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Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN)

Infix includes comprehensive Wi-Fi support for both client (Station) and Access Point modes. When a compatible Wi-Fi adapter is detected, the system automatically creates a WiFi radio (PHY) in factory-config, that can host virtual interfaces.

Architecture Overview

Infix uses a two-layer WiFi architecture:

  1. WiFi Radio (PHY layer): Represents the physical wireless hardware

    • Configured via ietf-hardware module
    • Controls channel, transmit power, regulatory domain
    • One radio can host multiple virtual interfaces

  2. WiFi Interface (Network layer): Virtual interface on a radio

    • Configured via infix-interfaces module
    • Can operate in Station (client) or Access Point mode
    • Each interface references a parent radio

Naming Conventions

Like other interface types in Infix, WiFi components follow naming conventions that allow the CLI to automatically infer types:

Name Pattern Type Description
radioN WiFi Radio Hardware component for WiFi PHY
wifiN WiFi Interface Virtual WiFi interface on a radio

Where N is a number (0, 1, 2, ...).

Tip

Using these naming conventions simplifies configuration since type/class settings are automatically inferred. For example, creating a hardware component named radio0 automatically sets its class to wifi, enabling the wifi-radio configuration container.

Note: This inference only works with the CLI. Configuring WiFi over NETCONF or RESTCONF requires setting the class/type explicitly.

Current Limitations

  • USB hotplug is not supported - adapters must be present at boot
  • Interface naming may be inconsistent with multiple USB Wi-Fi adapters
  • AP and Station modes cannot be mixed on the same radio

Supported Wi-Fi Adapters

Wi-Fi support is primarily tested with Realtek chipset-based adapters.

Known Working Chipsets

  • Built-in Wi-Fi on Banana Pi BPi-R3
  • Built-in Wi-Fi on Raspberry Pi 4/CM4
  • Realtek:
    • RTL8188CU
    • RTL8188FU
    • RTL8821CU

Other Realtek chipsets may work but are not tested.

Note

Some Realtek chipsets require proprietary drivers not included in the standard kernel.

  • Firmware requirements vary by chipset
  • Check kernel logs if your adapter is not detected

USB WiFi Dongles

USB WiFi dongles may be slow to initialize at boot due to firmware loading. If your USB dongle is not detected reliably, configure a probe-timeout on the radio to wait for the PHY:

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit hardware component radio0 wifi-radio
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set probe-timeout 30
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> leave

This waits up to 30 seconds for the radio PHY to appear before creating WiFi interfaces. If the PHY is not detected within the timeout, a dummy interface is created as a placeholder, allowing IP configuration to proceed. Reboot when the radio becomes available.

Radio Configuration

Before configuring WiFi interfaces, you must first configure the WiFi radio. Radios are automatically discovered and named radio0, radio1, etc.

Country Code ⚠

The radio defaults to "00" for World domain, but some systems may ship with a factory default country code (typically "DE" for the BPi-R3).

Legal notice!

The country-code setting is legally required and determines which WiFi channels and power levels are permitted in your location. Using an incorrect country code may violate local wireless regulations.

Common country codes, see ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 for the complete list:

  • Europe:
    • DE: Germany
    • SE: Sweden
    • GB: UK
    • FR: France
    • ES: Spain
  • Americas:
    • US: United States
    • CA: Canada
    • BR: Brazil
  • Asia-Pacific:
    • JP: Japan
    • AU: Australia
    • CN: China

Basic Radio Setup

Configure the radio with channel, power, and regulatory domain.

For Station (client) mode:

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit hardware component radio0 wifi-radio
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set country-code DE
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> leave

For Access Point mode:

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit hardware component radio0 wifi-radio
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set country-code DE
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set band 5GHz
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set channel 36
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> leave

Key radio parameters:

  • country-code: Two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code, determines allowed channels and maximum power. Examples: US, DE, GB, SE, FR, JP.
    ⚠ Must match your physical location for legal compliance! ⚠
  • band: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz (required for AP mode). Automatically enables appropriate WiFi standards:
    • 2.4GHz: 802.11n/ax
    • 5GHz: 802.11n/ac/ax
    • 6GHz: 802.11ax
  • channel: Channel number (1-196) or "auto". When set to "auto", defaults to channel 6 for 2.4GHz, channel 36 for 5GHz, or channel 109 for 6GHz
  • probe-timeout: Seconds to wait for PHY detection at boot (default: 0). Set to a non-zero value (e.g., 30) for USB WiFi dongles that are slow to initialize due to firmware loading

Note

TX power and channel width are automatically determined by the driver based on regulatory constraints, PHY mode, and hardware capabilities.

WiFi 6 Support

WiFi 6 (802.11ax) is always enabled in AP mode on all bands, providing improved performance through features like OFDMA, BSS Coloring, and beamforming.

WiFi 6 Features (always enabled):

  • OFDMA: Better multi-user efficiency in dense environments
  • BSS Coloring: Reduced interference from neighboring networks
  • Beamforming: Improved signal quality and range

Requirements:

  • Hardware must support 802.11ax
  • Client devices must support WiFi 6 for full benefits
  • Older WiFi 5/4 clients can still connect but won't use WiFi 6 features

Discovering Available Networks

Before connecting to a WiFi network, you need to discover which networks are available. Infix automatically scans for networks when a WiFi interface is created with a radio reference.

