v3.3.0-dev1

Update GitHub Actions Workflow for Compatibility and Dependency Fixes…

v3.2.3 - API hardening release

The purpose of this release is to update the default behavior for API access. External access is now disabled by default, effectively limiting API access only to processes on the same device, such as webui to core.

For additional relevant notes and considerations, see the previous v3.2.2 release notes.

Changes

• API access hardening by removing the allow rule from iptables firewall rules in pi-gen. This effectively removes external access to the API by default. The wlanpi-core package will manage any needed firewall rules moving forward.
• SHA256 checksum are now generated and available. Note that the checksum corresponds to the zip file containing the WLAN Pi OS image, not the image file itself.

Credits

• Thanks to @joshschmelzle and @MichaelKetchel for contributions in this release.

v3.2.2 - WLPC Prague 2024

This release, also known as the WLPC 2024 Prague image, supports the following hardware models:

• WLAN Pi M4+ with native Wi-Fi 7 support 🆕
• WLAN Pi M4
• WLAN Pi R4¹
• WLAN Pi Pro

Check out the feature comparison and instructions for flashing SD cards.

Here is the list of all supported Wi-Fi adapters

Important

⚠️ Powering the WLAN Pi M4 via USB-C and PoE at the same time may cause damage to the WLAN Pi M4 or the USB-C host. This issue does not impact the WLAN Pi M4+.

Changelog

New

• Linux Kernel 6.10.14
• Adds support for Wi-Fi 7 using the Intel BE200 M.2 wireless module (WLAN Pi M4+, M4² using adapter, Pro)
• Adds CLI notification to the MOTD screen when a new package and WLAN Pi image becomes available for download
• Screen uses a significantly faster refresh rate
• Screen and buttons are now much more responsive
• Server mode is non-persistent. A safety feature automatically switches the Server mode off at the next reboot. If you prefer using your WLAN Pi in Server mode permanently, you can do so by executing sudo systemctl disable wlanpi-server-nonpersistence.service
• Improves model detection and automatic startup configuration
• Updates wireless-regdb (2024.07.04-1)
• Updates MediaTek Wi-Fi firmware files (2024-09-22)
• Updates Intel firmware files (Version 92)
• (FPMS) Adds new Apps > Profiler > Start Other menu with custom Profiler startup channel options
• (FPMS) Adds option to rotate the display for those wishing to stand the WLAN Pi M4/M4+/R4 upside down. Simply head over to System > Settings > Rotate Display
• (wlanpi-core) package provides new APIs for the following (Postman collection available)
  • API call to get Wi-Fi scans
  • API call to connect adapter to Wi-Fi and set as the default route
  • API call to read out the current Wi-Fi connection status
  • API call to read out network info (IP, LLDP, etc) (Same as Network Info page in FPMS)
  • API call to read out device information (Various info from across FPMS home screen and stats pages)
• API call to check and manage Bluetooth (Same as Bluetooth page in FPMS)
• API call to read out utilities (Reachability, connected devices, UFW) (Same as Utilities page in FPMS)

Fixes

• (FPMS) Fixes the "white screen of death" issue when the screen backlight is on but no content is displayed
• (FPMS) Fixes Profiler start options to display an error if Profiler fails to start
• (Profiler) Fixes a crash in OUI profiling (caused by certain Wi-Fi 7 clients)

Known Issues

• Librespeed may report Download and Upload speeds lower than expected.
• (WLAN Pi R4) Bluetooth does not work on the R4 platform with the MT7921AU USB Wi-Fi adapter like Comfast CF-951/CF-953.
• (WLAN Pi M4/R4) The MT7921K (M.2) or MT7921AU (USB) Wi-Fi modules can't connect to 6 GHz APs above channel 101. They can still scan and discover APs using channel 101 or higher. The issue only impacts association.
• (WLAN Pi Pro) OTG functionality does not work with M series Macs. A workaround is connecting the WLAN Pi Pro via USB-A through a USB-C hub. For example, M1 Mac <-C-> USB-C hub (with USB-A ports) <-A-> USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter <-C-> USB-C on the top port of the WLAN Pi Pro.
• (WLAN Pi M4) External USB MediaTek adapters may cause the WLAN Pi M4/M4+ to hang and are not correctly recognised as WLAN interfaces. As a workaround, update the wlanpi-misc-firmware package using sudo apt update && sudo apt install wlanpi-misc-firmware -y. This issue doesn't impact WLAN Pi R4.
• Bluetooth radio doesn't work when the WLAN Pi M4+ USB mode switch is in the device "D" (OTG mode) position. This is expected as the USB lanes are disconnected in this mode.

