Wifi problems

[andyjohnson]

@andyjohnson

> Random thought - Does your passphrase contain any special characters?

No. Numerals and upper-case letters only.

I'll check the logs that you suggested tonight.

Thanks!

[Tim Curtis]

Is the Pi in a metal enclosure that would attenuate or block the WiFi signal?

Here's some useful commands to check the status of the wlan0 interface on the Pi

Code:

ifconfig

iwconfig

nmcli

nmcli device show wlan0

sudo nmcli d wifi list ifname wlan0

[Nutul]

What WIFI level are we talking about? Are both interfaces capable (well... check the RPi if its wi-fi is compliant to the level your router is set to)
I mean, wifi 4 / 5 / 6

[andyjohnson]

The case is metal -- one of these https://www.hifiberry.com/blog/new-hifib...-pi4-amp2/. But if I click the scan button in the wifi settings then it lists the SSIDs of various local wifi networks, including my "Polygon" hub and one that (from the name) I'm fairly sure is a couple of hundred metres away. So I'm pretty confident that wifi reception isn't being affected.

I ran the commands that you suggested:

Code:

andy@moode:~ $ ifconfig
eth0: flags=4163<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        inet 192.168.1.208  netmask 255.255.255.0  broadcast 192.168.1.255
        inet6 fe80::c540:2076:c18e:4561  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        ether dc:a6:32:f7:e8:49  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 1488  bytes 273760 (267.3 KiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 1  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 739  bytes 821139 (801.8 KiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 4 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

wlan0: flags=4099<UP,BROADCAST,MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        ether dc:a6:32:f7:e8:4b  txqueuelen 1000  (Ethernet)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

andy@moode:~ $ iwconfig
lo        no wireless extensions.

eth0      no wireless extensions.

wlan0     IEEE 802.11  ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed  Access Point: Not-Associated   Tx-Power=31 dBm
          Retry short limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Power Management:on

andy@moode:~ $ nmcli
eth0: connected to Wired connection 1
        "eth0"
        ethernet (bcmgenet), DC:A6:32:F7:E8:49, hw, mtu 1500
        ip4 default
        inet4 192.168.1.208/24
        route4 192.168.1.0/24 metric 100
        route4 default via 192.168.1.1 metric 100
        inet6 fe80::c540:2076:c18e:4561/64
        route6 fe80::/64 metric 1024

lo: connected (externally) to lo
        "lo"
        loopback (unknown), 00:00:00:00:00:00, sw, mtu 65536
        inet4 127.0.0.1/8
        inet6 ::1/128

wlan0: disconnected
        "Broadcom BCM43438 combo and Bluetooth Low Energy"
        1 connection available
        wifi (brcmfmac), DC:A6:32:F7:E8:4B, hw, mtu 1500

p2p-dev-wlan0: disconnected
        "p2p-dev-wlan0"
        wifi-p2p, hw

DNS configuration:
        servers: 192.168.1.1
        domains: lan
        interface: eth0

andy@moode:~ $ nmcli device show wlan0
GENERAL.DEVICE:                         wlan0
GENERAL.TYPE:                           wifi
GENERAL.HWADDR:                         DC:A6:32:F7:E8:4B
GENERAL.MTU:                            1500
GENERAL.STATE:                          30 (disconnected)
GENERAL.CONNECTION:                     --
GENERAL.CON-PATH:                       --
IP4.GATEWAY:                            --
IP6.GATEWAY:                            --

andy@moode:~ $ sudo nmcli d wifi list ifname wlan0
IN-USE  BSSID              SSID               MODE   CHAN  RATE        SIGNAL  BARS  SECURITY
        B8:BE:F4:AE:5B:94  Polygon            Infra  9     130 Mbit/s  87      ▂▄▆█  WPA2 WPA3
        D6:35:1D:CA:C5:11  ***********        Infra  11    130 Mbit/s  84      ▂▄▆█  WPA2
        00:22:6C:34:74:98  ************       Infra  11    65 Mbit/s   70      ▂▄▆_  WPA1 WPA2
        D6:35:1D:CA:C5:1A  **************     Infra  52    540 Mbit/s  62      ▂▄▆_  WPA2
        D6:35:1D:CA:C5:1B  --                 Infra  52    540 Mbit/s  62      ▂▄▆_  WPA2
        B0:0A:D5:FB:26:E9  *****************  Infra  40    270 Mbit/s  35      ▂▄__  WPA2
        0A:C7:F5:9F:BD:CF  --                 Infra  108   405 Mbit/s  30      ▂___  WPA2
        0A:C7:F5:9F:BD:CC  ***********        Infra  108   405 Mbit/s  29      ▂___  WPA2

(I've *** redacted the other SSIDs in the above output).

