really not behaving. I can not bring up the wifi as an ap, nor a client. I've tried using Luci and CLI - I' m missing something basic and appreciate the guidance.

Actions taken:

  1. Download snapshot linked from rpi4 openwrt page
  2. Configure AP - not able to bring up radio
  3. Configure as client - not able to join

Notes:

  1. On my normal rpi AP, I just do a NAT and it works without much fuss
  2. I've seen some references to a firmware update being required. I've applied it and no change...
 OpenWrt SNAPSHOT, r12230-5715b21f80

root@mdr-ap1:~# wifi status
{
	"radio0": {
		"up": false,
		"pending": false,
		"autostart": true,
		"disabled": true,
		"retry_setup_failed": false,
		"config": {
			"channel": "36",
			"hwmode": "11a",
			"path": "platform/soc/fe300000.mmcnr/mmc_host/mmc1/mmc1:0001/mmc1:0001:1",
			"htmode": "VHT80",
			"country": "US",
			"disabled": true
		},
		"interfaces": [
			
		]
	}
}


Error Log for Client Mode:

Sun May 24 11:41:30 2020 kern.info kernel: [  274.398038] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Sun May 24 11:42:05 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): command failed: No error information (-524)
Sun May 24 11:42:05 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): command failed: I/O error (-5)
Sun May 24 11:42:05 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): command failed: I/O error (-5)
Sun May 24 11:42:05 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): command failed: Too many open files in system (-23)
Sun May 24 11:42:06 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): command failed: Too many open files in system (-23)
Sun May 24 11:42:06 2020 user.notice root: ip link set dev wlan0 up
Sun May 24 11:42:06 2020 kern.info kernel: [  309.973925] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
Sun May 24 11:42:36 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): Command failed: Request timed out
Sun May 24 11:42:36 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): Command failed: Not found
Sun May 24 11:42:36 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): Interface 0 setup failed: WPA_SUPPLICANT_FAILED
Sun May 24 11:42:36 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): WARNING (wireless_add_process): executable path /usr/sbin/wpad does not match process  path (/proc/exe)
Sun May 24 11:42:36 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2134): Command failed: Invalid argument
Sun May 24 11:43:46 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2784): Command failed: Not found
Sun May 24 11:43:47 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2784): command failed: No error information (-524)
2

Check file /etc/config/wireless . You can configure that file for wifi.

3

Thank you. I suppose the larger point is that I've deleted the interface. Re-adding the interface via Luci does not produce joy. Attempting to add / enable the link produces the below error reliably. I have no idea where to look to debug the error.

Mon May 25 23:26:08 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (25253): command failed: No error information (-524)
Mon May 25 23:26:08 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (25253): command failed: I/O error (-5)
Mon May 25 23:26:08 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (25253): command failed: I/O error (-5)
Mon May 25 23:26:08 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (25253): command failed: Too many open files in system (-23)
Mon May 25 23:26:09 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (25253): command failed: Too many open files in system (-23)
Mon May 25 23:26:09 2020 user.notice root: ip link set dev wlan0 up
Mon May 25 23:26:09 2020 kern.info kernel: [128955.082102] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
4

Raspberry Pi 4 has a bug when is used as AP in WiFi 5Ghz, it only work with " VHT20 "

5

Thank you. I've now read [[[This thread.](Raspberry pi 4 access point].

Alas, no better outcome. I think this is the crux of it?

Sat May 30 22:56:52 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (621): Command failed: Request timed out
Sat May 30 22:56:52 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (621): Command failed: Not found
Sat May 30 22:56:52 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (621): WARNING (wireless_add_process): executable path /usr/sbin/wpad does not match process path (/proc/exe)
Sat May 30 22:56:52 2020 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (621): Command failed: Invalid argument

6

Indeed, as I'm starting to get my bearings - hostapd /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf

seems to work just fine. So it's somewhere on the execution path between hostapd and netifd...

7

If this is a new Pi, you should run Raspbian once and configure the wifi country, which gets stored somewhere on the board. Apparently OpenWrt will not work on 5 GHz if the country is blank in the chip-- setting it only in OpenWrt has no effect.

A 5 GHz AP (as noted, 20 MHz only) will run, though one "executable path" and one "Invalid argument" error are thrown, it does start up and work.

8

thank you. I actually threw caution to the wind and have run a sysupgrade (or downgrade?) to the snapshot I originally downloaded. Post reboot - the AP is up and working.

So strange.