Notes

¹ Raspberry Pi 5 is not supported. There is no real need for extra performance. Raspberry Pi 5 also requires the new Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm distribution which involves a significant development effort.
² A custom M.2 adapter is required to install the Intel BE200 module in the WLAN Pi M4.

Be Kind

Be kind to one another and enjoy this release!

Credits

Massive thanks to @adriangranados, @bentumbler, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, and @nickjvturner for their contributions and testing!

v3.2.1 Bug fix release

• Fixes: USB MediaTek Wi-Fi adapters cause WLAN Pi M4 to respond slowly and hang
• Automatically checks for WLAN Pi package and image updates and notifies users after they SSH in
• Updated regdb package
• Includes fresh releases of system packages

v3.2.0 - WLPC Phoenix 2024

This release, also known as the WLPC 2024 Phoenix image, supports the following hardware models:

• WLAN Pi M4
• WLAN Pi R4¹
• WLAN Pi Pro

Check out the feature comparison and instructions for flashing SD cards.

Here is the list of all supported Wi-Fi adapters.

Important

⚠️ Powering the WLAN Pi M4 via USB-C and PoE at the same time may cause damage to the WLAN Pi M4 or the USB-C host.

Changelog

New

• Linux Kernel 6.7.1.
• Adds experimental support for Wi-Fi 7 using the Intel BE200 M.2 wireless module (WLAN Pi Pro and M4²).
• Improves model detection and automatic startup configuration.
• Updates wireless-regdb (2022.06.06-2).
• Updates MediaTek firmware files (2023-11-20).
• Updates Intel firmware files.
• Changes Hotspot, Server and Wi-Fi Console mode to use 2.4 GHz channel 1 as default. This maximises compatibility and allows these modes work in any country.
• Removes workaround that initializes PCIe after boot. PCIe will now be enabled at boot.
• Replaces the use of iwconfig (wireless-tools is deprecated) with iw in wlanpi-fpms, wlanpi-common, wlanpi-hotspot, wlanpi-server, and wlanpi-wconsole.
• (FPMS) Adds System > Help.
• (FPMS) Moves System > Time & Zone, RF Domain menu options to System > Settings.
• (FPMS) System > Settings > RF Domain menu now allows you to select Canada (CA) and The Netherlands (NL).
• (Profiler) Adds chipset lookup via heuristics.
• (Profiler) Profile VHT Beamformee STS Capability.
• (Profiler) Profile HE Beamformee STS Capability.
• (Profiler) Adds basic Wi-Fi 7 profiling (presence of EHT IEs).
• (Profiler) Adds Profiler vendor-specific IE with TLVs for profiler version and system version.
• (wlanpi-model) This CLI command displays WLAN Pi model, RPi4 revision, installed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters and device IDs.

Fixes

• Fixes a crash that may occur when using Kismet (or any other software package that puts the interface in monitor mode) on systems using a MediaTek wireless module.
• (Profiler) Fixes crash in OUI profiling (caused by certain Wi-Fi 7 clients).

Known Issues

• Librespeed may report Download and Upload speeds lower than expected.
• (WLAN Pi R4) Bluetooth does not work on the R4 platform with the MT7921AU USB Wi-Fi adapter.
• (WLAN Pi M4/R4) Sometimes, you may get a white screen after starting. Rebooting or restarting the wlanpi-fpms service fixes it.
• (WLAN Pi M4/R4) The MT7921K (M.2) or MT7921AU (USB) Wi-Fi modules can't connect to 6 GHz APs above channel 101. They can still scan and discover APs using channel 101 or higher. The issue only impacts association.
• (WLAN Pi Pro) OTG functionality does not work with M series Macs. A workaround is connecting the WLAN Pi Pro via USB-A through a USB-C hub. For example, M1 Mac <-C-> USB-C hub (with USB-A ports) <-A-> USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter <-C-> USB-C on the top port of the WLAN Pi Pro.
• (WLAN Pi M4) External USB MediaTek adapter causes WLAN Pi M4 to hang and is not correctly recognised as a wlan interface. Updated wlanpi-misc-firmware package is required. Update using sudo apt update && sudo apt install wlanpi-misc-firmware -y. This issue doesn't impact WLAN Pi R4.

Notes

¹ Raspberry Pi 5 is not supported.
² A custom M.2 adapter is required to install the Intel BE200 module in the WLAN Pi M4.

