GL-SFT1200 opal new beta firmware

deva2253 · January 2, 2025, 11:09am

Hello all!
I see a new beta FW for the GL-SFT1200 (opal).

Is this a new openwrt version?

regards!

hecatae · January 2, 2025, 3:30pm

@bruce the release notes are empty.
I can go for a uboot recovery later and see if it installs but if the bug that @bpwl1 has documented in detail still exists I don't see any reason to update.

bpwl1 · January 2, 2025, 8:20pm

I see still 18.06 and same kernel. But this is a different software, closer to the GL_version4 documentation.

Have to change quite some things here to make some tests. We lost (again?) the possibility to access 5 GHz DFS channels what worked in 4.3.21

Thu Jan 2 20:58:59 2025 daemon.notice wpa_supplicant[24873]: sta1: CTRL-EVENT-ASSOC-REJECT bssid=00:00:00:00:00:00 status_code=12
Thu Jan 2 20:58:59 2025 daemon.notice wpa_supplicant[24873]: sta1: CTRL-EVENT-SSID-TEMP-DISABLED id=0 ssid="bpacrt_5G" auth_failures=2 duration=20 reason=CONN_FAILED
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.err gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua:433) connect timeout
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua: 54) skip disabled bss dc:2c:6e:ed:04:c3
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.err gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua: 76) skip bss with dfs channel: bpacrt_5G 48:a9:8a:xx:xx:xx 100
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.err gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua: 76) skip bss with dfs channel: bpacrt_5G b8:69:f4:xx:xx:xx 132
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua:1450) switch in 30 seconds...
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater.lua:528) check status exited
Thu Jan 2 20:59:11 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[1709]: (repeater-nl80211.lua:229) listen event exited

And quite some more options in 4.7 compared to 4.3 ...

Auto-Enable Login Mode for Public Hotspots
Enable Camouflage
Lock BSSID
TTL
HL
MTU

Most don't matter, but I cannot connect now (my AP's are on DFS channels for the stronger signal (yes that's how I use it indoors !))

Will change AP setup at home and test, there are much more changes than the wireless connect (no TOR, +AstroWarp, ...) at first glance only.

7 dB difference between the internal-use-only channels (20dBm) and the everywhere DFS channels (27dBm) for Eurrope ETSI regulation is expected. But seen here is signal strength difference of 30dBm, reception of -55dBm (eg Cudy) and -84dBm for SFT1200 (almost unusable) on my laptop from the same send/receive spots.

And ... are we back to square 1 ???

root@GL-SFT1200:~# cat /sys/module/sf16a18_hb_fmac/parameters/ampdu_max_cnt
32

Have some checks to do ...

My command selection so far:

cat /sys/module/sf16a18_hb_fmac/parameters/ampdu_max_cnt

cat /lib/sfwifi.sh

sh /lib/sfwifi.sh

cd /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211
ls -R

cd /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy1/siwifi
cat trx_stats
cat stats

cd /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy0/siwifi
cat trx_stats
cat stats

ls -l /sys/module/sf16a18_lb_fmac/parameters
cat /sys/module/sf16a18_lb_fmac/parameters/*

ls -l /sys/module/sf16a18_hb_fmac/parameters
cat /sys/module/sf16a18_hb_fmac/parameters/*

iwinfo

cat /etc/config/wireless

cd /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy0/siwifi
cd /sys/kernel/debug/ieee80211/phy1/siwifi
cat stats
cat trx_stats
cat lmactx
cat lmacrx
cat hwq
cat mib

uci show

iw

lsmod

Interesting evolution ... seems now like up to 32 MPDU are aggregated, but up to 64 are received. But many failures (with this too low signal?).

But this does not work here, as it did with 4.3.21, what is as described in the docs

DFS¶

When Repeater to a upstream 5G WiFi, the router WiFi will fellow the upstream WiFi to use or not use the DFS channel.

If the upstream WiFi uses a DFS channel and is scannable, the router's 5G WiFi will use the same channel.

bruce · January 3, 2025, 9:17am

Hi,

Since the beta firmware is compiled from the new server, I assume the release note probably miss to add, will inform guys to check this.

bpwl1 · January 3, 2025, 10:18am

OK, is quite a list of changes this 4.7.2 version.
Interesting to see, the V4 doc is already an indication. It's an extensive set of information.

Overnight the signal strengt improved (???) up to -77dBm now.

Connection is stable, with no special setting. So no use of (BSSID lock, only one known SSID, MultiWAN checks disabled)

Steady connection for 7 hours.
No connection problem with traffic load.
Transfer rate not optimal, and still these warnings in the LOG ... when doing the speed test with MT Btest tool.

But this is a usable wifi repeater/router connection ( when Btest is not running on PC)

The SFT1200 seems to follow the signal strentgh of the uplink, defining the power to send out its downlink on the same radio. More combination tests (eg 2GHz up, 5 GHz down) to be done.

Conclusion so far. Major improvement !!!

Some things to find out, like what's this,

Fri Jan 3 11:33:46 2025 kern.warn kernel: [30807.436489] lmac[1] vif_mgmt_register, vif_type : 0 status=0 index=3, req_idx=0
Fri Jan 3 11:33:46 2025 kern.warn kernel: [30807.444332] lmac[1] use low txpower table
Fri Jan 3 11:33:46 2025 kern.warn kernel: [30807.686136] lmac[0] tx push bcn fail
Fri Jan 3 11:33:46 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[915]: (repeater.lua:300) sta0: found 13 networks
Fri Jan 3 11:33:48 2025 daemon.info gl-repeater[915]: (repeater.lua:300) sta1: found 6 networks

Reinstalled, without saving current settings.

