Arch Linux

Vamp898

Member

From: 東京

Registered: 2009-01-03

Posts: 932

Website

Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

This issue persists with KDE Plasma 5 and KDE Plasma 6 (identical). I was hoping it works with Plasma 6 but it does not so i have a faint hope that someone found a workaround for this.

I tried with two Wifi Chips (An Realtak and an Intel), issue is identical.

There are two ways to create an Hotspot on KDE using NM

By using the Hotspot Settings and then clicking on Hotspot --> This doesn't work as KDE, no matter what i try, just ignores the settings. It always opens an unprotected Hotspot with the default SSID. This one works just fine but it doesn't have any security.

I could create an WPA2 protected hotspot, but due to an bug in wpa_supplicant, it is unable to connect to this hotspot.

When i try to create an WPA3 protected hotspot, it doesn't work and i see the following in the logs

2月 29 21:41:48 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210508.0704] audit: op="statistics" interface="enp5s0" ifindex=2 args="2000" pid=1213 uid=1000 result="success"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.3071] device (wlan0): Activation: starting connection 'Vamp898' (ff5e03aa-47a0-456a-84af-531e790fdfdd)
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.3072] audit: op="connection-activate" uuid="ff5e03aa-47a0-456a-84af-531e790fdfdd" name="Vamp898" pid=1213 uid=1000 result="success"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.3072] device (wlan0): state change: disconnected -> prepare (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.3555] device (wlan0): set-hw-addr: reset MAC address to CC:47:40:BD:18:D8 (preserve)
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnetBridge[734]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001002
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnet-natd[777]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001002
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnetBridge[734]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001002
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnet-natd[777]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001002
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnetBridge[734]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001003
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook vmnet-natd[777]: RTM_NEWLINK: name:wlan0 index:3 flags:0x00001003
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4698] device (wlan0): state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4699] device (wlan0): Activation: (wifi) access point 'Vamp898' has security, but secrets are required.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4699] device (wlan0): state change: config -> need-auth (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4710] device (wlan0): state change: need-auth -> prepare (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4713] device (wlan0): state change: prepare -> config (reason 'none', sys-iface-state: 'managed')
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] device (wlan0): Activation: (wifi) connection 'Vamp898' has security, and secrets exist.  No new secrets needed.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'ssid' value 'Vamp898'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'mode' value '2'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'frequency' value '2412'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'key_mgmt' value 'SAE'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'psk' value '<hidden>'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook NetworkManager[3375]: <info>  [1709210509.4714] Config: added 'ieee80211w' value '2'
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook systemsettings[4777]: kf.networkmanagerqt: void NetworkManager::ConnectionPrivate::onPropertiesChanged(const QVariantMap&) Unhandled property "VersionId"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook plasmashell[1213]: qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/components/ScrollView.qml:53:29: QML ScrollBar: Binding loop detected for property "visible"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook plasmashell[1213]: qrc:/qt/qml/org/kde/plasma/components/ScrollView.qml:53:29: QML ScrollBar: Binding loop detected for property "visible"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook plasmashell[1213]: kf.networkmanagerqt: void NetworkManager::ConnectionPrivate::onPropertiesChanged(const QVariantMap&) Unhandled property "VersionId"
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Note: nl80211 driver interface is not designed to be used with ap_scan=2; this can result in connection failures
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Could not generate WPA IE.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: WPA initialization failed.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Interface initialization failed
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: Unable to setup interface.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Failed to initialize AP interface
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=cc:47:40:bd:18:d8 reason=3 locally_generated=1
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Could not generate WPA IE.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: WPA initialization failed.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Interface initialization failed
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: interface state UNINITIALIZED->DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: Unable to setup interface.
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: Failed to initialize AP interface
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: interface state DISABLED->DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: AP-DISABLED
 2月 29 21:41:49 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: hostapd_free_hapd_data: Interface wlan0 wasn't started
 2月 29 21:41:50 VampBook wpa_supplicant[770]: wlan0: CTRL-EVENT-DISCONNECTED bssid=cc:47:40:bd:18:d8 reason=3 locally_generated=1

But now the strange thing. It works on GNOME. And now even stranger. When i create the Hotspot in GNOME and use it in KDE, it works! And when i check the settings, they look exactly how they look when i create the hotspot myself.

So when i create a second hotspot and copy every single item --> no longer works. The original one GNOME created works just fine.

