[FS#241] ath9k strange behaviour since wireless-testing 2016-10-08

[LEDE Bugs]

A new Flyspray task has been opened.  Details are below. 

User who did this - Kevin Darbyshire-Bryant (kdarbyshirebryant) 

Attached to Project - LEDE Project
Summary - ath9k strange behaviour since wireless-testing 2016-10-08
Task Type - Bug Report
Category - Base system
Status - Unconfirmed
Assigned To - 
Operating System - All
Severity - Medium
Priority - Very Low
Reported Version - Trunk
Due in Version - Undecided
Due Date - Undecided
Details - Archer C7 v2

LEDE r1953 with/without ad51e09fd1301484820a466a49447a34d7504882.
   
I've encountered a difficult to pin down problem with certain devices interacting with recent revisions of LEDE.  The problem manifests as inability to stream video / 'sticky' web connections with certain clients...noticed mainly on ipads.  It also appears to affect only ath9k wireless interfaces.

I have 2 similarly configured Archer devices which I have built r1953 for.  One of those builds has the wireless update patch reverted but is identical in every other way.

When using the ipad with the wireless revert no streaming anomalies or oddness are noticed.  When using recent wireless update AP I encounter streaming issues.

Logs from the 2 APs are 'interesting':  The reverted (correctly behaving AP) sees:

Sat Oct 22 11:11:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 11:11:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 2)
Sat Oct 22 11:11:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 11:19:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 11:29:20 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 11:39:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 11:49:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 11:59:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 12:09:20 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 12:19:20 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 12:29:20 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 12:39:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 12:49:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)


The non-reverted (ie current wireless) sees this:
Sat Oct 22 20:09:48 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:09:48 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 3)
Sat Oct 22 20:09:48 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:13:07 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated due to local deauth request
Sat Oct 22 20:14:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:14:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 3)
Sat Oct 22 20:14:21 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:14:22 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:14:22 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 3)
Sat Oct 22 20:14:22 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:23:07 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated due to local deauth request
Sat Oct 22 20:23:23 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:23:23 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 1)
Sat Oct 22 20:23:23 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:23:24 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:23:24 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 1)
Sat Oct 22 20:23:24 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:33:07 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: deauthenticated due to local deauth request
Sat Oct 22 20:33:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:33:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 1)
Sat Oct 22 20:33:54 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Sat Oct 22 20:33:55 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: authenticated
Sat Oct 22 20:33:55 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd IEEE 802.11: associated (aid 1)
Sat Oct 22 20:33:55 2016 daemon.info hostapd: wlan1: STA ac:3c:0b:0c:e7:fd WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)


This is for the exact same client (ipad), powered in exactly the same way.  Others have reported odd behaviour with ath9k...I hadn't encountered it and didn't believe it until now.



More information can be found at the following URL:
https://bugs.lede-project.org/index.php?do=details&task_id=241