Modified country to BE (=ETSI/europe), needs DFS channels

But the log says ...

Fri Jan 3 23:45:38 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: acs_noradar = 1 means that the radar channels will be avoided under acs
Fri Jan 3 23:45:38 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: acs_noradar = 1 means that the radar channels will be avoided under acs
Fri Jan 3 23:45:38 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: acs_noradar = 1 means that the radar channels will be avoided under acs
Fri Jan 3 23:45:38 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: acs_noradar = 1 means that the radar channels will be avoided under acs

Refuses to see the DFS channels on the uplink AP's.
LUCI sees them all in the scan. But that is not the proper way to use them.
And the SFT1200 has a very weak 5GHz own client signal. Too weak to be usable.

Setting country in LUCI seems not being accepted ..

Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.204009] sfax8_factory_read_probe...
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.209542] macaddr is 94 83 c4 49 da 40
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.215171] sn is ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.222903] sn_flag is 0xff
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.228697] hardware version flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.234175] hardware version is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.241817] model version flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.246937] model version is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.254428] can not find an vaild country ID[��], use default value[CN]
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.261129] countryID is CN
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.265512] HW feature is 0xffffffff
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.270702] vender flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.275269] vender is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.280624] product key flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.285580] product key is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.291329] login info flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.296195] login info is 0xffffffff
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.301348] rom type flag is ��
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.306032] rom type is 0xffffffff
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.311063] get wifi version XO
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.320353] get gmac delay: 120a
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.323608] sf_factory_read_sysfs_register, parent :sfax8_factory_read
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.info kernel: [ 14.336162] Button Hotplug driver version 0.4.1
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.info kernel: [ 14.346017] exFAT: Version 1.2.9
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.info kernel: [ 14.383157] gl-repeater: (C) 2024 jianhui zhao jianhui.zhao@gl-inet.com
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.info kernel: [ 14.392906] gl-tertf: (C) 2021 jianhui zhao jianhui.zhao@gl-inet.com
Sat Jan 4 11:13:09 2025 kern.warn kernel: [ 14.402955] gl-kmwan: (C) 2023 chongjun luo luochognjun@gl-inet.com

bpwl1 · January 4, 2025, 12:25pm

After re-install of this firmware, and after full reset firmware, so no tweaking, this still gives:

SFT1200 version 4.7.2 wifi (uplink active on 5 GHz with dedicated SSID)

TX power fluctuating on 2.4 GHz and constant low TXpower on 5GHz
Cannot detect or connect to 5GHz DFS channel
Could not connect to one of the base channels (36-40-44-48) when the same SSID existed on the DFS channels from a different AP.

4.3.21 version performed like Cudy

Somewhere in the beginning of the log, after power-reset .... before ntp (wrong clock!)
Mon Dec 16 10:09:20 2024 kern.crit kernel: [ 40.946118] siwifi_parse_txpower_gain_table_configfile: hb_txpower_table.ini not exsist, use default file.

Tested more, went closer to the SFT1200 to get some signal.
Then learned that from very unstable to best performing in 2GHz is the TXPower setting Max- High-Medium-Low for client network. Yes Low gives best and stable signal.
For 5GHz it is somewhat similar : power goes up from Low to Medium. Just a little bit stronger at High (hitting a limit?) and disappears on Max.

hecatae · January 9, 2025, 1:45pm

Finally updated one Opal, shows 91% memory usage, and all it's doing is a drop in gateway with an openvpn client and both wifi active.

Seems moderately high with a few clients on it.

bpwl1 · January 14, 2025, 8:10pm

No progress now, 2 remaining problems : DFS and TXpower

Weak signal from SFT1200 can be tweaked somewhat (setting client wireless on LOW or MEDIUM in the SFT1200 GUI gives the stronger measured wifi signal than setting HIGH or MAX) but it is still weak.
In the OpenWRT files (cfr iwinfo) the signal strength is 8 or 9. "option txpower" can be set to 20 for 2.4GHz and 25 for 5 GHz in /etc/config/wireless, and that brings it back on MAX in the GUI.
Adding line "option txpower_lvl '2'" to radio0 and radio1 in this file /etc/config/wireless increases the power further. (avoiding that LOW Power table usage?) i think the log entry "kern.warn kernel: lmac[0] use low txpower table" is not there anymore

Are there "better" places to make such adjustments? Quite some subsystems do generate such config files, so maybe adjustments must be made there.

Attempts to get the DFS channels back all failed so far. Adjusted the "acs_noradar" to '0' everywhere, and the country is 'BE' , but the DFS frequency AP's do not appear in repeater for internet connection setup.

Again setting country via Luci might not end up in the correct location for "hostapd".

It might also be something else, with this in the LOG

Tue Jan 14 00:42:39 2025 daemon.warn hostapd: Failed to check if DFS is required; ret=-1
Tue Jan 14 00:42:39 2025 daemon.warn hostapd: Failed to check if DFS is required; ret=-1
Tue Jan 14 00:42:39 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: handle_probe_req: send failed

Tue Jan 14 00:42:17 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: ACS: Survey is missing noise floor
Tue Jan 14 00:42:17 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: ACS: Survey is missing channel time
Tue Jan 14 00:42:17 2025 daemon.notice hostapd: ACS: Survey is missing RX and busy time (at least one is required)