WPS connection issues to IoT device with GT-AXE16000 GT-AXE11000

[kriukas]

I have old, now unsupported RT-AC66U unit with WPS function, running the last v380.70 firmware. I have few Mitsubishi Electric MAC-557IF-E IoT access devices, supporting only WPS-PUSH and WPS-PIN connection methods on b/g/n 2.4Ghz 13 channels, WPA2-AES. I have used WPS-PUSH method to pair these devices with RT-AC66U multiple times without any real effort. Every time they handshakes, gets IP and after some time starts to blink in the pattern, meaning that the MELCloud server has been accessed OK.

RT-AC66U due to unsupported status has been replaced with GT-AXE16000/11000 devices. Now I am unable to pair these devices with either ASUS stock and Merlin firmwares (including 3004.388.4) – I have tried various versions (with full nuclear resets in between). WPS tab on the router show "Success" briefly, but the device does not get IP address.

There is no difference, if the configuration is default or if I try to enable/disable various options, which might make a difference for a connection success, like disabling protected management frames, WPA3, WiFi6-AX and etc.

Any insights for a solution or further diagnostics steps would be welcome. There is an option to buy MAC-567IF-E upgraded IoT access device, which works OK, but it is at least 120€ per unit.

Here is the output in system log with “debug/all” logging enabled from newer devices:

Oct 16 12:10:04 rc_service: httpds 1892:notify_rc start_wps_method
Oct 16 12:10:45 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth6: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-65
Oct 16 12:10:45 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth6: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-65
Oct 16 12:10:45 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: associated
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.1X: authentication failed - EAP type: 0 (unknown)
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.1X: Supplicant used different EAP type: 254 (expanded)
Oct 16 12:10:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth6: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:-59
Oct 16 12:10:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth6: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-56
Oct 16 12:10:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth6: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-56
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: associated
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** RADIUS: starting accounting session BD5BC096C368D514
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Oct 16 12:10:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth6: Disassoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Oct 16 12:10:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(662): eth6: Disassoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Oct 16 12:10:50 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Oct 16 12:10:53 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth6: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-56
Oct 16 12:10:53 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: associated
Oct 16 12:10:53 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth6: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-56
Oct 16 12:10:57 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth6: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-55
Oct 16 12:10:57 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Oct 16 12:10:58 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth6: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Previous authentication no longer valid (2), rssi:-55
Oct 16 12:10:58 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Oct 16 12:11:07 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth6: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-61
Oct 16 12:11:07 hostapd: eth6: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.11: associated
Oct 16 12:11:07 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(722): eth6: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-61


Oct 16 10:48:58 rc_service: httpd 1411:notify_rc start_wps_method
Oct 16 10:48:58 kernel: update bss - wpa_ie and  wpa2_ie is not null
Oct 16 10:49:24 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth10: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:49:24 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth10: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-37
Oct 16 10:49:28 kernel: update bss - wpa_ie and  wpa2_ie is not null
Oct 16 10:49:28 kernel: update bss - wpa_ie and  wpa2_ie is not null
Oct 16 10:49:28 hostapd: eth10: STA 00:1d:c9:90:**:** IEEE 802.1X: authentication failed - EAP type: 0 (unknown)
Oct 16 10:49:28 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 802.1X authentication failure (17), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth10: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth10: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(511): eth10: Disassoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Disassociated because sending station is leaving (or has left) BSS (8), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:49:29 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: Deauthenticated because sending station is leaving (or has left) IBSS or ESS (3), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:49:32 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth10: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:49:32 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth10: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-37
Oct 16 10:49:36 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:37 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:49:46 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth10: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:49:46 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth10: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-37
Oct 16 10:49:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-37
Oct 16 10:49:50 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-37
Oct 16 10:50:00 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(530): eth10: Auth 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Oct 16 10:50:00 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(559): eth10: Assoc 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: Successful (0), rssi:-35
Oct 16 10:50:04 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-36
Oct 16 10:50:04 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(494): eth10: Deauth_ind 00:1D:C9:90:**:**, status: 0, reason: 4-way handshake timeout (f), rssi:-36

 

[RMerlin]

WPS working properly for me on an GT-AXE11000 with a Windows laptop.

 

[kriukas]

WPS working properly for me on an GT-AXE11000 with a Windows laptop.

Are there any tools/methods to debug WPS setup packets exchange-handshake, for example looking into RFC's?

 

[glens]

Are you using WPA3 (or other AX-specific) setting which the devices don't understand?