WiFi 6E AX211 FTM Initiator Issue

[Y2kon]

Hello!

I’m trying to test and develop FTM applications using Intel AX211. I’m running into issues which executing an FTM ranging request.

My setup
MB - ASUS ROG B760
CPU - Intel i7 14700k
OS Ubuntu 24.04
Tried kernel
6.8.
6.14

In both cases with driver 89 including backport iwlwifi and iw version 6.7, I’m unable to initiate ftm request. In both cases I get an error 95 (operation not supported)

I would appreciate any help!

[VonM_Intel]

Hi Y2kon,

Thank you for posting in our Community and the steps you’ve already taken. I understand you’re running into an issue with FTM ranging requests on your Intel AX211, receiving error 95 (“operation not supported”) across different kernels and driver versions. I’ll need to do a bit more research on this issue to fully understand the underlying cause and see if there are any workarounds or fixes. In the meantime, could you clarify a few points to help narrow things down:

• Could you kindly clarify what you mean by FTM applications? Are you referring to 

  Front-of-the-Meter (FTM) systems? If so, have you confirmed that FTM is enabled and fully supported on the AP or router you are using for testing? Additionally, are you testing FTM with a specific AP that supports it, or are you working with multiple APs?

• Are there any additional kernel modules or firmware patches applied besides the backport iwlwifi?

• Have you tried testing with the default Ubuntu kernel without backports, just to compare behavior?

Additionally, I'd like to delve deeper and verify specifics like the precise wireless driver versions and any system errors. Utilizing the Intel SSU tool will enable me to collect detailed information about your system setup, which could aid in identifying the underlying cause of this issue.

Have a nice day!

Best regards,

Von M.
Intel Customer Support Technician

[Y2kon]

Hi Von,

Thanks a lot for your response.

By FTM I'm referring to Fine Timing Measurement used for distance measurement. I want to use AX211 as an initiator and measure distance. I also want to use 802.11 az standard (the more secure version on 802.11 mc) Which I can see is supported by AX211.

Best,

Harshad

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Thank you for the clarification, that helps a lot. Understood, you’re referring to Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) for distance measurement, with the AX211 acting as the initiator, and you’re aiming to use the 802.11az standard, which the AX211 does list support for. To move forward effectively, I do still need a bit more information from my earlier questions, so I can narrow down where the limitation is coming from:

• Could you confirm the exact AP or router you’re using for testing?
  Does it explicitly support FTM/802.11mc/802.11az and allow it to be enabled?
  (This is crucial because the AX211 can only initiate ranging if the AP responds properly.)

• Besides the backport iwlwifi driver, are there any other custom kernel modules, patches, or firmware changes applied?

• Have you tried running your tests on the default Ubuntu kernel without backports to see if the behavior changes?
• When you have a moment, please run the Intel SSU tool and share the results. This will give me the exact driver, firmware, and system info needed for deeper investigation.

Best regards,

Von M.
Intel Customer Support Technician

[Y2kon]

Hi Von,

1. I'm using another Intel AX210 as AP. Right now I'm just using it as 802.11mc. I'm successfully able to measure distance with an android phone. So AP is configured correctly.

2. I have tried several combinations actually, I have an identical machine with default kernel and drivers and its same there.

I'm attaching the SSU log.

There's another issue with AX210 (product brief also suggests support for 802.11az)

I configured the AP to use PASN, configured driver to use secure_ltf and I'm attempting 802.11az ranging with Google Pixel 10 Pro. The phone and AP completes PASN authentication and establishes keys however, the hostap fails to set secure ranging context with error 95 (operation not supported, its a separate issue but would be nice to get help on this too)

Cheers,

Harshad

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Thank you for providing the detailed information regarding your WiFi 6E AX211 FTM Initiator setup and the challenges you’re experiencing with executing FTM ranging requests and 802.11az secure ranging. I appreciate the thorough context, including your hardware, OS, kernel versions, driver details, and the steps you’ve already taken. I will need to conduct additional research on this issue to better understand the root cause and explore potential solutions. Once I have more information, I will provide an update directly in this thread.

In the meantime, if you have any additional logs or observations, please feel free to share them, as they may help in the investigation. Thank you for your patience, and I’ll be in touch with updates as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Von M.
Intel Customer Support Technician

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Thank you for your patience in this matter. I reviewed the details you previously shared, and it appears that the results you mentioned were from firmware versions 6.8 and 6.14. To ensure we’re working with the most stable environment, I’d like to confirm whether you’ve already installed the latest firmware (version 6.17) along with the latest available driver on your end. Firmware 6.17 includes several important stability improvements, so I highly recommend updating to this version before we proceed with further troubleshooting.