I ran out of ideas so yes... if anyone has any idea how to make an AP on KDE working (without creating it first in GNOME), i am happy to try tips and tricks.

xuan1211

Member

Registered: 2024-03-01

Posts: 2

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

WIFI created by networkmanage, there is a configuration parameter problem, you need to execute the following command to create wpa encrypted WIFI properly

nmcli connection modify WIFI-Share 802-11-wireless-security.proto wpa

WIFI-share is the name of the WIFI configuration you created

Last edited by xuan1211 (2024-03-01 06:48:56)

cybernite

Member

Registered: 2024-12-12

Posts: 5

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

I am using Cachy OS / KDE Plasma 6.2.4 Desktop system and I am having trouble connecting my galaxy s22 phone to my desktop thru the wifi hotspot.
I created the wifi hotspot with the NetworkManager KDE GUI and it shows up on my phone wifi connections; but when I try to connect it fails and tells
me trouble getting an ip address.

I tested if the wifi is working and yes I can use it for internet but I normally use ethernet lan line normally and want to share internet to my phone.

On Ubuntu 24.10 / Gnome 47 the wifi hot spot does work.

Sort of sours my experience on Arch; everything else works quite good except this wifi hotspot, really bugs me.

If anyone knows how to solve this, please let us know, thanks big time.

cybernite

Member

Registered: 2024-12-12

Posts: 5

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

Update I managed to find a very simple solution. By default after you install CachyOS / KDE it has the firewall enabled.
So I disabled the firewall and it now works. I feel kind of dumb for not figuring this out right away, but assumed it was turned off.
$ sudo ufw disable

Vamp898

Member

From: 東京

Registered: 2009-01-03

Posts: 932

Website

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

This is 100% unrelated to Arch, just saying^^ this brings back the memory when people using Chakra were storming the Arch BBS saying "But it's basically Arch" and in the end, 99% of their issues were Chakra specific.

If you have issues with CachyOS, you should absolutely post in their forum

Last edited by Vamp898 (2024-12-12 22:13:08)

mrkli

Member

Registered: 2023-12-02

Posts: 14

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

It's the same on Cinnamon, but the difference may be that at first I was able to make it work a couple of times, maybe 3, and only using nmcli commands not GUI, but luck ran out, and that was a while ago, I tried it again now just before posting, can confirm that it's still a no go.

There were no updates or intentional changes between the time it worked and didn't.

The smartphone notification reads "connected without internet"

nmcli forces a password by default so now I'm thinking I'm going to check if it works if I prevent the password from being set.

EDIT: yeah, apparently there isn't a way to do that via nmcli, so now I'm puzzled how it even gets made through the GUI

Through the GUI it gives the same nonfunctional result even without a password.

UPDATE: I checked both on Live Manjaro KDE/XFCE and on Live EndeavorOS (default KDE)
The GUI approach doesn't seem to work on any of them but the nmcli commands work.

...right when I thought the mistake was in front of me the whole time (using sudo to run the command), because I left sudo out when testing on these Live systems, it turns out it doesn't make a difference on my Cinnamon Arch. With or without sudo it's still "connected without internet"

btw Network card is TP-Link AX3000

Last edited by mrkli (2024-12-24 20:24:12)

mrkli

Member

Registered: 2023-12-02

Posts: 14

Re: Creating Hotspot on KDE (NetworkManager) doesn't work

I reinstalled everything... now I get
"Error: Connection activation failed: IP configuration could not be reserved (no available address, timeout, etc.)."
If i try the command in quick succession sometimes it successfully activates, but only momentary as the connection is down when inspecting with "nmcli con". 
EDIT: This happened due to manually starting dnsmasq service, and stopping it just revealed the previous state again.

and on a fresh install I get "Error: Invalid 'password': '12345678' is not valid WEP key (it should be 5 or 13 ASCII chars)"
EDIT: seems I'm going insane, I think I had solved the previous error right before even posting (probably by enabling wpa_supplicant), and it seems I made the same mistake of starting dnsmasq there as well, so I was ofc getting the same IP conf error)

On the bright side, the fresh install connection NOW WORKS.
EDIT: Works until it doesn't.
Luckily the solution is to stop dnsmasq when this "Error: Connection activation failed: IP configuration could not be reserved (no available address, timeout, etc.)." appears.

Last edited by mrkli (2025-01-06 21:11:21)