CLIENT LOG ANALYSIS AND AP CORRELATION DIAGNOSIS
The log you provided is a client-side driver log. When analyzed together with
the previously examined AP-side hostapd log (“did not acknowledge
authentication response”), it helps reveal the root cause of the problem.
This log clearly shows that the connection between the AP (50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9)
and the client (ce:4f:26:8f:aa:88) is failing at the Association stage.
- LOG ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Item : Value
------------------±------------------------------------------------
Client MAC : ce:4f:26:8f:aa:88 (local in LMAC STATUS)
AP MAC : 50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9
SSID : hgic_ah_test
Channel : 1 (S1G channel 1, freq 916.5MHz)
Failure Stage : Association (assoc_resp status_code=1)
- KEY LOG MESSAGE INTERPRETATION
2.1 ieee80211_sta_select_bss:24::by SSID find hgic_ah_test
[50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9] at channel 1
-> The client discovered the AP (50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9) with SSID
"hgic_ah_test" on channel 1.
2.2 vif1 state WPA_SCANNING → WPA_AUTHENTICATING
-> The client attempts authentication with the AP.
2.3 vif1 state WPA_AUTHENTICATING → WPA_ASSOCIATING
-> Authentication completed successfully, transitioning to the
Association stage.
2.4 ieee80211_sta_rx_assoc_resp:246::assoc_resp status_code= 1
[CRITICAL ERROR]
-> The AP rejected the client's Association Request.
-> status_code= 1 means "Unspecified Failure".
-> This is the code used by the AP when rejecting an Association in
the IEEE 802.11 standard, and it does not specify the exact reason.
2.5 lmac set GTK: cmd=1 addr=50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9 cipher= 0x0 flags= 0x0
keyidx= 0 keylen= 0
-> Attempt to set the GTK (Group Temporal Key).
-> cipher= 0x0 indicates that encryption is not configured.
2.6 del_STA: addr=50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9
-> The AP deletes the client from its association list.
2.7 vif1 state WPA_ASSOCIATING → WPA_DISCONNECTED
-> The connection has been terminated.
2.8 vif1 state WPA_DISCONNECTED → WPA_AUTHENTICATING → WPA_SCANNING
-> It returns to the authentication and scanning stage to retry.
- CORRELATION WITH AP LOG
Comparing with the AP-side log analyzed earlier reveals an interesting
pattern.
Stage | Client Log | AP Log
------±------------------------------------±------------------------------
1 | WPA_AUTHENTICATING | authenticated (auth succeeded)
2 | WPA_ASSOCIATING | (Association response sent)
3 | assoc_resp status_code= 1 | did not acknowledge auth resp
4 | WPA_DISCONNECTED | (connection terminated)
KEY ISSUE:
-
The AP sent an Authentication Response, but the client did NOT send an
ACK, so the AP treated it as authentication failure
(“did not acknowledge authentication response”).
-
However, in the client log, authentication APPEARS to have succeeded
(WPA_AUTHENTICATING → WPA_ASSOCIATING), and it moved on to the
Association stage.
-
Yet the AP rejected the Association with status_code= 1
(Unspecified Failure).
This indicates a STATE MISMATCH between the client and the AP.
The client believes authentication succeeded, but the AP considers
authentication to have failed and rejects the Association.
- ESTIMATED CAUSES
4.1 Authentication Response ACK Loss (Most Likely)
- The AP sent an authentication response, but the client failed to
send an ACK.
- The client received the authentication response but either failed
to send the ACK, or the ACK did not reach the AP.
- As a result, the AP treated it as authentication failure while the
client treated it as success, creating a state mismatch.
4.2 Security Configuration Mismatch
- The security settings (WPA2/WPA3, encryption method) between the
client and AP may not match.
- If the AP is configured with "encryption 'none'" and the client
attempts WPA authentication, the AP may reject it.
4.3 HaLow (S1G) Characteristics
- HaLow is a standard for low-power, long-range communication and has
different characteristics from regular Wi-Fi.
- In particular, RAW (Restricted Access Window) settings may not be
compatible between the client and AP.
4.4 Signal Quality Issues
- bgr: -108 (Background RSSI) indicates a very weak signal strength.
- Poor signal quality increases the likelihood of ACK frame loss.
4.5 Channel Mismatch
- The client log shows "channel 1", while the AP log shows
"S1G operating channel 29".
- This may be due to the mapping difference between S1G channels and
HT channels. (S1G channel 29 = HT channel 116 = freq 916.5MHz)
- However, it is necessary to verify that the client and AP are using
the same channel.
- SOLUTIONS
5.1 Match Security Settings
- Change the AP setting to 'psk2' (WPA2-PSK).
- Ensure the client uses the same security settings.
5.2 Improve Signal Quality
- Reduce the distance between the AP and client, or adjust antenna
orientation.
- bgr: -108 indicates a very weak signal, so signal strength must be
increased.
5.3 Re-check AP Configuration
# Check wireless settings on the AP
cat /etc/config/wireless
# Check hostapd configuration file
cat /var/run/hostapd-phy0.conf
5.4 Increase hostapd Log Level
# Add to the wifi-device section in /etc/config/wireless
option log_level '2'
# Apply the configuration
wifi reload
# Check detailed logs
logread -f | grep hostapd_s1g
5.5 Check Client Driver Logs
- Increase the client driver log level to obtain more detailed logs.
- In particular, check for additional information about
status_code= 1 in assoc_resp.
5.6 Test Channel Change
- Change the AP channel to avoid interference.
- Example: channels 27, 29, 31, etc.
- CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
This log shows that the client succeeded in authentication with the AP but
was rejected at the Association stage with status_code= 1
(Unspecified Failure).
Combined with the AP log’s “did not acknowledge authentication response”,
the most likely cause is a state mismatch due to authentication response
ACK loss.
- SUMMARY TO SEND TO JAMES HAGGERTY
"The client (ce:4f:26:8f:aa:88) succeeded in authentication with the AP
(50:2e:91:d2:c4:c9) but was rejected at the Association stage with
status_code= 1 (Unspecified Failure).
The AP log repeatedly shows ‘did not acknowledge authentication response’,
suggesting a state mismatch due to authentication response ACK loss.
The signal strength is very weak at -108dBm, and the security setting
(encryption ‘none’) also needs to be verified."