Enable Background Scanning

To enable scanning without connecting, configure the radio and create a WiFi interface referencing it:

Step 1: Configure the radio

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit hardware component radio0 wifi-radio
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set country-code DE
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> leave

Step 2: Create WiFi interface with radio reference only

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi radio radio0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> leave

The system will now start scanning in the background. The interface will operate in scan-only mode until you configure a specific mode (station or access-point).

View Available Networks

Use show interface to see discovered networks and their signal strength:

admin@example:/> show interface wifi0
name                : wifi0
type                : wifi
index               : 3
mtu                 : 1500
operational status  : up
ip forwarding       : enabled
physical address    : f0:09:0d:36:5f:86
ipv4 addresses      : 192.168.1.100/24 (dhcp)
ipv6 addresses      :
in-octets           : 148388
out-octets          : 24555
mode                : station
ssid                : MyNetwork
signal              : -45 dBm (good)
rx bitrate          : 72.2 Mbps
tx bitrate          : 86.6 Mbps
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Available Networks
SSID                 BSSID              SECURITY       SIGNAL  CHANNEL
MyNetwork            b4:fb:e4:17:b6:a7  WPA2-Personal  good          6
GuestWiFi            c8:3a:35:12:34:56  WPA2-Personal  fair         11
CoffeeShop           00:1a:2b:3c:4d:5e  Open           bad           1

In the CLI, signal strength is reported as: excellent, good, fair or bad. For precise signal strength values in dBm, use NETCONF or RESTCONF to access the signal-strength leaf in the operational datastore.

Passphrase Requirements

To ensure your connection is secure and compatible with all network hardware, your passphrase must meet the following criteria:

  • Length: Between 8 and 63 characters
  • Characters: Use only standard English keyboard characters
    • Allowed: Letters (A-Z, a-z), numbers (0-9), and common symbols (e.g., ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + - = [ ] { } | ; : ' " , . < > / ? ~)
    • Spaces: Spaces are allowed, but not at the very beginning or very end of the passphrase
    • Prohibited: Emojis, accented characters (like á or ñ), and special "control" characters

Why the limit?

Standard WiFi security (WPA2/WPA3) requires a minimum of 8 characters to prevent "brute-force" hacking. The character limit ensures your password works on older routers and various operating systems.
Tips for password strength, see XKCD #936.

Station Mode (Client)

Station mode connects to an existing Wi-Fi network. Before configuring station mode, follow the "Discovering Available Networks (Scanning)" section above to scan for available networks and identify the SSID you want to connect to.

Step 1: Configure Password

Create a keystore entry for your WiFi password (8-63 characters):

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit keystore symmetric-key my-wifi-key
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-key/> set key-format passphrase-key-format
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-key/> change cleartext-symmetric-key
Passphrase: ************
Retype passphrase: ************
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-key/> leave

The change command prompts for the passphrase interactively and handles the base64 encoding required by the keystore automatically.

Step 2: Connect to Network

Configure station mode with the SSID and password to connect:

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi station ssid MyHomeNetwork
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi station security secret my-wifi-key
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> leave

The connection attempt will start immediately. You can verify the connection status:

admin@example:/> show interface wifi0
name                : wifi0
type                : wifi
operational status  : up
physical address    : f0:09:0d:36:5f:86
mode                : station
ssid                : MyHomeNetwork
signal              : -52 dBm (good)

Station configuration parameters:

  • radio: Reference to the WiFi radio (mandatory) - already set during scanning
  • station ssid: Network name to connect to (mandatory)
  • station security mode:
    • auto: default, WPA2/WPA3 auto-negotiation
    • disabled: open network
  • station security secret: Reference to keystore entry, required unless mode is disabled

Note

The auto security mode automatically selects WPA3-SAE or WPA2-PSK based on what the access point supports, prioritizing WPA3 for better security. Certificate-based authentication (802.1X/EAP) is not yet supported.

Access Point Mode

Access Point (AP) mode allows your device to create a WiFi network that other devices can connect to. APs are configured as virtual interfaces on a WiFi radio.

Basic AP Configuration

First, ensure the radio is configured (see Radio Configuration above). Then create a keystore entry for your WiFi password and configure the AP interface:

Step 1: Create keystore entry for the WiFi password

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit keystore symmetric-key my-wifi-secret
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-secret/> set key-format passphrase-key-format
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-secret/> change cleartext-symmetric-key
Passphrase: ************
Retype passphrase: ************
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/my-wifi-secret/> end

Step 2: Create the AP interface

admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi radio radio0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point ssid MyNetwork
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point security mode wpa2-personal
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point security secret my-wifi-secret
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> leave

Note

Using wifiN as the interface name automatically sets the type to WiFi. Alternatively, you can use any name and explicitly set type wifi.

