RDKB Reference Platform - Dynamic Hostapd Changes in WiFi Hal - Design Approach

Introduction

                   Updation of dynamic hostapd changes in WiFi hal layer lead to resolution of various issues like timeout errors when we try to set values to wifi parameters such as ssid, password, SecurityMode, channel etc through dmcli commands or WebUI. Moreover, features such as xfinity-wifi,snmp set/get of wifi calls ,factory-reset timeout errors are also resolved. This enhanced the performance of WebUI.

We resolved this scenario with support of hostapd_cli.
hostapd_cli is a text-based frontend program for interacting with hostapd.
hostapd is a user  space daemon  for access point and authentication servers. It implements IEEE 802.11 access point management, IEEE 802.1X/WPA/WPA2/EAP Authenticators and RADIUS authentication server.

Design Considerations

                   Upgraded hostapd version from 2.2 to 2.5 in emulator because this version have the support of enabling /disabling of hostapd  at runtime  through hostapd_cli.

Following wifi hal api's are added and modified in wifi_hal.c ,

Modified wifi hal api's are :

1. wifi_setSSIDName()
2. wifi_getApEnable()
3. wifi_getApStatus()
4. wifi_setApSsidAdvertisementEnable()
5. wifi_setSSIDEnable()
6. wifi_setApEnable()
7. wifi_getSSIDStatus()
8. wifi_setPreferPrivateConnection()
9. wifi_stopHostApd()
10. wifi_startHostApd()
11. wifi_restartHostApd()
12. wifi_setApEnable()
13. wifi_setApSecurityModeEnabled()
14. wifi_setApSecurityPreSharedKey()
15. wifi_setApSecurityKeyPassphrase()
16. wifi_setApWpsEnable()
17. wifi_setApWpsConfigMethodsEnabled()
18. wifi_setApWpsDevicePIN()
19. wifi_getRadioEnable()
20. wifi_setRadioEnable()
21. wifi_getRadioStatus()
22. wifi_setRadioChannelMode()
23. wifi_setRadioChannel()
24. wifi_setRadioAutoChannelEnable()
25. wifi_setRadioOperatingChannelBandwidth()
26. wifi_setApSecurityKeyPassphrase()

Newly added dynamic wifi hal api's:

1. Stop_Start_Broadcasting_SSID_Names_Hostapd_Process()
2. GetInterfaceName_HostapdConf()
3. Dynamically_Disabling_hostapd_process()
4. Dynamically_Enabling_hostapd_process()
5. Dynamically_Updated_SupportedRated_hostapd_process()
6. Dynamically_Updated_Password_hostapd_process()
7. Dynamically_Updated_SSIDAdvertisement_Hostapd_Process()
8. Dynamically_Updated_SSIDName_Hostapd_Process()
9. DYnamically_Updated_OperatingChannelBandwidth()
10. Dynamically_Updated_Security_Encryption_Modes_Hostapd_Process()
11. Dynamically_Updated_Channel_Value_hostapd_process()
12. Dynamically_Enabling_And_Disabling_WPS_Support_Hostapd_Process()
13. Dynamically_Updated_WPS_ConfigMethods_Hostapd_process()
14. Dynamically_Updated_WPS_ApPin_Hostapd_Process()         

Architecture

1. Code flow of setting the private WiFi 2G SSID

Data Model