simple AP with hostapd

Notes on configuring transient WiFi APs with linux and hostapd



hostapd config

node9:~# cat /etc/hostapd/hostapd.wlan0.conf |grep -v "#"
interface=wlan0
driver=nl80211
logger_syslog=-1
logger_syslog_level=2
logger_stdout=-1
logger_stdout_level=2
debug=4
ctrl_interface=/var/run/hostapd.wlan0
ctrl_interface_group=0
channel=6
hw_mode=g
macaddr_acl=0
auth_algs=3
eapol_key_index_workaround=0
eap_server=0
wpa=3
ssid=node9
wpa_passphrase=incellll
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
wpa_pairwise=TKIP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP

To enable 802.11n add to the hostapd.conf

ieee80211n=1
wmm_enabled=1

and do not change

hw_mode=g

go

node9:~# hostapd /etc/hostapd/hostapd.wlan0.conf 

or run the hostapd deamon in the background

node9# hostapd -B /etc/hostapd/hostapd.wlan0.conf

Connect to node9

node7:~# wpa_supplicant -i wlan1 -c <(wpa_passphrase node9 incellll)

or put wpa_supplicant in the background

node7:~# wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan1 -c <(wpa_passphrase node9 incellll)

Check the client's wireless interface

node7:~# iwconfig wlan1
wlan1     IEEE 802.11abgn  ESSID:"node9"  
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 30:14:4A:15:B7:94   
          Bit Rate=54 Mb/s   Tx-Power=27 dBm   
          Retry  long limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=64/70  Signal level=-46 dBm  
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:20   Missed beacon:0

List the AP client(s)

node9:~# iw dev wlan0 station dump 
Station 30:14:4a:15:bb:72 (on wlan0)
 inactive time: 2893 ms
 rx bytes: 871
 rx packets: 22
 tx bytes: 537
 tx packets: 3
 tx retries: 0
 tx failed: 0
 signal:   -42 dBm
 signal avg: -46 dBm
 tx bitrate: 1.0 MBit/s
 authorized: yes
 authenticated: yes
 preamble: short
 WMM/WME: no
 MFP:  no
 TDLS peer:  no

Network

node9:~# ifconfig wlan0 192.168.10.9/24
node7:~# ifconfig wlan1 192.168.10.7/24
node7:~# ping -c 1 192.168.10.9
PING 192.168.10.9 (192.168.10.9) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 192.168.10.9: icmp_req=1 ttl=64 time=1.66 ms

--- 192.168.10.9 ping statistics ---
1 packets transmitted, 1 received, 0% packet loss, time 0ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 1.668/1.668/1.668/0.000 ms