iwlwifi (Wi-Fi 6 AX 200) support

[Mel10das]

Hello,

my Wi-Fi 6 AX 200 is supported by the new FreeBSD13.1 and the new OPNsense version 22.7 is based on FreeBSD13.1.

Since I updated to OPNsense 22.7 I got a new interface called iwlwifi in red and without mac so I wanted to ask if it will be supported by opnsense in future versions?

[franco]

Screenshot please. Not sure what is red and why...


Cheers,
Franco

[Mel10das]

Screenshot from Interfaces Assignments

New Interface:



Best regards

[franco]

Looks like that needs https://github.com/opnsense/core/commit/a02b07a908 but that's only cosmetics.

You should be able to add a wireless clone under Interfaces: Wireless: Devices like you would for any wireless device and then use it as an interface.


Cheers,
Franco

[Mel10das]

My Problem is I can add it as interface but it isnt shown in wireless

Interfaces:

dont mind the wrong submask

Wireless:


Best regards

[franco]

Ok, again, don't assign iwlwifi0 and perhaps try the patch provided:

# opnsense-patch a02b07a908


Cheers,
Franco

[Mel10das]

Thank you the patch worked now I can add it in wireless and as a interface but cant use it to connect to a ap nor can I change the Mode from BSS to AP to use it as access point.

Interfaces Basic Config:


Interfaces Wireless Config:


Wireless:


Could that be bc of the driver from freebsd not supporting the card in another mode like mentioned in the documentation for opnsense or is it opnsense?

(FreeBSD supports wireless adapters in access point (infrastructure) mode, but this functionality is limited to some drivers and there may be some, which do not support all options available via the web interface. Please make sure that you buy a wireless card that is supported to avoid these problems.)

I can scan and see other access points if I scan for them.

Thank you for your help and sorry to borthering you I am kinda new to opnsense

Best regards

Update: Atm it looks like its FreeBSD on the website there are no modes mentioned that are supported yet
https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=iwlwifi&apropos=0&sektion=4&manpath=FreeBSD+13.1-RELEASE+and+Ports&arch=default&format=html

[oleg]

I stuck with same problem but the wifi model is slightly differ -- Wi-Fi 6 AX210.
Also on FreeBSD forums i found several topics related to the work with Intel Wireless cards.

https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/wifi-driver-for-intel-6e-ax210.82212/

https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=244261#c38

The topics related to the AX200/ AX210 series.
https://lists.freebsd.org/archives/freebsd-wireless/2022-December/


My questions is:

1) do you plan to add support for AX200/AX210 in your product in order the mentions wifi card has a possibility to work in AP mode?

2) Which Intel cards work correctly in AP mode?
Intel 3160
Intel 7260
Intel AX3000


Here is the output which i get on the fresh installation with the Intel AX210 wifi:

Code Select Expand


root@OPNsense:~ # dmesg | grep -i iwlwifi
iwlwifi0: <iwlwifi> mem 0xfd200000-0xfd203fff irq 20 at device 0.0 on pci2
iwlwifi0: could not load firmware image 'iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-70.ucode'
iwlwifi0: File size way too small!
iwlwifi0: could not load firmware image 'iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-69.ucode'
iwlwifi0: File size way too small!
iwlwifi0: successfully loaded firmware image 'iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-68.ucode'
iwlwifi0: api flags index 2 larger than supported by driver
iwlwifi0: TLV_FW_FSEQ_VERSION: FSEQ Version: 0.0.2.36
iwlwifi0: loaded firmware version 68.01d30b0c.0 ty-a0-gf-a0-68.ucode op_mode iwlmvm
iwlwifi0: Detected Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX210 160MHz, REV=0x420
iwlwifi0: successfully loaded firmware image 'iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0.pnvm'
iwlwifi0: loaded PNVM version dda57f4f
iwlwifi0: Detected RF GF, rfid=0x10d000
iwlwifi0: base HW address: <hidden>
wlan0: changing name to 'iwlwifi0_wlan1'

