Wifi client issue on GL-AX1800 Flint

Technical Support for Routers
1

I have a strange issue with the flint router that I don’t completely understand.

On my flint I have 3 wifi networks running 2 private - 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and 1 guest 2.4GHz.

I have 2 different (but nearly identical) apple mac minis. One mac mini has no problem connecting to both the 2.4GHz an 5GHz wifi networks. The second mac mini cannot connect to either of the private networks, or the guest network. Every time a connection is tried, I get a “Connection Failed error”. All the networks are using WPA2-PSK/WPA3-SAE setting. After several repeated attempts to join the all three of these networks, all the other clients on the wifi networks lost internet access (but not connectivity to the wifi network).

After a router reboot, the other wifi devices were eventually able to access the WAN again, but the second mac mini still cannot join the wifi network.

I found it strange that the larger wifi issue happened after/during repeated attempts by the second mac mini to access the wifi network. So, I brought up a second guest network (5 GHz) also using WPA2-PSK/WPA3-SAE. The mac mini was also unable to access this. However when I changed it to WPA/WPA2-PSK, the mac mini had no problems joining the network. When I changed the other private networks to WPA/WPA2-PSK, the connection problems went away.

I also own a Beryl AX GL-MT3000, using the same settings (WPA2-PSK/WPA3-SAE) and the second mac mini has no problem joining its wifi networks.

So, this feels like its probably a firmware bug. What I don’t understand is how the repeated connection failures when the second mac mini was attempting to join the wifi network could cause the other network issues. Nothing had been changed on the router for several days prior to this and the network was stable.

Has anyone experience issues like this? The flint is running 4.1.0 (waiting on the 4.2.0 to move from snapshot to stable). The Beryl is running 4.1.3.

2

Have you tried resetting the network settings on your MAC and resetting Flint?

You can try version 4.2 firmware.
But as far as I know, the updates from 4.1.0 to 4.1.3 did not fix this. Also, the two models use different Wi-Fi drivers. It shouldn’t have much to do with the firmware version.

3

Yup i do have this bug too, couldnt connect when set to WPA2/WPA3, so i have to use WPA2-PSK only.

Btw do you get 80mhz 5ghz on ur idevices ? Because I only got 20mhz on 5ghz with whatever setting that i tried.
For reference : https://forum.gl-inet.com/t/different-wifi-5ghz-speed-between-gl-inet-and-my-other-router/27053?u=4rtz1z

4

It is definitely not the mac. There were no issues in connecting to 3 other devices using WPA3.

A bit more searching around the OpenWRT forums makes me think this is an OpenWRT issue having to do with 802.11w PMFs. It was an issue in the 21.02 RC. Unfortunately, the solution found on github won’t work here.

The Beryl and Flint I have are both on 21.02 Snapshots (but different ones), so I’m not surprised that this might be an issue. Hopefully this will go away when a more current openwrt version is supported on the router.

5

Good to know its not just me. I am showing 80 mhz for some of the devices on my 5GHz side.

6

@angryfatcat Yes, it’s been the problem from the first time i used Flint even from firmware 3

Would u mind share ur wireless config and maybe some screenshot under Luci/Network/Wireless that inficating ur idevices connecting to 80mhz on 5Ghz Wifi Network,

Like this

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7

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@4rtz1z, the first and last devices are apple devices. I will try to post the wireless config when I get a chance, but the only changes to the wireless was via the gl.inet admin panel.

8

thanks, yes if u dont mind share the /etc/config/wireless