WPA2/WPA3 Compatibility Issue on GNP

[rung]

Currently running my Router RT-AX86U Pro (Asuswrt-Merlin 3006.102.4) with a Wireless AiMesh node RT-AX58U (Asuswrt-Merlin 3004.388.9_2). I understand there have been some compatibility issues reported with using the WPA2/WPA3. I, too, had some issues running on some of the earlier builds (can't remember now if it was on an update to the router or the node), but I had changed my main wireless setting on both the 5GHz and 2.4GHz to WPA2-Personal only. However, up until today, I did not have any issues with the clients on my Guest Network (which is shared with the node) with a setting of WPA2/WPA3, until today. So, now, after running smoothly since over a week when I upgraded from the Beta to 3006.102.4, the following happened in the log:

May 19 09:24:16 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:24:16 kernel: dealloc_netinfo enter wdev=0000000098ebe9a1
May 19 09:24:16 kernel: dealloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=2
May 19 09:24:20 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:24:49 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds0.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:24:49 kernel: alloc_netinfo enter bssidx=0 wdev=00000000f1c64220 ndev=000000002da43e72
May 19 09:24:49 kernel: alloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=3
May 19 09:24:49 kernel: wl_pktfwd_lut_ins: DA=SYM<<Node's 2.4GHz MAC>>  to roam from eth6 to wds0.0.1.
May 19 09:24:50 kernel: Invalid ndev status 4
May 19 09:24:50 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:24:50 kernel: dealloc_netinfo enter wdev=00000000f1c64220
May 19 09:24:50 kernel: dealloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=2
May 19 09:24:51 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds1.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:24:51 kernel: Register interface [wds1.0.1]  MAC: <Router's 5GHz BSSID MAC>
May 19 09:25:04 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds0.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:25:04 kernel: alloc_netinfo enter bssidx=0 wdev=00000000b7a02c85 ndev=0000000062ec4e84
May 19 09:25:04 kernel: alloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=3
May 19 09:25:04 kernel: wl_pktfwd_lut_ins: DA=SYM<<Node's 2.4GHz MAC>>  to roam from eth6 to wds0.0.1.
May 19 09:25:10 kernel: No wdev corresponding to bssidx: 0x0 found! Ignoring event.
May 19 09:25:10 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:25:10 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds1.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:25:10 kernel: Register interface [wds1.0.1]  MAC: <Router's 5GHz BSSID MAC>
May 19 09:25:22 kernel: Invalid ndev status 4
May 19 09:25:22 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:25:22 kernel: dealloc_netinfo enter wdev=00000000b7a02c85
May 19 09:25:22 kernel: dealloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=2
May 19 09:25:34 kernel: wfd_unregisterdevice Successfully unregistered ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:25:57 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds0.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 0
May 19 09:25:57 kernel: alloc_netinfo enter bssidx=0 wdev=000000005e700792 ndev=0000000043950318
May 19 09:25:57 kernel: alloc_netinfo exit iface_cnt=3
May 19 09:26:00 kernel: wfd_registerdevice Successfully registered dev wds1.0.1 ifidx 2 wfd_idx 1
May 19 09:26:00 kernel: Register interface [wds1.0.1]  MAC: <Router's 5GHz BSSID MAC>

With the Router and Node MAC's obscured.

I have no idea what those log entries mean but after this happened, I had two IOT devices bound to the node that refused to reconnect, even after I rebooted the node. I have since updated the GNP settings wireless settings to WPA2-Personal and they reconnected. I don't mind having to change this setting, but I thought I would share this information in case it would help debug the issue for future releases (assuming anyone at Asus reads this and I am guessing this is not something that can be fixed within the Merlin codebase).

Rung

 

[degrub]

Unless some of your IOT devices are using the 5GHz bands ( i think they would support WPA3/2 if they do), then you only need to set the 2.4 GHz SSIDs to WPA2.

 

[rung]

Unless some of your IOT devices are using the 5GHz bands ( i think they would support WPA3/2 if they do), then you only need to set the 2.4 GHz SSIDs to WPA2.

As I said, I don't mind setting to wpa2, but I believe wpa3 is security replacement for wpa2 and isn't restricted to just the 5GHz wifi band. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[bennor]

As I said, I don't mind setting to wpa2, but I believe wpa3 is security replacement for wpa2 and isn't restricted to just the 5GHz wifi band. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Do your Guest Network Pro client devices support WPA3? If not it might be best to just use WPA2.

 

[rung]

Do your Guest Network Pro client devices support WPA3? If not it might be best to just use WPA2.

I thought it was important to mention since the wpa2/wpa3 setting had no impact before the recent updates. But yes, before I did have a mix of wpa2 and wpa3 clients and now they are all forced to wpa2. Something is broken but I'm not too worried about it. Just providing info to others