WiFi client enterprise breaks and reboot ESP32 trying to connect eduroam in version 3.0.0

[tutotio]

Board

ESP32 dev module

Device Description

Development kit

Hardware Configuration

Development board with nothing attached

Version

v3.0.0

IDE Name

Arduino IDE

Operating System

Windows 11

Flash frequency

80MHz

PSRAM enabled

no

Upload speed

921600

Description

WiFi client enterprise breaks and reboot ESP32 trying to connect eduroam in version 3.0.0 running examples:

https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/blob/master/libraries/WiFi/examples/WiFiClientEnterprise/WiFiClientEnterprise.ino

https://github.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/blob/master/libraries/HTTPClient/examples/HTTPClientEnterprise/HTTPClientEnterprise.ino

It doesn't matter if you put a good or bad identity or password, it always breaks

It breaks if you are under wifi eduroam coberture. If eduroam wifi is not available or you change the ssid to a non existant ssid
const char *ssid = "eduro";

you got an error, but it don't brake and reboot:
[W][STA.cpp:135] _onStaArduinoEvent(): Reason: 201 - NO_AP_FOUND

Sketch

In the first example:

#include <WiFi.h>                      //Wifi library
#define EAP_IDENTITY "login"           //if connecting from another corporation, use identity@organization.domain in Eduroam
#define EAP_USERNAME "login"           //oftentimes just a repeat of the identity
#define EAP_PASSWORD "password"        //your Eduroam password
const char *ssid = "eduroam";          // Eduroam SSID
void setup() {
  WiFi.disconnect(true);  //disconnect form wifi to set new wifi connection
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);    //init wifi mode
  WiFi.begin(ssid, WPA2_AUTH_PEAP, EAP_IDENTITY, EAP_USERNAME, EAP_PASSWORD);
}



In the second example:

#include <WiFi.h>
#include "esp_eap_client.h"
#define EAP_IDENTITY "identity"  //if connecting from another corporation, use identity@organization.domain in Eduroam
#define EAP_PASSWORD "password"  //your Eduroam password
const char *ssid = "eduroam";    // Eduroam SSID
void setup() {
  WiFi.disconnect(true);  //disconnect form wifi to set new wifi connection
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);    //init wifi mode
  esp_eap_client_set_identity((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide identity
  esp_eap_client_set_username((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide username
  esp_eap_client_set_password((uint8_t *)EAP_PASSWORD, strlen(EAP_PASSWORD));  //provide password
  esp_wifi_sta_enterprise_enable();
  WiFi.begin(ssid);  //connect to wifi
}

Debug Message

Connecting to network: eduroam
[   754][W][STA.cpp:533] disconnect(): STA already disconnected.
[   778][V][NetworkEvents.cpp:119] checkForEvent(): Network Event: 9 - WIFI_READY
[   855][V][STA.cpp:184] _onStaEvent(): STA Started
[   859][V][NetworkEvents.cpp:119] checkForEvent(): Network Event: 11 - STA_START
[   867][D][STA.cpp:110] _onStaArduinoEvent(): Arduino STA Event: 11 - STA_START

assert failed: xQueueReceive queue.c:1475 (( pxQueue ))

Backtrace:
0x40082649: panic_abort at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/esp_system\panic.c:466
0x4008bd85: esp_system_abort at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/esp_system/port\esp_system_chip.c:84
0x4009123e: __assert_func at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/newlib\assert.c:81
0x4008c4a7: xQueueReceive at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/freertos/FreeRTOS-Kernel\queue.c:1479
0x40119241: queue_recv_wrapper at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/esp_wifi/esp32\esp_adapter.c:321
0x40105716: wpa2_task at /home/runner/work/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp32-arduino-lib-builder/esp-idf/components/wpa_supplicant/esp_supplicant/src\esp_eap_client.c:208

Other Steps to Reproduce

No response

I have checked existing issues, online documentation and the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have checked existing issues, online documentation and Troubleshooting guide.

[hlwalZ]

Yeah something is busted here but it might not be anything with the internet library itself...

I've been programming my Wemos lolin s2 mini with "ESP32S2 dev module" selected for over a month which is the incorrect board but WiFi worked fine untill this week. If I switch my selected board to "lolin s2 mini" (which is the correct board) inside the Arduino IDE I am able to connect to eduroam without any problems.

Guess I'll be staying with the old core for a while until things are "really stable".

[me-no-dev]

what you are saying does not make much sense :) why would the board model matter? Maybe it was some cache? I would not say that 3.0.0 is more unstable than 2.0.17. Just many things have changed in both IDF and here as a consequence

[hlwalZ]

The board model does matter. I'm backtracking right now to check where ESPS2 dev module stops working.
ESP32 core 2.0.17, 3.0.0-alpha, 3.0.0-rc1 connections to eduroam all work fine and starts breaking at 3.0.0-rc2.

