Asus PCE-AC88 with hostapd - Revision history

Jan at 21:28, 10 December 2018

2018-12-10T21:28:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:28, 10 December 2018
Line 329:		Line 329:

	== hostapd ==		== hostapd ==
	~~Not yet~~...		<nowiki>
			interface=wlp66s0
			bridge=br0
			driver=nl80211

			ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd
			ctrl_interface_group=0

			##### IEEE 802.11
			ssid=ThisIsMySSID
			country_code=DE
			ieee80211d=1
			ieee80211h=1
			hw_mode=a
			channel=60
			auth_algs=1
			wmm_enabled=1

			##### IEEE 802.11n
			ieee80211n=1
			ht_capab=[HT40-] [SHORT-GI-40] [DSSS_CCK-40]

			##### IEEE 802.11ac
			ieee80211ac=1
			vht_capab=[VHT160] [SHORT-GI-80] [SHORT-GI-160] [BF-ANTENNA-4] [SOUNDING-DIMENSION-4] [MU-BEAMFORMER] [MU-BEAMFORMEE]
			vht_oper_chwidth=1
			vht_oper_centr_freq_seg0_idx=66

			##### WPA/IEEE 802.11i
			wpa=2
			wpa_passphrase=ThisIsMyPassword
			wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
			rsn_pairwise=CCMP
			</nowiki>

Jan at 13:03, 9 December 2018

2018-12-09T13:03:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 9 December 2018
Line 1:		Line 1:
	== Intro ==		== Intro ==
	For several years i've been using [https://w1.fi/hostapd/ hostapd] on my home server to create a Wifi access point for all my devices, but due to a recent replacement of the server's hardware, i needed to get a new Wifi adapter as the new mainboard didn't have an PCI slot anymore.		For several years i've been using [https://w1.fi/hostapd/ hostapd] on my home server to create a Wifi access point for all my devices, but due to a recent replacement of the server's hardware, i needed to get a new Wifi adapter as the new mainboard didn't have a PCI slot anymore.

	After initially buying a [https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-11_Archer-T9E.html TP-Link Archer T9E], which needs a closed-source driver and doesn't even support master (AP) mode, i (finally!) did a bit more research and found the [https://www.asus.com/Networking/PCE-AC88/ Asus PCE-AC88] to be a worthy, albeit expensive, candidate.		After initially buying a [https://www.tp-link.com/us/products/details/cat-11_Archer-T9E.html TP-Link Archer T9E], which needs a closed-source driver and doesn't even support master (AP) mode, i (finally!) did a bit more research and found the [https://www.asus.com/Networking/PCE-AC88/ Asus PCE-AC88] to be a worthy, albeit expensive, candidate.

Jan at 13:01, 9 December 2018

2018-12-09T13:01:54Z

@@ Line 305: / Line 305: @@
                     total <= 4, #channels <= 1, STA/AP BI must match
          Device supports scan flush.
 </nowiki>
 == hostapd ==
 Not yet...

Jan at 10:12, 9 December 2018

2018-12-09T10:12:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:12, 9 December 2018
Line 32:		Line 32:
	00000000: 00f2 3eb8 04f2 b0bf 04f2 bbbf 04f2 c6bf ..>.............		00000000: 00f2 3eb8 04f2 b0bf 04f2 bbbf 04f2 c6bf ..>.............

	Now that we know that we're looking for the bytes <code>00 F2 3E B8</code>, we can use <code>binwalk</code> to look for those bytes in the kernel module ~~we extracted~~:		Now that we know that we're looking for the bytes <code>00 F2 3E B8</code>, we can use <code>binwalk</code> to look for the position of those bytes in the kernel module:

	$ binwalk -R "\x00\xf2\x3e\xb8\x04\xf2" dhd.ko		$ binwalk -R "\x00\xf2\x3e\xb8\x04\xf2" dhd.ko

Jan at 16:11, 8 December 2018

2018-12-08T16:11:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:11, 8 December 2018
Line 306:		Line 306:
	Device supports scan flush.		Device supports scan flush.
	</nowiki>		</nowiki>

			== hostapd ==
			Not yet...

Jan at 13:30, 8 December 2018

2018-12-08T13:30:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:30, 8 December 2018
Line 88:		Line 88:
	\| FWID \|\| 01-ef91d5ac		\| FWID \|\| 01-ef91d5ac
	\|}		\|}


	==== Installation ====		==== Installation ====

Jan: /* Extraction */

2018-12-08T13:30:34Z

Extraction

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
   $ strings brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin_10.10.122.47 | grep Version
 c0-roml/pcie-ag-splitrx-fdap-mbss-mfp-wnm-osen-wl11k-wl11u-txbf-pktctx-amsdutx-ampduretry-chkd2hdma-proptxstatus-11nprop-obss-dbwsw-ringer-dmaindex16-bgdfs-stamon-hostpmac-murx-splitassoc-hostmemucode-dyn160-txpwr-stamon Version: 10.10.122.47 CRC: 13f8b3a1 Date: Tue 2018-08-14 10:45:51 CST FWID 01-ef91d5ac
 ==== Installation ====

Jan: /* Extraction */

2018-12-08T13:26:28Z

Extraction

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:26, 8 December 2018
Line 69:		Line 69:
	==== Extraction ====		==== Extraction ====
	We have the kernel module, we know where the firmware starts, and we know the size of it, so now we can use <code>dd</code> to extract the section that we think is is the firmware from the kernel module:		We have the kernel module, we know where the firmware starts, and we know the size of it, so now we can use <code>dd</code> to extract the section that we think is is the firmware from the kernel module:
	$ dd if=dhd.ko skip=${OFFSET} ibs=1 count=${SIZE} of=brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin		$ dd if=dhd.ko skip=${OFFSET} ibs=1 count=${SIZE} of=brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin

