hostapd git with rt73usb not working

[Lee Garrett]

Iwo Mergler wrote:
> Lee Garrett wrote:
>> Hello there,
>>
>> I'm trying to run hostapd as AP on an mac80211 wlan stick. I'm using an rt2x00
>> git kernel, libnl and hostapd (all current git version as of 2nd Septembre).
>> The rt73 usb stick is working ("iwlist wlan0 scanning" shows me APs around
>> me). I tried a simple as possible hostapd.conf configuration (no encyption,
>> non fancy stuff, see attached).
>>
>> When I start hostapd, following happens:
>>
>> lenny:~# hostapd -dd /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
>> Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
>> ctrl_interface_group=0
>> Opening raw packet socket for ifindex 0
>> BSS count 1, BSSID mask ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff (0 bits)
>> SIOCGIWRANGE: WE(compiled)=22 WE(source)=21 enc_capa=0xf
>> Failed to update rate sets in kernel module
>> RATE[0] rate=10 flags=0x2
>> RATE[1] rate=20 flags=0x6
>> RATE[2] rate=55 flags=0x6
>> RATE[3] rate=110 flags=0x6
>> RATE[4] rate=60 flags=0x0
>> RATE[5] rate=90 flags=0x0
>> RATE[6] rate=120 flags=0x0
>> RATE[7] rate=180 flags=0x0
>> RATE[8] rate=240 flags=0x0
>> RATE[9] rate=360 flags=0x0
>> RATE[10] rate=480 flags=0x0
>> RATE[11] rate=540 flags=0x0
>> Could not set passive scanning: Unknown error 4294967295
>> Flushing old station entries
>> Deauthenticate all stations
>> Mode: IEEE 802.11g  Channel: 1  Frequency: 2412 MHz
>> Failed to set CTS protect in kernel driver
>> Failed to set Short Slot Time option in kernel driver
>> Could not set preamble for kernel driver
>> Using interface wlan0 with hwaddr 00:1f:c6:xx:xx:xx and ssid 'testing123'
>> Failed to set CTS protect in kernel driver
>> Failed to set Short Slot Time option in kernel driver
>> Could not set preamble for kernel driver
>> wlan0: Setup of interface done.
>> Wireless event: cmd=0x8b04 len=12
>> unknown vendor specific information element ignored (vendor OUI 00:10:18 len=9)
>> STA 00:16:cf:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> STA 00:1d:4f:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> STA 00:1d:4f:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> STA 00:1d:4f:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> STA 00:13:02:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> unknown vendor specific information element ignored (vendor OUI 00:10:18 len=9)
>> STA 00:16:cf:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>> unknown vendor specific information element ignored (vendor OUI 00:10:18 len=9)
>> STA 00:16:cf:xx:xx:xx sent probe request for broadcast SSID
>>
>>
>>
>> Clearly hostapd notices stations sending probe requests (00:1d:4f:xx:xx:xx is
>> my client), but hostapd never answers. Also, on another client, with
>> aircrack-ng I sniffed on channel 1, but never saw traffic from my AP (like
>> beacon frames, or anything else).
>>
> 
> There is an old bug workaround which will garble beacons. Today's rt2x00 git
> has a fix. Unless your sniffer can also display broken packets, you won't see
> the beacons.
> 
> You should see the probe requests, however.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Iwo
> 

Hi Iwo,
I fetched rt2x00 git (up to "rt2x00: Make rt2x00 LEDS invisible config
option") and tried again. Same problem, no beacons, doesn't answer to probe
requests.

I looked into it a little further, and saw following with airodump-ng:

CH  1 ][ Elapsed: 1 min ][ 2008-09-09 13:32



 BSSID              PWR RXQ  Beacons    #Data, #/s  CH  MB  ENC  CIPHER AUTH ESSID


 00:00:FF:FF:FF:FF   -1   0        0        0    0  -1  -1
<length:  0>


 BSSID              STATION            PWR   Rate  Lost  Packets  Probes



 00:00:FF:FF:FF:FF  00:00:00:00:C0:00   64   0- 1     0        8

But only the moment I start hostapd (I do cap more APs and STAs, but cut them
out for privacy). So I see exactly one (broken beacon?) frame when starting
hostapd, but no further frames. When I start airodump-ng *after*  hostapd, I
don't see this.

I tried something else, too. I manually set all parameters on my client via

iwconfig ath0 essid testing123 channel 1 ap 00:1f:c6:xx:xx:xx

I then set IP addresses on both ends and tried to ping, but I didn't work.

How can I tickle more debug messages out of the rt73usb driver? I tried
setting debug described in
"http://rt2x00.serialmonkey.com/wiki/index.php?title=README#Module_options:",
but rt73usb doesn't accept the debug parameter, and
/sys/module/rt73usb/parameter/debug doesn't exist. :(

(This does look more like a rt2x00 problem, doesn't it? If yes, we maybe
should move to the rt2x00 mailing list.)


Kind regards and thank you for your help,
Lee