Could you please install firmware 6.17 and let me know how the system performs afterward? Your feedback will help us move forward more accurately.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Y2kon]

Hi Von,

1.  FTM Initiator:

- I will try with AX211 and Kernel 6.17 and I'll report.

2. 802.11az/mc responder

- I'll try AX211 with kernel 6.17

- I also tried with Intel BE200 on Ubuntu 25.10 and Kernel 6.17.0-6-generic and default linux iwlwifi as well as backport-iwlwifi release/core98 and in both these cases hostapd fails, infact iw doesn't even list FTM_RESPONDER as a capability. 802.11az still fails. PASN authentication still succeeds and the whole thing fails while setting secure ranging context.

Log for FTM Responder with BE200

```mixed random - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
Key Counter - hexdump(len=32): [REMOVED]
WPA: Delay group state machine start until Beacon frames have been configured
PTKSA: Initializing
Not configuring FTM responder as the driver doesn't advertise support for it
nl80211: Set beacon (beacon_set=0)
nl80211: Beacon head - hexdump(len=59): 80 00 00 00 ff ff ff ff ff ff 5c b4 7e 25 cc 68 5c b4 7e 25 cc 68 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 64 00 11 04 00 08 46 54 4d 5f 54 45 53 54 01 08 82 84 8b 96 0c 12 18 24 03 01 05
nl80211: Beacon tail - hexdump(len=207): 07 06 44 45 20 01 0d 16 2a 01 04 32 05 30 48 60 6c fa 30 18 01 00 00 0f ac 04 01 00 00 0f ac 04 02 00 00 0f ac 02 00 0f ac 15 cc 00 3b 02 51 00 2d 1a 0c 00 17 ff ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 2c 01 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 3d 16 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 7f 0d 04 00 00 02 00 00 01 40 40 00 00 04 02 bf 0c 00 00 00 00 ff ff 00 00 ff ff 00 00 c0 05 00 00 00 fc ff c3 02 00 2c f4 02 01 01 ff 1a 23 01 70 10 1a 00 00 02 20 0e 89 01 09 80 04 01 c4 00 fa ff fa ff 61 1c c7 71 ff 07 24 f0 3f 00 90 fc ff dd 18 00 50 f2 02 01 01 01 00 03 a4 00 00 27 a4 00 00 42 43 5e 00 62 32 2f 00
nl80211: ifindex=3```

Can you please confirm that I can any of the following Intel cards as 802.11az AP?

I'm on bit of a deadline, so I'd appreciate help regarding this.

Cheers,

Harshad

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Thank you for sharing the detailed testing results and logs. I really appreciate the thoroughness. Regarding the FTM initiator, testing AX211 with Kernel 6.17 should give you a clearer picture. Please share your findings once you’ve run the tests. Based on the logs you’ve shared, it appears that the drivers currently in use (both default iwlwifi and backport releases) do not advertise support for FTM_RESPONDER, which explains why hostapd fails and the capability isn’t listed in iw. Given this behavior, it suggests that with the current Linux kernel and drivers, the AX211 (and similarly BE200) may not function as a full 802.11az AP with responder capabilities.

In the meantime, I will need to conduct additional research on this issue and post an update in this thread once I have more information.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Thank you for sharing your SSU report. After reviewing the file, I noticed that the Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX211 adapter is not listed under the Networking section. To proceed accurately, could you please generate a new SSU report with the AX211 device properly connected and detected by the system? When running the tool, kindly make sure that “Everything” is checked so we can capture the full system details. 

Regarding your question about 802.11mc / FTM (Fine Timing Measurement) support:

• The Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX211 does support 802.11mc (FTM based on 802.11-2016).
  Product brief: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-details/632078/intel-wi-fi-6e-ax211-garfield-peak-2-product-brief.html

• The Intel® Wi-Fi 7 BE200 also supports this functionality.
  Product brief: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/content-details/761674/intel-wi-fi-7-be200-gale-peak-2-product-brief.html

However, it’s important to highlight that FTM functionality depends not only on the Intel adapter, but also on hardware OEM implementation and operating system support. Even when the feature is listed as supported, Intel wireless adapters, AX211 included, are primarily designed to operate as FTM Initiators (typically mobile, low-power devices). Support for FTM Responder mode (usually stationary access points) requires additional, platform-specific enablement by the device manufacturer and OS vendor.

Both product pages include a “Wi-Fi Location R2 HW readiness” label with footnotes explaining the specific requirements. Please review the appendices in the links above for full technical details.

Once you send the updated SSU with the AX211 detected, I’ll be able to continue our analysis.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

Have you had a chance to review my previous response? Please let us know if you require any further assistance. I'm here to help.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[VonM_Intel]

Hello Y2kon,

I have not heard back from you, so I will close this inquiry now. If you need further assistance, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Von M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Y2kon]

Hi, I’m sorry for the delay, I’ll get the ssu logs today!