hostapd flooding logs with "signal too weak for auth&qu

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cw76
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 3:08    Post subject: hostapd flooding logs with "signal too weak for auth&qu Reply with quote
Hello,

I have three routers in my home with two set up as Access Points and one 'master' that does all the DHCP. To improve roaming, I've recently configured the "Drop Clients with Low Signal" settings under the Wireless Advanced Settings. This mostly works, however, sometimes when I have a device (usually one of our cell phones) that attempts to connect to a router that is too far away, it'll get rejected:
Code:
04-19-2019   20:03:37   Daemon.Info   192.168.88.1   Apr 20 03:03:35 hostapd: ath0: STA c8:12:34:56:78:91 MLME: assoc request, signal -68 (DENIED) (signal too weak for authentication)

(I've modified the MAC here.)

That's correct behavior. However, sometimes hostapd will FLOOD the log with these messages over and and over continuously. The timestamp on the message increments, so they are fresh messages, not the same one over and over. Once this happens, that router gets bogged down and no one can connect to its wifi, even if in close range.

I'm running recent builds. The one here is DD-WRT v3.0-r39538 std (04/16/19) running on a TP-Link TL-WDR4300 v1. This also happens with a 4/10 build on a separate router, a TP-Link TL-WR841ND v8.

Any ideas of how to prevent this from happening? Or is it a bug that we might see a fix for?

Thanks!
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Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 7:42    Post subject: Reply with quote
Security->Log Management

Lower or turn off the log level.
cw76
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 17:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for the tip on the logging configuration. I never knew that was there (never thought to check under Security).

However, this doesn't address the underlying issue as to why it floods these messages and hangs in certain circumstances when it rejects a weak connection. Is this a known issue and do you know that, if I do disable these logs, that it will not still be spinning the CPU on whatever operation it's actually logging about (i.e., that it's _just_ the logging that is bogging down and it would actually continue normally [and not get stuck on this rejection] without logging)? The problem is, if I turn off the logging, then I can longer see when rejections are occurring, which makes it difficult to tell whether it is actually resolved or just happens to not be happening. It also means I lose the benefit of having the logs to debug other issues or understand behavior.

Thanks.
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 18:01    Post subject: Reply with quote
You have to find the balance of what to log or not.
cw76
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 18:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
Under normal circumstances, I can see weak signal authentication requests getting rejected and things work as normal. But there are certain cases where a roaming device triggers this problem scenario where it floods with these messages. It's not a normal rejection. It really seems like it's a bug that it gets stuck in some sort of loop, as it'll repeat that message continuously until I kill hostapd (or reboot the router).

This doesn't sound like a bug to you?

I'm not sure, but I'm wondering if it has to do with an authentication request while the device is moving, such that it is strong enough at one point, but then it drifts to be too weak. That's pure speculation, but I'm thinking some situation like that to put it into the bad state.

Thanks.
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 18:16    Post subject: Reply with quote
Could be bug in the client, if it does not find a stronger AP.

The router may also go down when running out of memory due to excessive logging.
ArminasK
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:45    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hello,

I do have the same issue:
AP: TP-Link WR741ND v4
hostapd takes 100% cpu and wifi gets freezed.
I was suspecting an iphone, but it happens with Android as well.

Log is flooded with such messages:
Code:

Feb 01 05:05:14 IP_address hostapd ath0: STA deleted_mac MLME: assoc request, signal -88 (DENIED) (signal too weak for authentication)
Feb 01 05:05:14 IP_address hostapd ath0: STA deleted_mac MLME: assoc request, signal -88 (DENIED) (signal too weak for authentication)
Feb 01 05:05:14 IP_address hostapd ath0: STA deleted_mac MLME: assoc request, signal -88 (DENIED) (signal too weak for authentication)


I have tried different build, different settings - no success Sad

Any solution for this?

Thanks a lot!
Alozaros
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 6410
Location: UK, London, just across the river..

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:01    Post subject: Reply with quote
ArminasK without providing a firmware number...we cannot proceed further...as we cannot guess it... Laughing

i've 740v4 without problems, running the build from my signature...haven't tried the recent builds on it yet..

_________________
Atheros
TP-Link WR740Nv1 ---DD-WRT 55179 WAP
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 55303 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPN
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear XR500 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoH,Forced DNS,AP Isolation,4VLAN,Ad-Block,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x3VLAN,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 55363 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/SmartDNS/DoH,AD-Block,Firewall,Forced DNS,x3VLAN,VPN
NOT USING 5Ghz ANYWHERE
------------------------------------------------------
Stubby DNS over TLS I DNSCrypt v2 by mac913
ArminasK
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:47    Post subject: Reply with quote
Alozaros wrote:
ArminasK without providing a firmware number...we cannot proceed further...as we cannot


Build number is 40009. Found in this forum that this build is quite stable for WR.. routers.

I could try to use the build in your signature.

One more thing, I do use (for roaming):
Minimum Signal for authenticate
Minimum Signal for connection

I had those -79, for both, now disabled for authenticate (-128), but left -79 for connection.

Maybe it helps.
BrainSlayer
Site Admin


Joined: 06 Jun 2006
Posts: 7463
Location: Dresden, Germany

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 13:14    Post subject: Reply with quote
the log occures only if your client tries to connect. so in fact your client is flooding with authentication tries
_________________
"So you tried to use the computer and it started smoking? Sounds like a Mac to me.." - Louis Rossmann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL_5YDRWqGE&t=60s
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 14:13    Post subject: Reply with quote
Shouldn't Authentication be hiver than connection?

Try with -84 for authentication.
ArminasK
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 14:29    Post subject: Reply with quote
BrainSlayer wrote:
the log occures only if your client tries to connect. so in fact your client is flooding with authentication tries


Thanks BS for Your answer.

Yes the client is flooding definately.

Just a guess:
Could it be that this happens only when client is physicaly on the edge of WIFI signal range (set to deny authentication) (e.g. -80).

How does the kicking works?
If condition is true to deny authentication, it denies and denies non-stop?

But if I move client into range, deny still happens. So only hostapd restart works.

Also if client has auto join enabled, this means if it sees network it just tries to authenticate non stop and kills wifi?


Last edited by ArminasK on Mon Feb 01, 2021 14:39; edited 1 time in total
ArminasK
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 14:32    Post subject: Reply with quote
Per Yngve Berg wrote:
Shouldn't Authentication be hiver than connection?

Try with -84 for authentication.


Thanks, yes I am testing now with authentication>connection.

So far so good:)

Will post my results
Per Yngve Berg
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 13 Aug 2013
Posts: 6858
Location: Romerike, Norway

PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 20:26    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sorry, typed it wrong. Meant -74 which is higer yhan -79.
ArminasK
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:46    Post subject: Reply with quote
Update:
24 hours no WIFI hanging.
I have set -128 for authentication, but -79 for connection.
hostapd log shows random messages sometimes, which are correct:
Code:
MLME: kick out station due low signal


So hopefully this is a solution Smile
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