Credits

Massive thanks to @adriangranados, @bentumbler, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, and @nickjvturner for their contributions and testing!

v3.1.4 - WLPC 2023 Prague

Compatible hardware

• WLAN Pi R4
• WLAN Pi M4
• WLAN Pi Pro

With one or more of the supported Wi-Fi adapters

How to flash the image to a micro SD card

1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager
2. Download the zipped image using the link below
3. Flash the image to a 16 GB or larger SD card (Sandisk Edge micro SD cards are a great choice)
4. Power up your WLAN Pi and wait for 3-4 minutes at the very first boot ⚠️ This is important as it applies important settings at first boot.

New features and enhancements

• Brand new and responsive WLAN Pi web interface
• Grafana is now preinstalled
• Grafana now uses new credentials wlanpi/wlanpi (originally admin/admin)
• New Grafana dashboard: Wi-Fi Scanner
• New Grafana dashboard: Internet Monitoring with LibreSpeed and Speedtest.net (requires manual steps) support
• New Grafana dashboard: WLAN Pi Health
• New Grafana dashboard: Spectrum analysis using MetaGeek Wi-Spy DBx
• New Grafana dashboard: Spectrum analysis using Oscium WiPry Clarity
• scandump is preinstalled and allows you to perform Wi-Fi scans even when your adapter doesn't support Monitor mode (the built-in RPi4 one for example - this adapter is disabled by default though in our image)
• Add support for Comfast CF-953AX USB Wi-Fi 6E adapter (Device ID: 0e8d:7961)
• Adds support for Alfa AWUS036AXML USB Wi-Fi 6E adapter (Device ID: 0e8d:7961)
• Adds support for Netgear Nighthawk AXE3000 USB Wi-Fi 6E adapter (Device ID: 0846:9060)
• Latest MediaTek Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapter firmware as of 5th September 2023
• Adds InfluxData repository (influxdb, telegraf, chronograf) so that you can install these packages easily using apt install command
• Linux kernel 6.1.54
• Fixed: Kismet did not release Wi-Fi adapter to Managed mode and left it in Monitor after kismet.service has been stopped
• Fixed: Hotspot, Wi-Fi Console and Server modes did not put the SSID on air in some cases, because of a leading dash character in autogenerated randomised passphrase
• Vulnerability fixes
• Fixed: Regulatory can’t be changed via on-screen menu (FPMS)

Credits

Special thanks to @bryanward-net and Kjetil Teigen Hansen. Thanks to the WLAN Pi core team @adriangranados, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, @nickjvturner, @bentumbler, and you, the amazing Wi-Fi community, for your contributions, feedback and testing! 👏🏻

Special thanks to all who have helped us test this release.

v3.1.3

What's new

• Fixes intermittent "white screen" issue observed especially on WLAN Pi R4 (see symptoms in the photo below)
• Adds Grafana repository

Fix the "white screen" issue in an older WLAN Pi OS release

If you are looking just for the "white screen" fix, you don't need to reflash your SD card. Keep running your current WLAN Pi OS version (for example 3.1.2) and update the Front Panel Menu System (FPMS) package to the fixed version 1.2.67 or newer using this command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install wlanpi-fpms

Compatible hardware

• WLAN Pi R4
• WLAN Pi M4
• WLAN Pi Pro

Credits

Special thanks to @bentumbler. Thanks to the WLAN Pi core team @adriangranados, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, @nickjvturner and you, the amazing Wi-Fi community, for your contributions and testing! 👏🏻

v3.1.2 - WLPC 2023 Phoenix

Hardware Support

This release, also known as the WLPC 2023 Phoenix image, supports the following hardware models:

• WLAN Pi M4
• WLAN Pi R4
• WLAN Pi Pro

Check out the feature comparison and instructions for flashing SD cards.

Changelog

• Linux Kernel 6.1.9
• Cockpit 284-1 (from backports)

WLAN Pi Package Updates

wlanpi-fpms 1.2.66

• Adds ability to loop through menu options with up & down buttons.
• Adds option set time zone automatically.
• Adds Apps > Kismet start/stop options.
• Adds Extreme Cloud Tests (@niklasmato).
• Adds Ruckus Cloud Tests (@iamk3).
• Setting a new time zone (manually or automatically) doesn't require a reboot anymore.
• Displays message in home screen when Port Blinker is active.
• Fixes the built-in Wi-Fi scanner app (Apps > Scanner) when using the MT7921K/AU Wi-Fi modules.
• Fixes scantofile time interval.

wlanpi-common 1.0.87

• Improves USB port startup configuration for Pro and R4 models.
• Improves WLAN Pi model detection.
• Fixes CDP neighbor detection.

wlanpi-misc-firmware 1.0.5

• Adds latest MediaTek firmware files for MT7922 devices (2022-12-27)
• Updates MediaTek firmware files for MT7921 devices (2023-01-17).

