Auto AP does not start

[PC5E]

Hi all,

I have a Pi 2 Model B (1GB) - Sony, UK, with a cheap Wifi dongle. I can start Wifi config (when connected to a physical network connection) and it finds networks, but when I disconnect the physical network and restart the pi-star with no known networks in range the Auto AP does not start.

I read on a website that Auto AP needs a Rpi3 or Zero, which would explain things. But that info does not appear elsewhere.

What can be wrong here?

[M0GLJ]

Hi all,

I have a Pi 2 Model B (1GB) - Sony, UK, with a cheap Wifi dongle.

I read on a website that Auto AP needs a Rpi3 or Zero, which would explain things.

You have answered your own question

[PC5E]

Adrian, info on websites can be incorrect, that's why I asked.

[KI4LLA]

Depending on the brand of WiFi dongle and the chipset it uses, Access Point mode might not be supported. Hence, the on-board WiFi the RPi 3 and Pi Zero W have is recommended and supported.

[MW0MWZ]

AutoAP will work with some extra dongles, but far from all of them.
It depends greatly on the chipset; although we do occasionally run into chipsets that should work, but dont and we have to do some wrangling to make them fly.

Supported devices show up as:

ath5k
ath9k
ath9k_htc
b43
b43legacy
brcmfmac
carl9170
cw1200
iwlwifi
libertas_tf
mac80211_hwsim
mwifiex
mwl8k
p54spi
p54usb
rt73usb
rt2500usb
rt2800usb
vt6656
wil6210
wl12xx
zd1211rw
dhd
xradio_wlan
8188eu

The check AutoAP uses is:

Code: Select all

grep -c -E '(ath5k |ath9k |ath9k_htc |b43 |b43legacy |brcmfmac |carl9170 |cw1200 |iwlwifi |libertas_tf |mac80211_hwsim |mwifiex |mwl8k |p54spi |p54usb |rt73usb |rt2500usb |rt2800usb |vt6656 |wil6210 |wl12xx |zd1211rw |dhd |xradio_wlan |8188eu )' /proc/modules

If that comes back with a number greater than 0, your card *should* be supported.

[PC5E]

Andy, it does come back with 1. I checked /proc/modules by hand and there is a module named r8188eu listed, but the grep command searches for 8188eu. Do I have a supported unit (so *8181eu is fine) or is this just something the grep command can't handle?

Thanks for your help so far!

Robert/PC5E

[MW0MWZ]

I would assume that since the test passes, but AutoAP will not start, that my grep needs to be a little more precise

[PC5E]

Andy,

I assumed AutoAP does not start because the SSID did not became visible. How can I check if AutoAP *can* start? Can I force it to start when connected to a physical network connection?

Robert/PC5E