RE: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect Issues



-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2017 12:49 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect Issues

On Thu, 2017-05-25 at 13:06 +0000, Matthew Starr wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 3:26 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect Issues

On Wed, 2017-05-24 at 18:22 +0000, Matthew Starr wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 12:48 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect Issues

On Thu, 2017-05-18 at 22:25 +0000, Matthew Starr wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 4:55 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect Issues

On Thu, 2017-05-18 at 20:23 +0000, Matthew Starr wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 2:24 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect
Issues

On Thu, 2017-05-18 at 18:43 +0000, Matthew Starr wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Williams [mailto:dcbw redhat com]
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 1:31 PM
To: Matthew Starr; networkmanager-list gnome org
Subject: Re: Network Manager 1.0.X Wi-Fi Autoconnect
Issues

On Thu, 2017-05-18 at 15:54 +0000, Matthew Starr
wrote:
I have tried using NetworkManager 1.0.0 and
1.0.12 on
an embedded device built with buildroot that has
Ethernet (eth0), Wi-Fi client (mlan0), Wi-Fi
Access Point (uap0), and Cellular interfaces
(ttyACM0
and ppp0).  The Wi-Fi AP (uap0) interface is
ignored by Network Manager based on my
NetworkManager.conf file.
I am
able to boot the device and Network Manager will
automatically configure and connect with Ethernet,
Wi-Fi Client, and Cellular interfaces every time.

If I move out of range of the Wi-Fi access point
the device will disconnect and if I move back into
range in under an hour, NetworkManager will
reestablish the connection.  If I wait multiple
hours before moving back into range of the Wi-Fi
access point, Network Manager will not reestablish
a connection automatically with the access point
(I waited hours with the AP within range and
visible in Wi-Fi scan results).
When Network Manager is not automatically
reestablishing a connection to the access point I
can use nmcli to bring up the profile associated
with the access point and it connects immediately.

Why is Network Manager not able to auto connect to
a
Wi-
Fi AP after a longer period of time of not seeing
the AP?
Is there a timeout within Network Manager?  Is
this a bug?

Like you say, it does look like NM is trying to
auto-
activate the connection, but it's not doing it
correctly.
The most likely thing happening is that it does try
to activate, but it's not able to find the "best"
connection
for the device.
Somehow the existing WiFi connection profile isn't
matching.

Can you run 'nmcli con show <name of connection you
expect to
start>'?

Dan,

This issue has occurred on several different access
point I have attempted to connect to all from
different vendors (Linksys, Ubiquiti, D-link).

Ok, that doesn't ellucidate anything.  Are you able to
apply a debugging patch to NetworkManager and rebuild
it?
Alternatively, you could use 'gdb' to step through the
code and see where it's not proceeding with the
activation in nm-policy.c.

Dan


Some additional testing I just finished shows that version
1.6.2
exhibits the exact same behavior.

I am able to apply patches easily and rebuild.  I could
run gdb but it is not quite as easy on my current setup.

Which version do you prefer patches for?

Dan

My more immediate need is with the 1.0.12 version, but I plan
to do a release within the next 6 months with the 1.6.X or
1.8.X version.

Patch against upstream 1.0.12 attached.  Hopefully applies to
your version.  It should log the right stuff without touching
the logging level or domains.  Run with this patch, reproduce
the issue, and lets see what the logs say.

Dan

I was able to cleanly apply the patch, but shortly after starting
Network Manager it seems to seg fault (verified by using the -n
option to not run as a daemon). I don't see any error messages in
the logs. Here is where the logs left off:

You've probably got some hidden-SSID APs, and I didn't account for
that.  Can you back out the previous patch, and try the latest
attached one?

Dan

With the new patch I was able to establish a connection, put the
module running Network Manager in a faraday cage for an hour, and then
on removing it from the cage Network Manager connected successfully.
This usually is not the case after an hour of not seeing the APs.  At
this point I wanted to test again for a longer period so I put the
module back in the cage for an overnight test and it appears as soon
as the module was isolated from all the APs, Network Manager crashed
again.  See the attached log for what was going on when it crashed at
May 24 22:00:24.

I will try my setup again after a reboot to get Network Manager
running again.  Let me know if there is another patch you want me to
apply to resolve the crashing issue.

Again my fault.  Any place you see:

g_free (tmp);

in the patch, replace that with:

if (ssid) g_free (tmp);

Or back out the previous patch, and apply the attached one.

Dan

It appears I cannot reproduce the issue with the patch you provided that includes the debug statements.  The 
Wi-Fi reconnects within 1-2 minutes or less every time.  I wonder if this is a timing issue that the debug 
statements are delaying just enough to not make the issue occur.

Before the patch I could reproduce it almost every time on multiple devices running the same software after 
an hour of no Wi-Fi signal.  The only change on the devices is the updated network manager with your patch. I 
will continue to test after memorial day.

Is there anything else you want me to check with the unpatched version or any other patches you want me to 
try out?

-Matt


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