Hot-Spot Fallback Mode - WPA Password?

[HB9EUE]

Hi

After I initially set up my Pi-Star to connect to my home network, I now took it somewhere else. From the description of the AP mode, I assumed it would start a unencrypted AP like on the initial setup mode.

It did not, well it did start a hot-spot with SSID pi-star but with a WPA Key set. Unfortunately I am unable to find that password. It's not the password of the 'pi-star' user, nor the default pi-star password (too short) nor the password I set for the root user, nor the WPA Key I have set up to connect to my home network.

Google was no help yet. Does anyone know what the password of the fallback AP mode is?

73 from Hamradio 2018
-Benoit-

[KE0FHS]

1. On a Windows, Mac, or Linux-based computer (not the hotspot) that has WiFi enabled, look in the WiFi settings to find the Pi-Star access point, and then select it to connect to it:
   • If you're starting Pi-Star for the first time, it'll be named "Pi-Star-Setup."
   • If this isn't the first time, but you need to connect to a new WiFi network, it'll be named using the hotspot's hostname, by default, "pi-star" (or whatever you changed it to in the General Configuration section).
2. Enter the Pi-Star Auto AP password: raspberry.

[HB9EUE]

Ok, I'm suspecting I have an idea for the cause of my problem...

Of course I changed the default pi-star password, as my pi-star is reachable from the internet... Sensible thing to do, change all default password of your IOT Devices will be hacked!

My password is somewhat shorten than 'raspberry'. A WPA Key needs to be some minimal length, I don't know exactly how long but I know the password that I set for the pi-star user is shorter than that because when I did try this as a password WPA-Gui told me it was too short.

So, supposedly... if you change the password for the pi-star user, that password is also configured as the WPA-Key for the fallback hotspot mode, than that fallback hotspot mode probably won't work because the key is too short!

I'll re-test with a longer password for the pi-star user and see if this becomes the WPA Key for hotspot mode.

If this is the case => Bugreport: Enforce minimal password length for the pi-star user to be >= minimal length for a WPA key!

73
Benoit

[KE0FHS]

I'm not sure I understand all of your reply, but the password for Auto AP is raspberry, and it does not change if you change your Remote Access Password, the one used to enter Admin mode.

I agree with you that changing the Remote Access Password is a sensible thing to do; in fact, I'd argue it's an essential thing to do.

[MW0MWZ]

Changing the password does not currently change the password for Auto AP mode - that needs adding to the dashboard - and is coming soon...

[HB9EUE]

root@pi-star(ro):etc# cat hostapd/hostapd.conf
interface=wlan0_ap
ssid=pi-star
hw_mode=g
macaddr_acl=0
auth_algs=1
channel=6
wpa=2
wpa_passphrase=raspberry
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
wpa_pairwise=TKIP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP

Confirmed, so I must have been mistyping that password and then given up on it... thank you for clarifying.