[BUG] connecting the wifi network to a accespoint breaks espnow communication

[Laczen]

Description / Steps to reproduce the issue

When espnow is used as a network device a connection to a wifi accesspoint (e.g. using wapi) can break the espnow network device.

This could be caused by a change in the used wifi channel.

On which OS does this issue occur?

[OS: Linux]

What is the version of your OS?

Ubuntu 24.04

NuttX Version

master

Issue Architecture

[Arch: xtensa]

Issue Area

[Area: Networking]

Host information

No response

Verification

• I have verified before submitting the report.

[tmedicci]

Thanks for reporting, @Laczen!

Just for the records:

I suggest inserting a check for it on espnow_recv_cb and espnow_send_cb and saving the current channel to the espnow's structure. If the current channel is different, we can call espnow_ifdown/espnow_ifup (that should solve the problem). This doesn't need to be done here in my opinion.

[Laczen]

Thanks for reporting, @Laczen!

Just for the records:

I suggest inserting a check for it on espnow_recv_cb and espnow_send_cb and saving the current channel to the espnow's structure. If the current channel is different, we can call espnow_ifdown/espnow_ifup (that should solve the problem). This doesn't need to be done here in my opinion.

I don't think this would work. There can be many nodes using espnow and all nodes would need to modify their wifi channel. IMO it might not even be needed to support wifi and espnow at the same time (although it would be great).

The target of espnow nodes would be low data, low power, fast wake-up, long range without connecting to an access point. At the moment the build system does not allow creating espnow nodes without the wifi network device but in future this might change.

A device responsible for connecting the nodes to a wifi network could also be built up from 2 esp devices with a slip connection, or limited to connecting to an access point that uses the same wifi channel.

BTW all other solutions (micropython, freertos, ...) are having the same limitation, but none of them provide full network support like is available on NuttX.