Wlan AP does not work, but scanning for networks works

5imon · April 30, 2021, 10:36pm

Hello all,

just bought a GL-iNET MV1000W and installed stock 21.02-rc1. Everything works nicely but the wifi access point. This little router has a Realtek 802.11n NIC (0bda:818b) so I installed the rtl8xxxu driver and hostapd.
When I go to Status -> Channel analysis in luci I can see a nice graph with all used wifi networks in my area

and Network -> Wireless -> Scan also works as expected.
But when I set up a new wireless network to use this device as AP, it does not work, and neither my laptop nor my phone can see the new SSIDs I create.

In the kernel log I can see

[    8.629603] usb 1-1.2: Vendor: Realtek
[    8.633480] usb 1-1.2: Product: 802.11n NIC
[    8.637814] usb 1-1.2: Serial not available.
[    8.642218] usb 1-1.2: rtl8192eu_parse_efuse: dumping efuse (0x200 bytes):
[    8.649331] usb 1-1.2: 00: 29 81 00 7c 01 40 03 00
[    8.654272] usb 1-1.2: 08: 70 74 04 50 14 00 00 00
[    8.659222] usb 1-1.2: 10: 25 25 26 24 24 24 27 27
[    8.664166] usb 1-1.2: 18: 28 26 26 f2 ef ef ff ff
[    8.669116] usb 1-1.2: 20: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.674057] usb 1-1.2: 28: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.679005] usb 1-1.2: 30: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.683945] usb 1-1.2: 38: ff ff 26 26 25 25 25 25
[    8.688894] usb 1-1.2: 40: 28 28 27 27 27 f2 ef ef
[    8.693834] usb 1-1.2: 48: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.698782] usb 1-1.2: 50: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.703728] usb 1-1.2: 58: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.708680] usb 1-1.2: 60: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.713621] usb 1-1.2: 68: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.718570] usb 1-1.2: 70: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.723510] usb 1-1.2: 78: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.728462] usb 1-1.2: 80: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.733402] usb 1-1.2: 88: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.738350] usb 1-1.2: 90: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.743291] usb 1-1.2: 98: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.748239] usb 1-1.2: a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.753179] usb 1-1.2: a8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.758129] usb 1-1.2: b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.763070] usb 1-1.2: b8: 20 2c 1e 00 00 00 ff ff
[    8.768018] usb 1-1.2: c0: ff 01 00 10 00 00 00 ff
[    8.772958] usb 1-1.2: c8: 00 00 ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.777906] usb 1-1.2: d0: da 0b 8b 81 e6 47 02 d4
[    8.782846] usb 1-1.2: d8: d2 d6 ae ed a9 09 03 52
[    8.787794] usb 1-1.2: e0: 65 61 6c 74 65 6b 0d 03
[    8.792735] usb 1-1.2: e8: 38 30 32 2e 31 31 6e 20
[    8.797682] usb 1-1.2: f0: 4e 49 43 00 ff ff ff ff
[    8.802622] usb 1-1.2: f8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.807579] usb 1-1.2: 100: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.812609] usb 1-1.2: 108: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.817647] usb 1-1.2: 110: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff 0d
[    8.822677] usb 1-1.2: 118: 03 00 05 00 30 00 00 00
[    8.827718] usb 1-1.2: 120: 00 93 ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.832748] usb 1-1.2: 128: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.837786] usb 1-1.2: 130: f6 a8 98 2d 03 92 98 00
[    8.842815] usb 1-1.2: 138: fc 8c 00 11 9b 44 02 0a
[    8.847853] usb 1-1.2: 140: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.852884] usb 1-1.2: 148: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.857922] usb 1-1.2: 150: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.862952] usb 1-1.2: 158: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.867989] usb 1-1.2: 160: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.873019] usb 1-1.2: 168: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.878057] usb 1-1.2: 170: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.883087] usb 1-1.2: 178: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.888124] usb 1-1.2: 180: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.893154] usb 1-1.2: 188: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.898191] usb 1-1.2: 190: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.903221] usb 1-1.2: 198: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.908261] usb 1-1.2: 1a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.913291] usb 1-1.2: 1a8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.918329] usb 1-1.2: 1b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.923359] usb 1-1.2: 1b8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.928401] usb 1-1.2: 1c0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.933431] usb 1-1.2: 1c8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.938469] usb 1-1.2: 1d0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.943499] usb 1-1.2: 1d8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.948536] usb 1-1.2: 1e0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.953566] usb 1-1.2: 1e8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.958604] usb 1-1.2: 1f0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.963634] usb 1-1.2: 1f8: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[    8.968676] usb 1-1.2: RTL8192EU rev B (SMIC) 2T2R, TX queues 3, WiFi=1, BT=0, GPS=0, HI PA=0
[    8.977484] usb 1-1.2: RTL8192EU MAC: d4:d2:d6:ae:ed:a9
[    8.982873] usb 1-1.2: rtl8xxxu: Loading firmware rtlwifi/rtl8192eu_nic.bin
[    8.991621] usb 1-1.2: Firmware revision 19.0 (signature 0x92e1)
[    9.002958] do the RAM reset
[   10.225214] usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8xxxu

