Hello Community,
I wonder if some of you could give me some advice about the way proposed
to fix the problem exposed below.
Regarding RHBZ#1703745 and RFBZ#5245:
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1703745
https://bugzilla.rpmfusion.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5245
Broadcom STA wireless module seems not to work correctly with the last
version of wpa_supplicant Fedora's package (new features activated).
There seems that randomizing MAC address while scanning for AP puzzles
Broadcom module.
First try to fix this issue was to add some piece of code that tells
what are the NL80211 types the module assumes. Random success was the
result. Some times connecting to AP was successful, but it was most of
the time failing.
The second way trying to fix the problem was to add to the broadcom-wl
package a NetworManager configuration file that deactivate the
randomizing MAC address while scanning for an AP. The disadvantage is
less privacy for all the wireless usage. Sometimes, this setting is just
needed when acquiring IP address requires one fix MAC address (MAC
filtering).
One more disadvantage is that the randomizing MAC address while scanning
for AP is disabled only when using NetworkManager.
Thanks to Davide Caratti one workaround was proposed to users in
setting-up a COPR repository containing a downgraded version of
wpa_supplicant package before the changes that caused the issue (see
RHBZ#1703745).
My questions are:
- Do you think it is worth to add definitively to the rpmfusion
broadcom-wl package the configuration file to disable NetworkManager
randomizing MAC address while scanning for an AP ? For your information,
as exposed in RHBZ#1703745 some distributions already provides such a
file and for multiple wireless drivers including wl module.
- Do you think it is worth applying the patch to the rpmfusion wl-kmod
package that adds the piece of code that tells what are the NL80211
types the module assumes ?
As last information, since my own comment #63 on RHBZ#1703745 (posted
2019-06-22), I use the patch and the configuration file proposed above
on my laptop without any problem (more than 2 months). Some users
reported in the bug reports some difficulties to use the configuration
file.
If you think it would be worth applying the patch and providing the
configuration file in rpmfusion packages, I will also add some
documentation to the fedora.readme file already provided in the
broadcom-wl package and comments in the 90-broadcom-wl.conf file.
All the necessary files needed to understand this message are provided
as attachment.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Cordially,
--
NVieville