From the above it looks like the wlan hasn't sent or received and data, and isn't associated with the wifi hub. And thts about all I can get from it.

I've triple-checked the wifi password.

I'm genuinely not sure what else to try. Grateful for suggestions or observations.

Andy

[andyjohnson]

Hi Kent,

Thanks for your suggestion re the logs. There's too much to post here, but I'm seeing the following occurring once:

May 13 13:00:05 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: WPS-PBC-ACTIVE
May 13 13:00:05 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137605.5794] device (wlan0): Activation: (wifi) connection 'pre>
May 13 13:00:05 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: WPS-CANCEL

Followed by multiple occurrences of:

May 13 13:00:05 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137605.6028] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: discon>
May 13 13:00:05 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137605.6029] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management inte>
May 13 13:00:05 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: Trying to associate with b8:be:f4:ae:5b:94 (SSID='Polygon' freq=2452 >
May 13 13:00:05 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137605.6616] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: scanni>
May 13 13:00:05 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137605.6617] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management inte>
May 13 13:00:06 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=16
May 13 13:00:06 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137606.0629] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: associ>
May 13 13:00:06 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137606.0630] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management inte>
M

(the obove lines were truncated at '>'. I don't know why.)

Then the log ends with:

May 13 13:00:16 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=16
May 13 13:00:16 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-SSID-TEMP-DISABLED id=0 ssid="Polygon" auth_failures=1 duration=10 reason=CONN_FAILED
May 13 13:00:16 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137616.4997] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: associating -> disconnected
May 13 13:00:16 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137616.5000] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management interface state: associating -> disconnected
May 13 13:00:21 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137621.5187] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: disconnected -> scanning
May 13 13:00:21 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137621.5188] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management interface state: disconnected -> scanning
May 13 13:00:27 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-SSID-REENABLED id=0 ssid="Polygon"
May 13 13:00:27 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: Trying to associate with b8:be:f4:ae:5b:94 (SSID='Polygon' freq=2452 MHz)
May 13 13:00:27 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137627.1097] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: scanning -> associating
May 13 13:00:27 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137627.1098] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management interface state: scanning -> associating
May 13 13:00:27 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=16
May 13 13:00:27 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-SSID-TEMP-DISABLED id=0 ssid="Polygon" auth_failures=2 duration=20 reason=CONN_FAILED
May 13 13:00:27 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137627.4558] device (wlan0): supplicant interface state: associating -> disconnected
May 13 13:00:27 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1747137627.4559] device (p2p-dev-wlan0): supplicant management interface state: associating -> disconnected
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <warn>  [1749586898.0964] device (wlan0): Activation: (wifi) association took too long
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1749586898.0964] device (wlan0): state change: config -> need-auth (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1749586898.0968] sup-iface[0cebc14b3d6b32ae,0,wlan0]: wps: type pbc start...
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <warn>  [1749586898.0971] device (wlan0): Activation: (wifi) asking for new secrets
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <warn>  [1749586898.0975] device (wlan0): no secrets: No agents were available for this request.
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1749586898.0976] device (wlan0): state change: need-auth -> failed (reason 'no-secrets', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <warn>  [1749586898.0983] device (wlan0): Activation: failed for connection 'preconfigured'
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode NetworkManager[608]: <info>  [1749586898.0987] device (wlan0): state change: failed -> disconnected (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
Jun 10 21:21:38 moode wpa_supplicant[610]: wlan0: WPS-CANCEL
Jun 10 21:33:00 moode sudo[3570]:     andy : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/andy ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/nmcli d wifi list ifname wlan0

Clearly it has tried and failed to connect. I don't understand what status code 16 for CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT is, and I've run out of time tonight.

Grateful for any help/observations/suggestions.

