WiFi issues, after major update...

[G0WBX]

... to both the underlying Linux OS, and Pi-Star code etc.

Hi.

Long time member, small time user.

Pi-Star built with a wired LAN + 3xUSB ports card (works well.) OLED display, and one of the Pimoroni on/off shims.
Used exclusivly for RAYNET UK DMR. No other modes or networks setup.

This I found a while back, was stuck in an update loop, trying to update the underlying OS, and failing due to the OS (Buster) being now known as "Old-Stable", so even a manual "sudo apt update" etc would fail. So, decided to flash a new card with the latest download seemingly based on Bulseye, from the Pi-Star site. That was downloaded earlier this week.

The file "Pi-Star_RPi_V4.2.1_17-Feb-2024.zip" pulled on Monday April the 15th at 15:53, according to this desktop's records.

That all went well. A day later, I "Restored" my saved configuration backup, and it all came to life.

The instalation of the needed drivers for the On/Off shim went well too, using the wired network for WAN access, as does the DMR system itself, including the DMR "Parrot" that replies to me with no dropouts etc. (We live in a WiFi "soup" here what with all the neighbors, so WiFi is notoriously unreliable unless you sit next to our own router, a dirty great Draytek thing, hence the use of Wired LAN for the hotspot when in the shack..)

However. I find with this new system, that the WiFi subsystem is, err... "Not usefull" in the extreme. (I was going to say "B******d!" but that might upset some tender folk.

OK, so the WiFi passkeys (the configuration backup utility says) are not saved. But "Something" was imported when that backup was loaded into the "new" system, and worse.. I can't get any changes to the WiFi setup to "stick". (Accessing the dashboard and config' pages via the wired LAN at pi-star.local just fine.

The Pi-Star setup WiFi-AP that appears with no other network connection when it's first powered up, is also unable to be used, by either of two phones, or two laptops. (All, could use it with the old system.) They connect, but you can't "do" anything with it, then the AP vanishes...

Even worse than that, accessing the configuration screen over the wired network, I can't even successfully make changes to, or even "delete" any existing known WiFi network, let alone add a new one. The scan works and all local (and many not so local!) WiFi AP's are seen just fine, just that I can't actually use them with the PiStar. (Yes, I have the login credentials for "My" systems.)

I have (and it still works with the old version SDcard in place) settings to use a phone as a WiFi hotspot, and had the setup AP password protected too, of course I do know the password!. All that still works with the old card, but with the new OS/Pi-Star combination it seems is impossible to set all that up.

Also, the old system would (for WAN access) support either of my Android phones "tethered" by USB (just like any other Linux machine I have, no drivers needed, it's all in the kernel it seems) or use a phone's WiFi hotspot. The new version doesnt want to do any of that.. (The phones of course tell you when something is connected, nothing ever is, but I can use each phone by WiFi as a network access portal, for the other on, well, I had to check, and yes, on the client phone each time, it was taken off the mobile network, proving that it was using WiFi from the other phone, so both are able to work as fully funcitonal WiFi hotspots, not that I can configure the Pi-Star new system to do so!.)

Was someone in the past "doing bad things" with tethering (by WiFi or USB) so it's all been blocked, or ???

Comments, questions, answers, whatever are welcome, I've spent two days on this, unlike 20 minutes when I first assembled a Pi-Star a few years back, and got it all working first time..

I'll check back in a few days.

73.

Dave G0WBX (and/or G8KBV while Ofcom don't notice.)