AC 9260 Support for Nitro-QAM?

[LTeng4]

Hello all,

I recently encountered a problem when monitoring wireless traffic using a NUC 8/AC9260 wireless card.

It seems as though either the driver or the microcode version I'm currently running doesn't support 1024-QAM on 11ac channels. I know it's *technically* not part of the 11ac specification, but given the prevalence of broadcom/qualcomm chipsets which make use of this standard (which is making its way into 11ax anyway), could I ask if there is any current/future support for this modulation scheme on the AC9260?

Here is the trace from dmesg.

Specs:

NUC 8

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Kernel 5.1.9-050109

iwlwifi firmware version 43.95eb4e97.0 op_mode iwlmvm

[56770.052336] Rate marked as a VHT rate but data is invalid: MCS: 11, NSS: 2

[56770.052416] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 372 at net/mac80211/rx.c:4578 ieee80211_rx_napi+0x42e/0xb00 [mac80211]

[56770.052417] Modules linked in: nfnetlink_queue nfnetlink_log nfnetlink thunderbolt cmac snd_hda_codec_hdmi snd_hda_codec_realtek snd_hda_codec_generic ledtrig_audio rfcomm bnep intel_rapl x86_pkg_temp_thermal intel_powerclamp kvm_intel kvm snd_soc_skl irqbypass snd_soc_hdac_hda snd_hda_ext_core snd_soc_skl_ipc snd_soc_sst_ipc snd_soc_sst_dsp snd_soc_acpi_intel_match snd_soc_acpi snd_soc_core snd_compress ac97_bus snd_pcm_dmaengine snd_hda_intel snd_hda_codec snd_hda_core arc4 snd_hwdep snd_pcm crct10dif_pclmul snd_seq_midi snd_seq_midi_event crc32_pclmul ghash_clmulni_intel snd_rawmidi mei_hdcp snd_seq aesni_intel snd_seq_device btusb ax88179_178a btrtl usbnet btbcm aes_x86_64 btintel crypto_simd snd_timer cryptd glue_helper mii intel_cstate intel_rapl_perf bluetooth snd ecdh_generic iwlmvm mac80211 soundcore rtsx_pci_ms wmi_bmof memstick intel_wmi_thunderbolt i915 drm_kms_helper iwlwifi drm i2c_algo_bit fb_sys_fops syscopyarea sysfillrect cfg80211 sysimgblt mei_me mei mac_hid acpi_pad

[56770.052454] intel_pch_thermal acpi_tad sch_fq_codel coretemp parport_pc ppdev lp parport ip_tables x_tables autofs4 rtsx_pci_sdmmc e1000e rtsx_pci ahci libahci wmi pinctrl_cannonlake video pinctrl_intel

[56770.052468] CPU: 1 PID: 372 Comm: irq/131-iwlwifi Not tainted 5.1.9-050109-generic #201906111132

[56770.052470] Hardware name: Intel(R) Client Systems NUC8i3BEK/NUC8BEB, BIOS BECFL357.86A.0071.2019.0510.1505 05/10/2019

[56770.052498] RIP: 0010:ieee80211_rx_napi+0x42e/0xb00 [mac80211]

[56770.052501] Code: 04 00 00 80 3d 18 ed 06 00 00 0f 85 d7 fc ff ff 0f b6 53 4a 0f b6 f1 48 c7 c7 78 20 7d c0 c6 05 fd ec 06 00 01 e8 94 b0 11 d4 <0f> 0b e9 b6 fc ff ff 48 c7 85 38 ff ff ff 00 00 00 00 80 f9 4c 0f

[56770.052502] RSP: 0018:ffffb52240c57bd8 EFLAGS: 00010286

[56770.052504] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff9b71f470e400 RCX: 0000000000000006

[56770.052506] RDX: 0000000000000007 RSI: 0000000000000086 RDI: ffff9b71fdc96440

[56770.052507] RBP: ffffb52240c57cb0 R08: 0000000000000406 R09: 0000000000000004

[56770.052508] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000001 R12: ffff9b71f49247a0

[56770.052509] R13: ffff9b71f470e400 R14: ffff9b71f35d4000 R15: 0000000000000001

[56770.052511] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff9b71fdc80000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000

[56770.052513] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033

[56770.052514] CR2: 000056202b4b7620 CR3: 000000004e80e006 CR4: 00000000003606e0

[56770.052515] Call Trace:

[56770.052524] ? __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0x5e/0x2b0

[56770.052529] ? __kmalloc_reserve.isra.53+0x31/0x90

[56770.052546] ? iwl_mvm_get_signal_strength.isra.17+0x77/0xa0 [iwlmvm]

[56770.052559] iwl_mvm_rx_mpdu_mq+0x81c/0x1550 [iwlmvm]

[56770.052572] iwl_mvm_rx_mq+0x4f/0xa0 [iwlmvm]

[56770.052586] iwl_pcie_rx_handle+0x403/0xa50 [iwlwifi]

[56770.052591] ? __switch_to_asm+0x41/0x70

[56770.052596] ? irq_finalize_oneshot.part.44+0xf0/0xf0

[56770.052607] iwl_pcie_irq_rx_msix_handler+0x58/0x100 [iwlwifi]

[56770.052610] ? irq_finalize_oneshot.part.44+0xf0/0xf0

[56770.052612] irq_thread_fn+0x24/0x60

[56770.052615] irq_thread+0xea/0x170

[56770.052617] ? irq_forced_thread_fn+0x80/0x80

[56770.052620] kthread+0x120/0x140

[56770.052623] ? irq_thread_check_affinity+0xf0/0xf0

[56770.052626] ? __kthread_parkme+0x70/0x70

[56770.052629] ret_from_fork+0x35/0x40

[56770.052632] ---[ end trace 2abd875e8108bfb7 ]---

[David_V_Intel]

Hello LTeng4,

Thank you for posting on the Intel ® communities.

I would like to know if this issue happens when using Windows*, this is because most of our Intel ® NUCs have been validated to work with Windows 10 and not Linux. Please refer to the link below: 

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005628/mini-pcs.html

Please provide me with the model of Intel ® NUC you have as well as an System Support Utility report, this report can be generated from our tool, you can refer to the link below so you can download it: 

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows-

Make sure to attach the created report to this thread.

If the unit has not been validated with Linux and you still want to use it then I would recommend posting an inquiry in the Distribution's support forum for more assistance.

David V

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel

[LTeng4]

Hi David,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I have not tested it on windows, and we do not have any windows NUCs in service.

Please find attached my SSU report. Since the problem pertains to support of a (previously no-standard) wi-fi specification, I would imagine the NIC driver is more influential than the operating system it is running on.

Nevertheless, I will have a look on the Linux support forum.

Best,

Lyndon

[David_V_Intel]

Hello LTeng4,

Thank you for your response.

Upon reviewing the System Support Utility report, I found the model of Intel® NUC and I can see that the unit has only been validated to work with Windows* 10. Since this is the case, what I can recommend you to do is to work with the Distribution's support to see if they have more recent driver versions that may address this issue you are experiencing 

Regards, 

David V

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel