New WPA3 issue?

[fhteagle]

I recently had to replace / upgrade the computer that makes an access point to the garage where the second OpenEVSE is. Both the old and new APs were made via hostapd infrastructure (AP) mode, but the old one was on ARMv7 CPU host, new is intel host. The AP hardware is Alfa AWUS036AXML external dongle with a Mediatek MT7921 (AU variant IIRC). AP is WPA3-SAE only, 802.11b/g/n/ax on 2.4ghz . OpenEVSE is firmware 8.?? and 5.1.2 for the wifi module.

Under the old AP, the OpenEVSE connected just fine. Under the new one, I am getting this message in the hostapd journal a few times a minute:

SAE mac address redacted : indicates support for SAE H2E, but did not use it

SAE H2E (Hash to Element) vs H2P (hunting and pecking) key scheme seems to be the issue.

I tried to update the OpenEVSE to the March dev build via my phone, but the firmware update stalled and I ran out of time.

All other devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.) connect to this hostapd AP just fine.

I have another OpenEVSE (7.1.3 / March dev release) at my other house, just did a test and that connects to the same hostapd version/config and MT7921AU created test access point.

So, questions: Did ESP32 H2E support recently get added, dropped, or broken?

I have done the basic troubleshooting steps of power cycling the OpenEVSE, rebooting the AP host computer, re-compiling hostapd from source, checking the hostapd .config file carefully. I also tried adding the sae_pwe= config switch and each of the possible values of 0,1,2, with no change.

Is there any other obvious troubleshooting steps that I am missing?

[fhteagle]

Okay I think I have it fixed + a weird observation....

sae_pwe=X is supposed to be in the hostapd.conf file, not in the .config for the hostapd source code.... oops.

So the OpenEVSE connects if sae_pwe is set to 2 (which enables both H2E and H2P key methods), or to 1 (H2E only), but not if sae_pwe is set to 0 (H2P only). So it appears the OpenEVSE wifi module attempts to speak H2E to APs set to H2P only?!?!?!