# 13.0-RELEASE can't configure wifi (iwm)



## unitrunker (Aug 17, 2021)

This worked on 11.x-RELEASE and 12.x-RELEASE but now on 13.0-RELEASE ...

I have a laptop with Intel 7260 wifi.

loader.conf:

```
iwm7260fw_load="YES"
```
rc.conf:

```
wlans_iwm0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA SYNCDHCP"
```

When I run `service netif restart` I see an unfamiliar error message:

```
Aug 17 07:11:14 thinkpad wpa_supplicant[1781]: ioctl[SIOCS80211], op=20, val=0, arg_len=7]: Invalid argument
Starting dhclient.
wlan0: no link .................. giving up
/etc/rc.d/dhclient: WARNING failed to start dhclient
```
The wlan0 interface fails to start. Typing `ifconfig wlan0` shows the device is not running.

I can type `ifconfig wlan0 up` to get it running. `ifconfig wlan0 scan` will show a list of access points - but it won't associate.


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## unitrunker (Aug 17, 2021)

According to this the "invalid argument" can be ignored.

PR 249542


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## unitrunker (Aug 17, 2021)

Adding "NOAUTO" helped but it becomes a manual process to get wifi going.

/etc/rc.conf:
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA DHCP NOAUTO"

After typing "ifconfig wlan0 up", wlan0 associates and gets an IP.

Clunky.

Seems related to:








						256957 – Wi-Fi: rc.conf(5) NOAUTO, ifconfig(8) up and unwanted WLAN connections to open networks
					

Someone looked at source code and suggested that NOAUTO might be deprecated.  Thoughts?  From rc.conf(5) :   If the ifconfig_⟨interface⟩ contains the keyword “NOAUTO” then the interface will not be configured at boot or by /etc/pccard_ether when network_interfaces is set to “AUTO”.




					forums.freebsd.org


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## unitrunker (Aug 17, 2021)

Bug submitted ... PR 257914


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## unitrunker (Aug 17, 2021)

No idea why but the errors stopped so I've closed the bug.


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