# hostapd prism54 trouble [UNSOLVED]

## alex.blackbit

hi,

i have a

```
00:0e.0 Network controller: Intersil Corporation ISL3890 [Prism GT/Prism Duette]/ISL3886 [Prism Javelin/Prism Xbow] (rev 01)
```

with the appropriate kernel options, at least i think so. i get

```
# iwconfig eth4             

eth4      IEEE 802.11b/g  ESSID:"blackbit"  

          Mode:Master  Frequency:2.422 GHz  Access Point: 00:04:E2:80:EE:66   

          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=31 dBm   Sensitivity=20/200  

          Retry short limit:8   RTS thr=2347 B   Fragment thr=2346 B   

          Encryption key:off

          Link Quality:41  Signal level:0  Noise level:221

          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0

          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

#
```

but when i start hostapd it fails with

```
# hostapd /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf 

Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

ioctl(SIOCGIFINDEX): No such device

prism54 driver initialization failed.

rmdir[ctrl_interface]: No such file or directory

ELOOP: remaining socket: sock=3 eloop_data=0x80b7630 user_data=(nil) handler=0x807dff0

ELOOP: remaining socket: sock=4 eloop_data=0x80b7d70 user_data=(nil) handler=0x807db20

#
```

i don't have an idea why driver init fails here.

my config

```
# grep -v "^#" hostapd.conf|grep -v "^$"

interface=eth4

driver=prism54

logger_syslog=1

logger_syslog_level=2

logger_stdout=-1

logger_stdout_level=2

dump_file=/tmp/hostapd.dump

ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd

ctrl_interface_group=0

ssid=blackbit

hw_mode=g

channel=60

beacon_int=100

dtim_period=2

max_num_sta=255

rts_threshold=2347

fragm_threshold=2346

macaddr_acl=0

auth_algs=3

ignore_broadcast_ssid=0

wme_enabled=1

wme_ac_bk_cwmin=4

wme_ac_bk_cwmax=10

wme_ac_bk_aifs=7

wme_ac_bk_txop_limit=0

wme_ac_bk_acm=0

wme_ac_be_aifs=3

wme_ac_be_cwmin=4

wme_ac_be_cwmax=10

wme_ac_be_txop_limit=0

wme_ac_be_acm=0

wme_ac_vi_aifs=2

wme_ac_vi_cwmin=3

wme_ac_vi_cwmax=4

wme_ac_vi_txop_limit=94

wme_ac_vi_acm=0

wme_ac_vo_aifs=2

wme_ac_vo_cwmin=2

wme_ac_vo_cwmax=3

wme_ac_vo_txop_limit=47

wme_ac_vo_acm=0

eapol_key_index_workaround=0

eap_server=0

own_ip_addr=127.0.0.1

wpa=1

wpa_passphrase=xxx

wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

wpa_pairwise=TKIP CCMP

#
```

the wlan adapter is eth4 because 0-3 are a quad ethernet card.

if the kernel config is needed for something, ask.

any pointers welcome, thanks in advance.Last edited by alex.blackbit on Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## thestick

shouldn't you be using http://www.gentoo-wiki.info/Wireless/Access_point#Prism54 instead of kernel support?

----------

## alex.blackbit

i do not understand what you mean, thestick.

are you talking about the driver module in portage?

it is masked, and i am sure that has a good reason.

the driver in the kernel seems to it's job.

what argumentation could be found for not using it?

currently i think that maybe hostapd does not work with mac80211.

----------

## thestick

i guess you're right, there's no reason to use the modules in portage.

what kernel do you have ?

have you followed http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/p54#Enablingp54 ?

```
cat /etc/conf.d/hostapd
```

, please.

----------

## alex.blackbit

```
# cat /etc/conf.d/hostapd 

# Space separated List of interfaces which needs to be started before

# hostapd

INTERFACES="eth4"

# Space separated list of configuration files

CONFIGS="/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf"

# Extra options to pass to hostapd, see hostapd(8)

OPTIONS=""

#
```

i just rebooted with the deprecated wlan stack enabled. same result.

----------

## alex.blackbit

bump.

anybody with ideas?

----------

## Paczesiowa

try disabling wme, I had many problems with it that all disappeared after turning it off.

----------

## alex.blackbit

thanks for the tip, but unfortunately this did not change anything in my case.

----------

## thestick

hostapd -dd /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

maybe this will show more info?

----------

## alex.blackbit

```
# hostapd -dd /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf 

Configuration file: /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

ctrl_interface_group=0

Opening raw packet socket for ifindex 7

ioctl(SIOCGIFINDEX): No such device

prism54 driver initialization failed.

eth4: Unable to setup interface.

Flushing old station entries

Deauthenticate all stations

rmdir[ctrl_interface]: No such file or directory

ELOOP: remaining socket: sock=3 eloop_data=0x80b7630 user_data=(nil) handler=0x807dff0

ELOOP: remaining socket: sock=4 eloop_data=0x80b7d70 user_data=(nil) handler=0x807db20

#
```

i am afraid this doesn't bring a lot of light in the dark cave of hostapd.

----------

## swanson

There are two drivers for Prism cards, prism54 for FullMAC cards such as yours (and mine) and p54 for SoftMAC cards but which can also be used with FullMAC cards.

I presume you're trying to setup the card as an access point. Unfortunately the prism54 driver and hostapd do not support each other so you would have to use the p54 driver with hostapd I believe. However the prism54 driver can act as an access point without hostapd, as the firmware does all the work, but you wouldn't have WPA/WPA2 and don't even bother with WEP.

For security I use IPSEC between my systems so my access point is unencrypted for anybody in the neighbour to download media (no internet access though). My configuration is roughly;

```
config_wlan0=( "123.123.123.123 broadcast 123.123.123.255 netmask 255.255.255.0" )

mode_wlan0="master"

essid_wlan0="Access Point"

channel_wlan0="6"
```

Since prism54 driver is going away you might as well use the p54 driver.

----------

