I'm trying to set up my Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ as an access point with an access point with a WiFi dongle.
I'm following this tutorial : https://elinux.org/RPI-Wireless-Hotspot.
I can set up the access point with the dongle EP-N8508GS, but when I try with the TL-WN722N, I have this error:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo service hostapd start
Job for hostapd.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status hostapd.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
It seems to be a problem with the nl80211 driver but I don't really understand why it works with the first dongle but not with the other one. I want to try with the tp-link dongle because the first one doesn't support AP-mode and crash the kernell when a device try to connect.
$ service hostapd status
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ service hostapd status
● hostapd.service - Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.1X/WPA/WPA2/EAP Authenticator
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/hostapd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: activating (auto-restart) (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2019-05-06 03:49:27 BST; 1
Process: 1103 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/hostapd -P /run/hostapd.pid -B $DAEMON_OPTS ${DAEMON_CONF
May 06 03:49:27 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Control process exited, code=exited
May 06 03:49:27 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.
May 06 03:49:27 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Unit entered failed state.
May 06 03:49:27 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
$ journalctl -xe
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ journalctl -xe
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/ass
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: nl80211 driver initialization failed.
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi hostapd[619]: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't star
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Control process exited, code=exited
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.
-- Subject: Unit hostapd.service has failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
--
-- Unit hostapd.service has failed.
--
-- The result is failed.
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Unit entered failed state.
May 06 04:10:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduli
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Stopped Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.1X/WPA/W
-- Subject: Unit hostapd.service has finished shutting down
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
--
-- Unit hostapd.service has finished shutting down.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Starting Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.1X/WPA/
-- Subject: Unit hostapd.service has begun start-up
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
--
-- Unit hostapd.service has begun starting up.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/ass
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: nl80211 driver initialization failed.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi hostapd[621]: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't star
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Control process exited, code=exited
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.
-- Subject: Unit hostapd.service has failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
--
-- Unit hostapd.service has failed.
--
-- The result is failed.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Unit entered failed state.
May 06 04:10:25 raspberrypi systemd[1]: hostapd.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
And my config :
/lib/systemd/system/hostapd.service
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /lib/systemd/system/hostapd.service
[Unit]
Description=Advanced IEEE 802.11 AP and IEEE 802.1X/WPA/WPA2/EAP Authenticator
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=forking
PIDFile=/run/hostapd.pid
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=2
EnvironmentFile=/etc/default/hostapd
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/hostapd -P /run/hostapd.pid -B $DAEMON_OPTS ${DAEMON_CONF}
/etc/default/hostapd
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /etc/default/hostapd
# Defaults for hostapd initscript
#
# See /usr/share/doc/hostapd/README.Debian for information about alternative
# methods of managing hostapd.
#
# Uncomment and set DAEMON_CONF to the absolute path of a hostapd configuration
# file and hostapd will be started during system boot. An example configuration
# file can be found at /usr/share/doc/hostapd/examples/hostapd.conf.gz
#
DAEMON_CONF="/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf"
# Additional daemon options to be appended to hostapd command:-
# -d show more debug messages (-dd for even more)
# -K include key data in debug messages
# -t include timestamps in some debug messages
#
# Note that -B (daemon mode) and -P (pidfile) options are automatically
# configured by the init.d script and must not be added to DAEMON_OPTS.
#
#DAEMON_OPTS=""
/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf
interface=wlan0
ssid=MyAP
hw_mode=g
channel=1
auth_algs=1
ieee80211n=1 # 802.11n support
wmm_enabled=1 # QoS support
ht_capab=[HT40+][SHORT-GI-20][DSSS_CCK-40]
journalctlturns off line wrapping, so the likely culprit "nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/ass" is missing important parts. I suggest to runhostapddirectly from the commandline (with all options) for easier debugging.iw phyfor both devices and looking at "supported interface modes" etc. might also turn up something. It works for one device and not for the other because on the second device something vital (e.g. authentication) doesn't work, while it does on the first one.