			This is not necessary, but let's get the full details about the firmware we just extracted:
			$ strings brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin_10.10.122.47 \| grep Version
			4366c0-roml/pcie-ag-splitrx-fdap-mbss-mfp-wnm-osen-wl11k-wl11u-txbf-pktctx-amsdutx-ampduretry-chkd2hdma-proptxstatus-11nprop-obss-dbwsw-ringer-dmaindex16-bgdfs-stamon-hostpmac-murx-splitassoc-hostmemucode-dyn160-txpwr-stamon Version: 10.10.122.47 CRC: 13f8b3a1 Date: Tue 2018-08-14 10:45:51 CST FWID 01-ef91d5ac

	==== Installation ====		==== Installation ====

Jan at 13:18, 8 December 2018

2018-12-08T13:18:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:18, 8 December 2018
Line 11:		Line 11:


	== ~~Howto~~ ==		== Firmware ==
	The first step is to download the current [https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC88U/HelpDesk_Download/ firmware package] for the Asus RT-AC88U - which is the Asus Wifi router with the same chip in it. Why? It also runs Linux, so it obviously also needs the firmware for that chip! You can pick any OS (e.g. "Others") from the dropdown menu, as long as you download the file below "Firmware". For me that was version <code>3.0.0.4.384.45149</code>, released just 2 days ago.		The first step is to download the current [https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC88U/HelpDesk_Download/ firmware package] for the Asus RT-AC88U - which is the Asus Wifi router with the same chip in it. Why? It also runs Linux, so it obviously also needs the firmware for that chip! You can pick any OS (e.g. "Others") from the dropdown menu, as long as you download the file below "Firmware". For me that was version <code>3.0.0.4.384.45149</code>, released just 2 days ago.

Line 65:		Line 65:
	$ echo ${SIZE}		$ echo ${SIZE}
	1094481		1094481


	==== Extraction ====		==== Extraction ====
Line 97:		Line 98:

	==== Verification ====		==== Verification ====
			Run the command below, and if you get a similar output you now have a working PCE-AC88.
	<nowiki>		<nowiki>
	$ iw phy#1 info		$ iw phy#0 info
	Wiphy ~~phy1~~		Wiphy phy0
	max # scan SSIDs: 10		max # scan SSIDs: 10
	max scan IEs length: 2048 bytes		max scan IEs length: 2048 bytes

Jan at 13:11, 8 December 2018

2018-12-08T13:11:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:11, 8 December 2018
Line 9:		Line 9:

	Fortunately i'm not the only person with issues like this, so there were other people who figured out ways how to get a firmware if there is no official source for it. So here's how i did it...		Fortunately i'm not the only person with issues like this, so there were other people who figured out ways how to get a firmware if there is no official source for it. So here's how i did it...


	== Howto ==		== Howto ==
	The first step is to download the current [https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC88U/HelpDesk_Download/ firmware package] for the Asus RT-AC88U - which is the Asus Wifi router with the same chip in it. Why? It also runs Linux, so it obviously also needs the firmware for that chip! You can pick any OS (e.g. "Others") from the dropdown menu, as long as you download the file below "Firmware". For me that was version <code>3.0.0.4.384.45149</code>, released just 2 days ago.		The first step is to download the current [https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC88U/HelpDesk_Download/ firmware package] for the Asus RT-AC88U - which is the Asus Wifi router with the same chip in it. Why? It also runs Linux, so it obviously also needs the firmware for that chip! You can pick any OS (e.g. "Others") from the dropdown menu, as long as you download the file below "Firmware". For me that was version <code>3.0.0.4.384.45149</code>, released just 2 days ago.


	==== Preparation ====		==== Preparation ====
Line 22:		Line 24:

	This will give you the file <code>dhd.ko</code> in the current directory. This is not the firmware, but, as mentioned before, only a kernel module containing the firmware.		This will give you the file <code>dhd.ko</code> in the current directory. This is not the firmware, but, as mentioned before, only a kernel module containing the firmware.


	==== Investigation ====		==== Investigation ====
Line 66:		Line 69:
	We have the kernel module, we know where the firmware starts, and we know the size of it, so now we can use <code>dd</code> to extract the section that we think is is the firmware from the kernel module:		We have the kernel module, we know where the firmware starts, and we know the size of it, so now we can use <code>dd</code> to extract the section that we think is is the firmware from the kernel module:
	$ dd if=dhd.ko skip=${OFFSET} ibs=1 count=${SIZE} of=brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin		$ dd if=dhd.ko skip=${OFFSET} ibs=1 count=${SIZE} of=brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin


	==== Installation ====		==== Installation ====
Line 71:		Line 75:
	$ cp brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin /lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin		$ cp brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin /lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac4366c-pcie.bin

	==== Initialization ===
			==== Initialization ====
	You probably have the <code>brcmfmac</code> module still loaded, so let's unload and reload it:		You probably have the <code>brcmfmac</code> module still loaded, so let's unload and reload it:
	$ modprobe -r brcmfmac		$ modprobe -r brcmfmac
Line 90:		Line 95:
	[62449.767104] brcmfmac 0000:42:00.0 wlp66s0: renamed from wlan0</nowiki>		[62449.767104] brcmfmac 0000:42:00.0 wlp66s0: renamed from wlan0</nowiki>


			==== Verification ====
	<nowiki>		<nowiki>
	$ iw phy#1 info		$ iw phy#1 info