Why I'm saying that it doesn't feel stable is because my ESP just dies if it tries connecting to eduroam.
I have a fail counter which should allow up to 30 failed attempts but after 2 dots it just completely shuts itself down.

Edit: I'm currently on school and don't have any capabilities to record the behaviour and post it on Youtube here but I can hop on a Discord call and livestream it to you if you don't believe me haha

[hlwalZ]

FYI: 2.0.17, 3.0.0-rc2 and 3.0.0 with lolin s2 mini selected does not break

[me-no-dev]

RC3 and 3.0.0 final use the same IDF and nothing about WiFi has changed.

[hlwalZ]

I never mentioned RC3, the WiFi breaks at RC2

[me-no-dev]

between RC1 and RC2 we have updated IDF a few times to get to 5.1.4. That is it. It still does not explain why would it work when you select another board. The only thing that makes sense is some cache being kept when it should not.

[hlwalZ]

Unfortunately I'm just a freshmen and when we start talking about cache I won't be able to keep up sorry :(

I've been avoiding using lolin s2 mini because of some lightsensor library that doesn't detect a I2C connection when I have it selected and if I use ESP32S2 dev module it can give me readings without any issues.

I'll start looking at a fix for that lightsensor library when I have the skills but since I can't even fix that a.t.m. I won't be of use here.
Best I can do is tell you if something does or doesn't work.

Anyway good luck and please give us (OP and me) an update or explanation if you found anything because I'm really interested🙂

Kind regards from Utrecht

[tutotio]

Next Monday I can try it with RC2 and RC3 and give you feedback.

[hlwalZ]

@tutotio please also check RC1, problems only arose for me starting at RC2 while RC1 worked fine.
Also on a second note, I'm curious if you too are developing with the wrong board selected like I was doing🤔

[tutotio]

I tested this code with all v3.0 versions and the result was this:

Version 3.0.0: Break
Version 3.0.0 RC3: Break
Version 3.0.0 RC2: Break
Version 3.0.0 RC1: Works fine with the new v3 library: esp_eap_client.h

The problen begins in RC2.

#include <WiFi.h>
#include <HTTPClient.h>
#include <WiFiClientSecure.h>

#if __has_include("esp_eap_client.h")
#include "esp_eap_client.h"
#else
#include "esp_wpa2.h"
#endif

#include <Wire.h>

#define EAP_IDENTITY "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx"  //if connecting from another corporation, use identity@organization.domain in Eduroam
#define EAP_PASSWORD "xxxxxxxxxxxxx"  //your Eduroam password
const char *ssid = "eduroam";    // Eduroam SSID
esp_eap_ttls_phase2_types ttlsPhase2Type = ESP_EAP_TTLS_PHASE2_PAP;

/** 
 * WPA2 Enterprise CA Certificate for 802.1 User Authentication
 * in eduroam university wifi.
 */
const char* wifiWpa2EnterpriseCACertificate= \
"-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n" \
"XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\n" \
...
"XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\n" \
"-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n";

int counter = 0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  delay(1000);
  Serial.println();
  Serial.print("Connecting to network: ");
  Serial.println(ssid);
  WiFi.disconnect(true);  //disconnect form wifi to set new wifi connection
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);    //init wifi mode

#if __has_include("esp_eap_client.h")
    Serial.print("esp32 by Espressif Systems (Versión 3)");
    esp_eap_client_set_ca_cert((unsigned char*)wifiWpa2EnterpriseCACertificate, strlen(wifiWpa2EnterpriseCACertificate) + 1);
    esp_eap_client_set_identity((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide identity
    esp_eap_client_set_username((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide username
    esp_eap_client_set_password((uint8_t *)EAP_PASSWORD, strlen(EAP_PASSWORD));  //provide password
    esp_eap_client_set_ttls_phase2_method(ttlsPhase2Type);
    esp_wifi_sta_enterprise_enable();
#else
    Serial.print("esp32 by Espressif Systems (Versión 2)");
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_set_ca_cert((unsigned char*)wifiWpa2EnterpriseCACertificate, strlen(wifiWpa2EnterpriseCACertificate) + 1);
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_set_identity((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide identity
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_set_username((uint8_t *)EAP_IDENTITY, strlen(EAP_IDENTITY));  //provide username --> identity and username is same
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_set_password((uint8_t *)EAP_PASSWORD, strlen(EAP_PASSWORD));  //provide password
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_set_ttls_phase2_method(ttlsPhase2Type);
    esp_wifi_sta_wpa2_ent_enable();
#endif

  WiFi.begin(ssid);  //connect to wifi
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
    counter++;
    if (counter >= 60) {  //after 30 seconds timeout - reset board
      ESP.restart();
    }
  }
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("WiFi connected");
  Serial.println("IP address set: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());  //print LAN IP

}

void loop() {
}