Re: Suggestions for a wireless chipset for 802.11s and/or hostap mode

On Fri, 14 Jun 2024, Shawn Webb wrote:

> Hey Bjoern,
>
> Thank you for taking the time to respond!
>
> On Fri, Jun 14, 2024 at 08:31:10PM +0000, Bjoern A. Zeeb wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Jun 2024, Shawn Webb wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, Jun 13, 2024 at 11:21:22PM +0000, Shawn Webb wrote:
>>>> Hey all,
>>>>
>>>> Given either an m.2 or mPCIe interface, what would be my best option
>>>> for a wireless network adapter that, at a minimum, supports hostap
>>>> mode? Hoping for 802.11n or 802.11ac for hostap mode.
>>
>> 11n the options are documented for the drivers and nothing has changed
>> in years.  Theres a few options to pick from if you want hostap.
>> Most of that hardware is a decade old.
>>
>> 11ac nothing there yet.
>>
>>>> I know mesh networking isn't supported (yet) on FreeBSD. I'm hoping
>>
>> Sorry, but mesh is in FreeBSD (or at least a state of it) and has been
>> for ages.  People used to use it on research in the past.
>> I believe it is even compiled in by default these days:
>>
>> % grep -r MESH sys/*/conf/*
>> sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC:options  IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH  # enable 802.11s draft support
>> sys/i386/conf/GENERIC:options   IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH  # enable 802.11s draft support
>> sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC:options        IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH
>> sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64:options      IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH  # enable 802.11s draft support
>> sys/powerpc/conf/GENERIC64LE:options    IEEE80211_SUPPORT_MESH  # enable 802.11s draft support
>
> Back in 2018, 802.11s support wasn't functionally complete.

No bit of our wireless implementation is or ever will be.

> I had
> tried to set up a mesh network with multiple PC-Engines devices, each
> using an ath(4) card.

What you do not mention, did it work or did you not manage to get
anything working?


> Consulting the resident wifi guru back then,
> Adrian Chadd, I learned that the wireless mesh implementation still
> had a long ways to go before it could be used in production.
>
> Has something changed since then?

What he said then.  No.


> I have a couple PC-Engines devices with ath(4) cards gathering dust.
> Perhaps I'll try a test deployment of 802.11s and report back.
>
> Thanks,
>
>

-- 
Bjoern A. Zeeb                                                     r15:7