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#1 2023-03-19 17:02:46

hmh007
Member
Registered: 2023-03-19
Posts: 3

Android devices can't connect to Arch Linux access point

I'm running a pretty much standard up-to-date Arch Linux installation on an IBM Thinkpad T450s. It can connect fine to wireless networks. I can also configure it as a wireless hotspot/access point; other Linux laptops (e.g. running Ubuntu Focal or Jammy) as clients can connect to it. But two Android devices, running Android 11 and Android 13, respectively, are not able to connect; they see the access point, ask for the password, and immediately disconnect.

The very same laptop was running Ubuntu Focal before; Android devices could connect to it just fine.

The same Android devices connect fine to access points configured on Ubuntu Jammy systems.

Anybody any idea what is going wrong? Any additional info I can provide?

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#2 2023-03-19 23:47:24

jonno2002
Member
Registered: 2016-11-21
Posts: 684

Re: Android devices can't connect to Arch Linux access point

how have you set this up, we cant help unless we know exactly what you have done ? have you read this page: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Software_access_point

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#3 2023-03-20 02:14:01

dimich
Member
From: Kharkiv, Ukraine
Registered: 2009-11-03
Posts: 237

Re: Android devices can't connect to Arch Linux access point

hmh007 wrote:

and immediately disconnect.

Please provide details of your AP configuration, including hostapd, dhcpd and iptables/nftables.
Run hostapd in debug mode (-dd) and check differences in it's output.
Android devices usually also have logging facility.
As a guess, Android devices may disconnect (and reconnect to another saved AP) if detect "Network without Internet access", i.e. if some vendor's host is unavailable. Does your AP allow clients to connect to the Internet?

Last edited by dimich (2023-03-20 11:26:24)

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#4 2023-03-20 07:31:35

hmh007
Member
Registered: 2023-03-19
Posts: 3

Re: Android devices can't connect to Arch Linux access point

Thanks both - I've done what I was used to from Ubuntu: Gnome settings -> Wi-Fi -> Turn on Wi-Fi Hotspot. NetworkManager is installed. I don't have access to the machine right now - will check tonight what is activated under the hood.

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#5 2023-03-20 18:16:35

hmh007
Member
Registered: 2023-03-19
Posts: 3

Re: Android devices can't connect to Arch Linux access point

There is no hostapd, dhcp(c)d, dhclient. There is dnsmasq:
  2279 ?        S      0:00 /usr/bin/dnsmasq --conf-file=/dev/null --no-hosts --keep-in-foreground --bind-interfaces --except-interface=lo --clear-on-reload --strict-order --listen-address=10.42.0.1 --dhcp-range=10.42.0.10,10.42.0.254,60m --dhcp-leasefile=/var/lib/NetworkManager/dnsmasq-wlp3s0.leases --pid-file=/var/run/nm-dnsmasq-wlp3s0.pid --conf-dir=/etc/NetworkManager/dnsmasq-shared.d
 
The config directory /etc/NetworkManager/dnsmasq-shared.d is empty.

Neither iptables nor nftables is activated:
$ systemctl list-unit-files|grep tables
ip6tables.service                                                         disabled        disabled
iptables.service                                                          disabled        disabled
nftables.service                                                          disabled        disabled

I checked https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Software_access_point, but am under the impression that this is a good recipe if you want the AP to be always on. I like and prefer the flexibility of Gnome/NetworkManager to start without WiFi and then enable a Wifi connection or an AP as needed.

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