New Packages

wavemon 0.9.1

Wavemon is a wireless device monitoring application that allows you to watch signal and noise levels, packet statistics, device configuration and network parameters of your wireless network hardware.

dhcping 1.2

Send a DHCP request to DHCP server to see if it's up and running.

sntp 1:4.2.8

Network Time Protocol - SNTP client.

fping 5.0

Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts.

flent 2.0.0

FLExible Network Tester for bufferbloat testing and more.

netperf 2.7.0

Netperf is a benchmark that can be used to measure the performance of many different types of networking.

Behavioral Changes

• Default USB mode is set to Host. However, OTG mode will be enabled automatically at startup for those devices that support it (R4 and Pro).
• Bluetooth is now experimental on the WLAN Pi M4 using the MT7921/MT7922 modules.
• PCIe is now disabled while booting, but is enabled after the kernel has booted, this is a work around to avoid an issue with the MT7921K that can occasionally cause the unit to hang during boot.
• In the case of a kernel panic, the WLAN Pi will now reboot automatically to avoid being left on a hung state.

Known Issues

All Platforms

• When FPMS is updated by FPMS (System > Software Update > Install Updates), package installation breaks. Running sudo dpkg --configure -a from a terminal should resolve the issue.

WLAN Pi M4

• The MT7921K (M.2) Wi-Fi module can't connect to 6 GHz APs above channel 101.

WLAN Pi R4

• Bluetooth does not work on the R4 platform with the MT7921AU (USB) Wi-Fi module.
• The MT7921AU(USB) Wi-Fi module can't connect to 6 GHz APs above channel 101.

WLAN Pi Pro

• The MT7921K (M.2) Wi-Fi module is incompatible with the Intel AX210 Wi-Fi module. The MT7921K driver requires the pcie-32bit-dma dtoverlay to correctly load on arm64 platforms but it breaks the Intel AX210 driver.
• OTG functionality does not work with M series Macs. A workaround is connecting the WLAN Pi Pro via USB-A through a USB-C hub. For example, M1 Mac <-C-> USB-C hub (with USB-A ports) <-A-> USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter <-C-> USB-C on the top port of the WLAN Pi Pro.

Notes

Please note that we do not plan on supporting SD card swapping between the M4 and Pro models.

Credits

Massive thanks to @adriangranados, @bentumbler, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, and @nickjvturner for their contributions and testing!

v3.1.1

Hardware Support

This release, also known as "the WLPC 2022 Prague image", supports the following hardware models:

• WLAN Pi R4 new!
• WLAN Pi M4 new!
• WLAN Pi Pro

Check out the feature comparison and instructions for flashing SD cards.

Changelog

• Linux kernel 5.19.14.

Package updates:

• wlanpi-fpms 1.2.52 fixes occasional speedtest-cli failures when using HTTP by instead using HTTPS (--secure argument).
• wlanpi-common 1.0.76 to display eth0 MTU on FPMS.
• Removed a symlink for "speedtest" installed by speedtest-cli to avoid conflict with the Ookla supported speedtest command line tool. librespeed-cli, speedtest-cli, and speedtest by Ookla can now all be installed and used on the same Pi without conflicts.

Package adds:

• Adds librespeed-cli as another speed testing tool by the wlanpi-librespeed-cli package.

Behavioral changes:

• Jumbo frames are disabled and not supported in this release. Before this release, the default MTU was 9000 across all network interfaces. With this release, the default and maximum MTU on all network interfaces are now 1500 bytes. This is due to significant throughput issues when the WLAN Pi interface MTU is 9000 and intermediary network devices do not have jumbo frames enabled.

Known Issues

• WLAN Pi Pro: The mt7921k (M.2) Wi-Fi module is incompatible with the Intel AX210 Wi-Fi module. The mt7921k currently requires pcie-32bit-dma dtoverlay for functionality on arm64, which breaks the Intel AX210.
• WLAN Pi Pro: OTG functionality does not work with M series Macs. A workaround is connecting the WLAN Pi Pro via USB-A through a USB-C hub. For example, M1 Mac <-C-> USB-C hub (with USB-A ports) <-A-> USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter <-C-> USB-C on the top port of the WLAN Pi Pro.
• WLAN Pi M4/R4: Bluetooth functionality does not work on M4/R4 platforms with mt7921k/au (M.2/USB) Wi-Fi modules. The services bt-agent, bt-network, and bthelper@hci() fail to start.
• WLAN Pi M4/R4: The Wi-Fi scanner app built into FPMS does not show scan results when using mt7921k/au (M.2/USB) Wi-Fi modules. The problem presents when scan results contain all unexpected and incorrect RSSI measurements. Such as 0.00 dBm.
• When FPMS is updated by FPMS (System > Software Update > Install Updates), package installation breaks.
  • Running sudo dpkg --configure -a from a terminal should resolve the issue.
• MT7921K (M.2) and MT7921AU (USB) don't connect to 6 GHz APs above channel 101.
• Please note that we do not plan on supporting SD card swapping between the M4 and Pro models.

