[PATCH 5/5] wifi: ath12k: skip connection_loss_work for MLO beacon miss

[Baochen Qiang]

On 7/28/2026 12:27 AM, Jose Ignacio Tornos Martinez wrote:
> When firmware reports a beacon miss, ath12k queues connection_loss_work
> as a 3-second backup timer that forces a full VIF disconnect via
> ieee80211_connection_loss(). This work can only be cancelled when a
> beacon frame arrives through WMI in ath12k_mac_handle_beacon_iter().
> 
> In MLO, this mechanism causes periodic spurious disconnections because
> the firmware does not reliably forward beacon frames to the host via
> WMI, making the cancellation path ineffective. The result is a full
> VIF disconnect every ~16 seconds during normal MLO operation, easily
> reproducible under heavy traffic.
> 
> Skip queueing connection_loss_work for MLO VIFs. The mac80211 AP probe
> triggered by ieee80211_beacon_loss() is sufficient to detect real AP
> unreachability. Other MLO-capable drivers such as mt76 and rtw89
> similarly rely on ieee80211_beacon_loss() without adding a backup
> disconnect timer.
> 
> Tested on WCN7850 with MLO (Wi-Fi 7).
> 
> Signed-off-by: Jose Ignacio Tornos Martinez <jtornosm at redhat.com>
> ---
>  drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c | 11 +++++++++--
>  1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> index af09153ad9d9..dfd69822c5ce 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c
> @@ -2008,9 +2008,16 @@ void ath12k_mac_handle_beacon_miss(struct ath12k *ar,
>  	 * (done by mac80211) succeeds but beacons do not resume then it
>  	 * doesn't make sense to continue operation. Queue connection loss work
>  	 * which can be cancelled when beacon is received.
> +	 *
> +	 * Skip for MLO because connection_loss_work disconnects the entire
> +	 * VIF based on a single link's beacon miss, and its cancellation
> +	 * mechanism (beacon reception via WMI) is unreliable. The mac80211
> +	 * probe triggered by ieee80211_beacon_loss() above is sufficient
> +	 * to detect real AP unreachability.
>  	 */
> -	ieee80211_queue_delayed_work(hw, &arvif->connection_loss_work,
> -				     ATH12K_CONNECTION_LOSS_HZ);
> +	if (!ieee80211_vif_is_mld(vif))
> +		ieee80211_queue_delayed_work(hw, &arvif->connection_loss_work,
> +					     ATH12K_CONNECTION_LOSS_HZ);

with this, patch 4/5's MLO branch is never reachable

>  }
>  
>  static void ath12k_mac_vif_sta_connection_loss_work(struct work_struct *work)