I just tested a new build I did today from master (r17748-ade56b8d9e Oct 12th 2021) with the updated M76 drivers.
I use to do my custom builds to use as an access point (basically I remove dnsmasq, firewall and some other things not needed in an access point).
I've been using this build on an Archer C6 v3.2 this way for quite some time.
I just did a new build build today to test the updated m76 driver, and there is a serious defect now.
After a clean install, as soon as I enable de 5Ghz radio the router crashes and reboot, and remain in this boot loop forever. Well, technically is not a boot loop since it is booting OK, but as soon as it tries to enable de 5Ghz radio it reboots again.
I then entered in failsafe mode, but dmesg is not saved from previous boot and logread is not available (and anyway no error would be shown since wifi is disabled in failsafe mode). Therefore I cannot find any error message about this issue.
If anyone has a suggestion how to capture additional errors in this situation just let me know .
For now I am reverting back to my previous build (SNAPSHOT r17729-b5893a4128 Oct 10th, 2021), and hopefully this issue should be fixed.
OK, I left "logread -f" running when I enabled the 5Ghz radio. Follow the logread messages logged right after I enabled 5GHz radio. After the last message the device rebooted itself:
Tue Oct 12 20:05:03 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 410.821560] netlink: 'iw': attribute type 302 has an invalid length.
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy1.conf (phy wlan1) --> new PHY
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 411.289459] br-lan: port 6(wlan1) entered blocking state
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 411.294822] br-lan: port 6(wlan1) entered disabled state
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 411.300630] device wlan1 entered promiscuous mode
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Frequency 5660 (primary) not allowed for AP mode, flags: 0xf00797b NO-IR RADAR
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Primary frequency not allowed
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.warn hostapd: wlan1: IEEE 802.11 Configured channel (132) or frequency (5660) (secondary_channel=1) not found from the channel list of the current mode (2) IEEE 802.11a
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.warn hostapd: wlan1: IEEE 802.11 Hardware does not support configured channel
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-3)
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: AP-DISABLED
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.err hostapd: wlan1: Unable to setup interface.
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan1 disabled_11b_rates=0
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 411.310532] device wlan1 left promiscuous mode
Tue Oct 12 20:05:04 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 411.315329] br-lan: port 6(wlan1) entered disabled state
So far I was using a DFS channel on the Archer C6 v3.2 without any problem. I've noticed the error message "daemon.err hostapd: Could not select hw_mode and channel. (-3)" and now I am wondering that something changed that broke the usage of DFS channels on this device.
I will try using a non-DFS channel to see if it keeps rebooting.
Tried channel 36. Now at least the kernel errors appeared before the device self rebooted and entered in an infinite reboot state. Definitively the mt76 drivers update comnpletly broke the 5Ghz radio no this device (mt7613)....
ue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 325.625614] netlink: 'iw': attribute type 302 has an invalid length.
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy1.conf (phy wlan1) --> new PHY
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 326.119268] br-lan: port 5(wlan1) entered blocking state
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 326.124657] br-lan: port 5(wlan1) entered disabled state
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 326.130544] device wlan1 entered promiscuous mode
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: interface state UNINITIALIZED->COUNTRY_UPDATE
Tue Oct 12 20:20:26 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: interface state COUNTRY_UPDATE->HT_SCAN
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.alert kernel: [ 326.670265] CPU 3 Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 00000000, epc == 86f619b0, ra == 86f61be8
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.680874] Oops[#1]:
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.683142] CPU: 3 PID: 1366 Comm: hostapd Not tainted 5.4.152 #0
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.689202] $ 0 : 00000000 00000001 00000038 00000001
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.694405] $ 4 : 00000018 00000001 00000000 00000000
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.699606] $ 8 : 87f5e880 00000000 00000000 00000000
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.704808] $12 : 00000000 00000008 00000001 000040c8
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.710010] $16 : 00000000 00000001 869c6050 869c6068
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.715212] $20 : 869c5f80 8746310c 000003e8 0000145a
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.720413] $24 : 00000002 869e14a4
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.725615] $28 : 8647a000 8647b7e8 00000000 86f61be8
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.730818] Hi : ccccc547
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.733680] Lo : 66666485
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.736565] epc : 86f619b0 mt76_connac_mcu_set_rate_txpower+0x150/0x204 [mt76_connac_lib]
Tue Oct 12 20:20:27 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 326.744880] ra : 86f61be8 mt76_connac_mcu_uni_add_bss+0x184/0x644 [mt76_connac_lib]
Just tried again, without changing the country code this time, same problem. At least for now I am giving up on the updated drivers and rolling back to a previous build. Hopefully this issue will be fixed soon on master.
root@OpenWrt:~# logread -f
Tue Oct 12 20:30:55 2021 user.info : luci: accepted login on /admin/network/wireless for root from 192.168.1.120
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 kern.warn kernel: [ 47.970884] netlink: 'iw': attribute type 302 has an invalid length.
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy1.conf (phy wlan1) --> new PHY
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 48.463184] br-lan: port 5(wlan1) entered blocking state
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 48.468578] br-lan: port 5(wlan1) entered disabled state
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 kern.info kernel: [ 48.474556] device wlan1 entered promiscuous mode
Tue Oct 12 20:31:13 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan1: interface state UNINITIALIZED->HT_SCAN
Tue Oct 12 20:31:14 2021 kern.alert kernel: [ 49.011585] CPU 0 Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 00000000, epc == 86f119b0, ra == 86f11be8
Crash log you provided is a bit confusing, because it is a null pointer reference:
mt76_connac_mcu_set_rate_txpower
could only crash if phy is null. I wonder if chip is being recognised incorrectly as DBDC or something other, hard to guess. Could you provide output of iw phy command and /etc/config/wireless
The error netlink: 'iw': attribute type 302 has an invalid length existed in previous builds (before m76 driver update). While it seems to indicate something is not right, Wi-Fi is reasonably stable and 5Ghz is working OK despite of these errors (before the M76 driver update).
This works I just tried it out with release 17758. Does removing that package take away any functions required for mesh or batman?
Off-topic question: Can mesh or batman (wifi) be done with mediatek and atheros routers? I tried some guides but couldn't ping from a bridge node to the gateway, vice versa works with 2 atheros routers. I haven't tried with this mediatek router. Thanks for helping me out with my device.
Removing the sta firmware does not take away any functionality. This firmware is completely unsuitable for AP/mesh functionality, and I have no idea why it was ever included in the default package set.
Just to clarify, the ap firmware can also handle sta mode just fine
Would you mind telling me why a mesh between ipq40xx / ath79 is not achievable when paired with mt7621 routers? Is it a bug? or is it not meant to happen as they are incompatible? Thanks again.
Just a follow-up: the error "attribute type 302 has an invalid length" seems to be solved in the latest builds. Just checked today's snapshot and this error dissapeared.