root@OPNsense:~ # kldstat
Id Refs Address                Size Name
1   52 0xffffffff80200000  215db80 kernel
2    1 0xffffffff8235e000     3b18 pflog.ko
3    3 0xffffffff82362000    752b0 pf.ko
4    1 0xffffffff823d8000     e450 pfsync.ko
5    1 0xffffffff823e7000     ba48 if_gre.ko
6    1 0xffffffff823f3000    18338 if_lagg.ko
7    2 0xffffffff8240c000     3538 if_infiniband.ko
8    1 0xffffffff82410000     e610 if_bridge.ko
9    2 0xffffffff8241f000     7870 bridgestp.ko
10    1 0xffffffff82427000     4b58 if_enc.ko
11    1 0xffffffff8242d000     f460 carp.ko
12    1 0xffffffff82718000     4304 virtio_console.ko
13    1 0xffffffff8271d000    87098 if_iwlwifi.ko
14    1 0xffffffff827a5000     22a8 virtio_random.ko
15    1 0xffffffff827a8000     3250 ichsmb.ko
16    1 0xffffffff827ac000     2180 smbus.ko
17    1 0xffffffff827af000     4700 nullfs.ko
18    1 0xffffffff827b4000     39c0 ng_socket.ko
19    4 0xffffffff827b8000     aac8 netgraph.ko
20    1 0xffffffff827c3000     31c8 ng_ether.ko
21    1 0xffffffff827c7000     53f8 ng_netflow.ko
22    1 0xffffffff827cd000     31e8 ng_ksocket.ko

root@OPNsense:~ # kldstat | grep iwl
13    1 0xffffffff8271d000    87098 if_iwlwifi.ko



[SOUK]

If you want WIFI support either use a dedicated WIFI access point, alternatively switch to OpenWRT.  😂

Please note: "Use a dedicated WIFI access point" has become the standard response on both PFSENSE and OPNSENSE forums for years now. 

Look up pretty much any integrated WIFI query post on either sites forums and that's all you will ever see people say in response to anyone enquiring about modern integrated WIFI in conjunction with PFSENSE and OPNSENSE firewall routers. So please note that down so you yourself can pass the message on to the next person who enquires about modern integrated WIFI on these platforms.

Please also note: You've got more chance of finding gold at the end of a rainbow than you have of seeing a modern integrated WIFI solution working perfectly on PFSENSE and OPNSENSE firewall routers, either that or more chance of winning the national lottery jackpot in a lottery that you didn't even enter. 😁

Yes, a few ancient WIFI devices kind of work on both PFSENSE and OPNSENSE but they tend to perform abysmal for the most part, so yeah use a dedicated WIFI access point until mankind can find a way to make modern internal WIFI devices work.

[oleg]

Thanks for clarification.

> You've got more chance of finding gold at the end of a rainbow than you have of seeing a modern integrated WIFI solution working perfectly on PFSENSE and OPNSENSE firewall routers

It's so pity. I thought the main problem is only with the driver support.

I already have external access point, but decided to reduce amount of wires and modules, hence my question.

I came up with another idea. (from perspective that my opnsense instance is installed inside vm).
What if to configure wifi on the host and passthrough the wifi interface as a bridge?

[oleg]

To those who is looking for a solution for a working Wi-Fi:
My approach is to setup OPNsense onto the VirtualMachine (I did it with raw KVM or with Proxmox) and setup WiFI on the host machine. Then you can create a bridge which combine your host WiFi and the virtual network card for OPNsense VM.

It worked for me. The card I use is Wi-Fi 6 AX 210.

[zan]

Also if you run OPNsense baremetal you can bhyve a Linux VM to run a Wireless AP and bridge it internally.

I run OPNsense on a baremetal N5105 appliance and use vm-bhyve to install an OpenWrt VM.
I chose OpenWRT because its very light-weight and mature for this purpose.
Created a bridge interface and pass it to vm-bhyve as a switch, then PCI-passthrough my Intel AX201 to OpenWrt to use it as AP.
vm-bhyve is pretty easy to learn, it only took me an hour from bhyve noob til I got my AP running.

[catchyuser]

Hi Zan,

I am new to Opnsense and just installed it on baremetal N5105. I am looking to also install the Wifi adapter and really liked your method to install the Wifi adapter.
I am trying to install os-vm-bhyve but do not find it under the plugins repository. Can you please help to guide me the process for installation for vm-bhye and then openwrt bridge setting to enable the Wifi adapter.

Thank you in advance.

[zan]

vm-bhyve (https://github.com/churchers/vm-bhyve) is not a standard plugin in OPNsense.
I'm kind of free this week so I'll try to write down a mini guide on this subject later.

There's a guide on setting up vm-bhyve to manage bhyve by @pinako (https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=32813.0)
You might want to peruse it in the meantime.

[mimugmail]

Really interesting. We might build a community plugin :)