Andy

[Klangraum]

wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=16
indicates that your wireless interface (wlan0) tried to associate with an access point (AP) but was rejected.
Here's a breakdown of the components:

Meaning of Key Parts
CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT: This event is triggered by wpa_supplicant to indicate that an association attempt was rejected.

bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00: The BSSID (MAC address of the AP) is either not reported properly or failed to be resolved.

status_code=16: This is a standardized 802.11 status code.

What is Status Code 16?
Status Code 16 = "Authentication rejected due to timeout waiting for next frame in sequence."

This typically means the AP rejected your authentication request due to timing issues, misconfiguration, or compatibility problems.

Possible Causes
excluded/allready tested (Incorrect Wi-Fi password or security settings.) 
Mismatch between the device’s and the AP’s authentication/encryption methods (e.g., WPA2 vs WPA3).
MAC filtering is enabled on the AP, and your device is not allowed.
(Driver/firmware issue on your Wi-Fi card.)
Access point bug or firmware issue.
HDMI, Usb-Interference
problematic wifi Channel (11/12)

[TheOldPresbyope]

@andyjohnson

So I got up this morning and found that @Klangraum has already analyzed your log output---and has done it more comprehensively that I would have. Nice! That's the value of the forum.

Before we go too far down that path, let's rule out a simple weak-signal issue

-removing the metal case if that's possible, or
-using an external USB-WiFi adapter if you have one.

Regards,
Kent

[andyjohnson]

wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=16
indicates that your wireless interface (wlan0) tried to associate with an access point (AP) but was rejected.
Here's a breakdown of the components:

Meaning of Key Parts
CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT: This event is triggered by wpa_supplicant to indicate that an association attempt was rejected.

bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00: The BSSID (MAC address of the AP) is either not reported properly or failed to be resolved.

status_code=16: This is a standardized 802.11 status code.

What is Status Code 16?
Status Code 16 = "Authentication rejected due to timeout waiting for next frame in sequence."

This typically means the AP rejected your authentication request due to timing issues, misconfiguration, or compatibility problems.

Possible Causes
excluded/allready tested (Incorrect Wi-Fi password or security settings.) 
Mismatch between the device’s and the AP’s authentication/encryption methods (e.g., WPA2 vs WPA3).
MAC filtering is enabled on the AP, and your device is not allowed.
(Driver/firmware issue on your Wi-Fi card.)
Access point bug or firmware issue.
HDMI, Usb-Interference
problematic wifi Channel (11/12)

Thanks!

Taking your "possible causes" in order:
- The Pi is using WPA2 and the hub is using "WPA2/WPA3 Personal" (have also tried it with "WPA2 Personal")
- MAC filtering is not being used
- The Devolo hub is running the latest firmware - v6.0.1 (2023-09-06)
- The Pi is running headless, so no hdmi. No usb cables, although it does have a usb thumb drive plugged-in. No plausibly interference-generating devices nearby. Pi is using a Raspberry Pi branded psu.
- Using wifi channel 9 on 2.4 GHz which, according to the wifi analyser app on my phone, is one of the less contended channels in my area. The hub is about 3 metres from the Pi.

I'm starting to think that the hardware or software my just be incompatible with the two wifi devices that I own. If I have time tomorrow I intend to (a) test it with the wifi hotspot on my phone, and (b) boot Raspbian on the Pi and see if it will connect to the Devolo hub. I'll post what I find.

Thanks again,

Andy

[andyjohnson]

@andyjohnson

So I got up this morning and found that @Klangraum has already analyzed your log output---and has done it more comprehensively that I would have. Nice! That's the value of the forum.

Before we go too far down that path, let's rule out a simple weak-signal issue

-removing the metal case if that's possible, or
-using an external USB-WiFi adapter if you have one.

Regards,
Kent

Thanks for the suggestions.

I removed the lid (top and two sides) from the case and oriented the open size towards the Devolo hub (which is only about three metres away) but it made no difference. 

I don't have an external adapter, but I might be able to source one. Would Moode's base distro use it in preference to the on-board radio?

Thanks again,

Andy

[Tim Curtis]

Did u try w/o the metal enclosure?

ETA: Its an easy test and if no change then it eliminates potential signal interference from the enclosure.