Credits

Massive thanks to @adriangranados, @bentumbler, Frank, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, @nickjvturner, and @wifinigel for their contributions and testing!

v3.1.0

NOTE: Please consider running v3.1.1+ over v3.1.0.

Hardware Support

This release supports the following hardware models:

• WLAN Pi R4 new!
• WLAN Pi M4 new!
• WLAN Pi Pro

Check out the feature comparison and instructions for flashing SD cards.

Changelog

• Linux kernel 5.19.5.

Package updates:

• Updated wpasupplicant to v2.10 from v2.9 via bullseye backports. v2.10 enables sae_pwe config to support H2E with WPA3-Personal.
• Updated hostapd to v2.10 from v2.9 using bullseye backports which enables 6 GHz operation with hostapd.
• Updated iw to v5.19 from v5.16.
• Updated wlanpi-linux-firmware to 20220609 (from for-upstream branch) from 20220110. The update includes a more recent ucode for Intel AX2xx cards. By default, the Intel AX210 will use ucode v71 on this release.
• Updated kismet to 2022-08-R1 from 2022-02-R1.
• Updated cockpit file browser navigator to v0.5.9 from v0.5.8.
• Updated wlanpi-fpms to v1.2.51 from v1.2.36 which includes several bug fixes and enhancements.
  • Bugfix for corrupting the profiler config causing profiler to crash.
  • Enhancement for setting timezone from FPMS.
  • Enhancement to the scanner app for saving scans to files.
• Updated wlanpi-profiler to v1.0.15 from v1.0.14 fixing a crash when the config is corrupt.
• Updated wlanpi-common to v1.0.75 from v1.0.52.

Package adds:

• Adds wlanpi-wipry v1.0.1 which enables support for the Oscium WiPry Clarity.
• Adds wlanpi-misc-firmware v1.0.0 which provides updated MediaTek firmware files. Includes firmware for mt7921k and mt7921u.

Bundled image changes:

• Upgrades wireless-regdb to 2022.06.06 from 2022.04.08 which enables the 6 GHz band for certain regulatory domains.
• Allow running airmon-ng using sudo and no password.

Behavioral changes:

• To support multiple hardware platforms from this image, wlanpi-common adds a script to apply platform specific settings at startup time.
  For example, the startup script will stage and enable the pcie-32bit-dma overlay when detecting M4 is the platform. The M4 pairs with the mt7921k.
• Please note that we do not plan on supporting SD card swapping between the M4 and Pro models.

Known Issues

• WLAN Pi Pro: The mt7921k (M.2) Wi-Fi module is incompatible with the Intel AX210 Wi-Fi module. The mt7921k currently requires pcie-32bit-dma dtoverlay for functionality on arm64, which breaks the Intel AX210.
• WLAN Pi Pro: OTG functionality does not work with M series Macs. A workaround is connecting the WLAN Pi Pro via USB-A through a USB-C hub. For example, M1 Mac <-C-> USB-C hub (with USB-A ports) <-A-> USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter <-C-> USB-C on the top port of the WLAN Pi Pro.
• WLAN Pi M4/R4: Bluetooth functionality does not work on M4/R4 platforms with mt7921k/au (M.2/USB) Wi-Fi modules. The services bt-agent, bt-network, and bthelper@hci() fail to start.
• WLAN Pi M4/R4: The Wi-Fi scanner app built into FPMS does not show scan results when using mt7921k/au (M.2/USB) Wi-Fi modules. The problem presents when scan results contain all unexpected and incorrect RSSI measurements. Such as 0.00 dBm.
• When FPMS is updated by FPMS (System > Software Update > Install Updates), package installation breaks.
  • Running sudo dpkg --configure -a from a terminal should resolve the issue.
• Intermittent failures when executing speedtest-cli from FPMS. Fixed by running with --secure which uses HTTPS rather than HTTP. Perform updates to get a fixed version of FPMS.
• Issues with throughput testing when jumbo frames are not enabled e2e due to default MTU being set to 9000.

Credits

Thanks to @adriangranados, @bentumbler, Frank, @jolla, @jiribrejcha, @joshschmelzle, @nickjvturner, and @wifinigel for their contributions and testing!