frequent associations

[Dan Williams]

On Fri, 2017-06-23 at 11:15 -0400, Brian J. Murrell wrote:
> For a given device on my network, a given OpenWRT AP reports very
> frequent associations:
> 
> Jun 23 08:23:07 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:23:07 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:23:07 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:30:33 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:30:33 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:30:33 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:32:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:35:43 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:35:43 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:35:43 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:38:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:38:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:38:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:40:29 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:40:29 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:40:29 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:43:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:43:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:43:08 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:49:43 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:49:43 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:49:44 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:52:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 08:57:53 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 08:57:53 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 08:57:53 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:00:54 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:00:54 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:00:54 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:02:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:04:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:04:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:04:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:11:18 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:11:18 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:11:18 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:12:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:14:52 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:14:52 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:14:52 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:16:59 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:16:59 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:16:59 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:20:52 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:20:52 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:20:53 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:22:25 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:23:39 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:23:39 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:23:39 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 09:54:00 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 09:54:00 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 09:54:00 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 10:16:17 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 10:16:17 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 10:16:17 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 10:40:14 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 10:40:14 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 10:40:14 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 11:02:02 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> authenticated
> Jun 23 11:02:02 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a IEEE 802.11:
> associated (aid 2)
> Jun 23 11:02:02 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA:
> pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
> Jun 23 11:02:24 gw hostapd: wlan1: STA 64:bc:0c:7f:97:9a WPA: group
> key handshake completed (RSN)
> 
> But notice also at the bottom, the frequency drops dramatically.
> 
> The client in question has been sitting right next to the AP during
> that whole time.
> 
> What is hostap telling me about this client?
> 
> Are the cause of this many associations the AP or the client?

Is the client doing some kind of power management, where it goes to
sleep and disconnects, but reconnects on wakeup, even if the screen (if
it has one) doesn't come on?

Dan


> Cheers,
> b.
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