And in the system log I can see some hostapd errors:

Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf (phy radio0) --> new PHY
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Could not read interface radio0 flags: No such device
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: deinit ifname=radio0 disabled_11b_rates=0
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 user.notice firewall: Reloading firewall due to ifup of wan (wan)
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Could not read interface radio0 flags: No such device
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: nl80211 driver initialization failed.
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: radio0: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface radio0 wasn't started
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-1: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-1 wasn't started
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-2: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-2 wasn't started
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-3: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-3 wasn't started
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-4: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-4 wasn't started
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2323): Command failed: Invalid argument
Fri Apr 30 23:47:30 2021 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (2323): Device setup failed: HOSTAPD_START_FAILED

And if I click on restart on the wireless devide radio0 I get

Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (15490): Device setup failed: INTERFACE_CREATION_FAILED
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: Configuration file: /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf (phy wlan0) --> new PHY
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Could not read interface wlan0 flags: No such device
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: Could not read interface wlan0 flags: No such device
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: nl80211 driver initialization failed.
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-1: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-1 wasn't started
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-2: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-2 wasn't started
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-3: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-3 wasn't started
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice hostapd: wlan0-4: CTRL-EVENT-TERMINATING
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.err hostapd: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0-4 wasn't started
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (15490): Command failed: Invalid argument
Sat May  1 00:40:48 2021 daemon.notice netifd: radio0 (15490): Device setup failed: HOSTAPD_START_FAILED

Any idea on what could be wrong?

Thanks!

5imon · April 30, 2021, 11:28pm

I think I found the problem:

# iw list
Wiphy phy0
[...]
        Supported interface modes:
                 * managed
                 * monitor
        Band 1:
[...]

so this driver does not support AP mode. The official GL.iNet firmware has AP mode... any idea on how to go on?

gueni · May 1, 2021, 12:11pm

Have a look at the package table
https://openwrt.org/packages/table/start?dataflt%5BName_pkg-dependencies*%7E%5D=rtl
The driver you installed seems "alternative" with some limitations.

5imon · May 1, 2021, 12:32pm

Thanks. It seems that the driver rtl8xxxu does not support AP mode, but the rtl8192eu driver does. gl-inet added the driver to their fork of OpenWrt: https://github.com/gl-inet/openwrt/commit/aefb040141f1091a3dc0f3912b64c2ce563942e1

Any chance to use it in stock OpenWrt 21.02-rc1 without recompiling everything? Maybe I can find it in some other opkg repo?

braian87b · May 19, 2021, 2:28am

Please if someone can compile these packages against 19.07.7 also will be really helpful! and 17/18 too.

winnt5 · September 25, 2021, 12:56pm

I have the similar problem with rtl8192ce. But my hostapd run with no error but I can't access the internet through the ap. I'm using openwrt chaos_calmer.

frollic · September 25, 2021, 1:23pm

CC is 5.5 years old, time to upgrade.

winnt5 · September 25, 2021, 1:44pm

I want to upgrade. But linux after 3.14 can't drive the ethernet adapter inside 88f6560, It's extremely hard to use 3.14 kernel in newer openwrt versions. Maybe I can update compact-wireless version.