Access Point configuration parameters:

  • radio: Reference to the WiFi radio (mandatory)
  • access-point ssid: Network name (SSID) to broadcast
  • access-point hidden: Set to true to hide SSID (optional, default: false)
  • access-point security mode: Security mode (see below)
  • access-point security secret: Reference to keystore entry (for secured networks)

Security modes:

  • open: No encryption (not recommended)
  • wpa2-personal: WPA2-PSK (most compatible)
  • wpa3-personal: WPA3-SAE (more secure, requires WPA3-capable clients)
  • wpa2-wpa3-personal: Mixed mode (maximum compatibility)

SSID Hiding

To create a hidden network that doesn't broadcast its SSID:

admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point hidden true

Multi-SSID Configuration

Multiple AP interfaces on the same radio allow broadcasting multiple SSIDs, each with independent security settings. This is useful for guest networks, IoT devices, or segregating traffic into different VLANs.

Step 1: Configure the radio (shared by all APs)

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit hardware component radio0 wifi-radio
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set country-code DE
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set band 5GHz
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> set channel 36
admin@example:/config/hardware/component/radio0/wifi-radio/> leave

Step 2: Configure keystore secrets

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit keystore symmetric-key main-secret
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/main-secret/> set key-format passphrase-key-format
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/main-secret/> change cleartext-symmetric-key
Passphrase: ************
Retype passphrase: ************
admin@example:/config/> edit keystore symmetric-key guest-secret
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/guest-secret/> set key-format passphrase-key-format
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/guest-secret/> change cleartext-symmetric-key
Passphrase: ************
Retype passphrase: ************
admin@example:/config/> edit keystore symmetric-key iot-secret
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/iot-secret/> set key-format passphrase-key-format
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/iot-secret/> change cleartext-symmetric-key
Passphrase: ************
Retype passphrase: ************
admin@example:/config/keystore/…/iot-secret/> leave

Step 3: Create multiple AP interfaces (all on radio0)

admin@example:/> configure
# Primary AP - Main network (WPA3 for maximum security)
admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi radio radio0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point ssid MainNetwork
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point security mode wpa3-personal
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set wifi access-point security secret main-secret

# Guest AP - Guest network (WPA2/WPA3 mixed for compatibility)
admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi1
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi1/> set wifi radio radio0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi1/> set wifi access-point ssid GuestNetwork
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi1/> set wifi access-point security mode wpa2-wpa3-personal
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi1/> set wifi access-point security secret guest-secret
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi1/> set custom-phys-address static 00:0c:43:26:60:01

# IoT AP - IoT devices (WPA2 for older device compatibility)
admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi2
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> set wifi radio radio0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> set wifi access-point ssid IoT-Devices
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> set wifi access-point security mode wpa2-personal
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> set wifi access-point security secret iot-secret
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> set custom-phys-address static 00:0c:43:26:60:02
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi2/> leave

Important

MAC Address Requirement for Multi-SSID: When creating multiple AP interfaces on the same radio, you must configure a unique MAC address for each secondary interface (wifi1, wifi2, etc.) using set custom-phys-address static <MAC>. All interfaces on the same radio inherit the radio's hardware MAC address by default, which causes network conflicts. Only the primary interface (alphabetically first, e.g., wifi0) should use the default hardware MAC address.

Choose MAC addresses from the same locally-administered range:

  • Primary (wifi0): Uses hardware MAC (e.g., 00:0c:43:26:60:00)
  • Secondary (wifi1): 00:0c:43:26:60:01 (increment last octet)
  • Tertiary (wifi2): 00:0c:43:26:60:02 (increment last octet)

Result: Three SSIDs broadcasting simultaneously on radio0:

  • MainNetwork (WPA3, most secure)
  • GuestNetwork (WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode)
  • IoT-Devices (WPA2 for compatibility)

All APs on the same radio share the same channel and physical layer settings (configured at the radio level). Each AP can have its own:

  • SSID (network name)
  • Security mode and passphrase
  • Hidden/visible SSID setting
  • Bridge membership

You can verify the configuration with show hardware component radio0 to see radio settings, and show interface to see all active AP interfaces.

Important

AP and Station modes cannot be mixed on the same radio. All virtual interfaces on a radio must be the same mode (all APs or all Stations).

AP as Bridge Port

WiFi AP interfaces can be added to bridges to integrate wireless devices into your LAN:

admin@example:/> configure
admin@example:/config/> edit interface br0
admin@example:/config/interface/br0/> set type bridge

admin@example:/config/> edit interface wifi0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> set bridge-port bridge br0
admin@example:/config/interface/wifi0/> leave

Troubleshooting

Use show interface wifi0 to verify signal strength and connection status. If issues arise, try the following troubleshooting steps:

  1. Verify signal strength: Check that the target network shows "good" or "excellent" signal in scan results
  2. Check credentials: Use show keystore symmetric <name> to verify the passphrase matches the network password
  3. Review logs: Check system logs with show log for Wi-Fi related errors
  4. Regulatory compliance: Ensure the country-code on the radio matches your location
  5. Hardware detection: Confirm the WiFi radio appears in show hardware

If issues persist, check the system log for specific error messages that can help identify the root cause.