STRUCT MESH_CONFIG(9)

📦 version 7.3.1, in nixpkgs unstable

💅 NAME 💅

struct mesh_config — the 802.11s mesh configuration, bestie. Yes it's a (9) kernel API manual page, and yes it's kind of a lot, but we're gonna get through it together 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

struct mesh_config {
    u16 dot11MeshRetryTimeout;
    u16 dot11MeshConfirmTimeout;
    u16 dot11MeshHoldingTimeout;
    u16 dot11MeshMaxPeerLinks;
    u8 dot11MeshMaxRetries;
    u8 dot11MeshTTL;
    u8 element_ttl;
    bool auto_open_plinks;
    u32 dot11MeshNbrOffsetMaxNeighbor;
    u8 dot11MeshHWMPmaxPREQretries;
    u32 path_refresh_time;
    u16 min_discovery_timeout;
    u32 dot11MeshHWMPactivePathTimeout;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMPpreqMinInterval;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMPperrMinInterval;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMPnetDiameterTraversalTime;
    u8 dot11MeshHWMPRootMode;
    bool dot11MeshConnectedToMeshGate;
    bool dot11MeshConnectedToAuthServer;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMPRannInterval;
    bool dot11MeshGateAnnouncementProtocol;
    bool dot11MeshForwarding;
    s32 rssi_threshold;
    u16 ht_opmode;
    u32 dot11MeshHWMPactivePathToRootTimeout;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMProotInterval;
    u16 dot11MeshHWMPconfirmationInterval;
    enum nl80211_mesh_power_mode power_mode;
    u16 dot11MeshAwakeWindowDuration;
    u32 plink_timeout;
    bool dot11MeshNolearn;
 };

Yeah that's 31 fields. We're listing every single one. Buckle up 💀

🎀 Members 🎀

Okay so here's the whole cast, one by one, no skipping, no "etc." — the way that a manpage respects you enough to name all of them? Iconic behavior.

  • dot11MeshRetryTimeout — the initial retry timeout in millisecond units, used by the Mesh Peering Open message ⏱️
  • dot11MeshConfirmTimeout — the initial retry timeout in millisecond units, used by the Mesh Peering Open message. And yes, before you @ me — the docs say exactly the same thing for this one as for dot11MeshRetryTimeout. That's just how it's written, I'm not making it up 💀
  • dot11MeshHoldingTimeout — the confirm timeout in millisecond units, and the mesh peering management uses it to close a mesh peering 🚪
  • dot11MeshMaxPeerLinks — the maximum number of peer links allowed on this mesh interface, i.e. how many friends this interface is allowed to have ✨
  • dot11MeshMaxRetries — the maximum number of peer link open retries that can be sent to establish a new peer link instance in a mesh. So how many times we're allowed to knock before we accept it 🫶
  • dot11MeshTTL — the value of the TTL field set at a source mesh STA
  • element_ttl — the value of the TTL field set at a mesh STA for path selection elements
  • auto_open_plinks — whether we should automatically open peer links when we detect compatible mesh peers. The "do we shoot our shot unprompted" flag 💌
  • dot11MeshNbrOffsetMaxNeighbor — the maximum number of neighbors to synchronize to, for the 11s default synchronization method
  • dot11MeshHWMPmaxPREQretries — the number of action frames containing a PREQ that an originator mesh STA can send to a particular path target
  • path_refresh_time — how frequently to refresh mesh paths, in milliseconds 🔄
  • min_discovery_timeout — the minimum length of time to wait until giving up on a path discovery, in milliseconds. The "when do I stop waiting for a text back" number 😭
  • dot11MeshHWMPactivePathTimeout — the time (in TUs) for which mesh STAs receiving a PREQ shall consider the forwarding information from the root to be valid. (TU = time unit ⏳)
  • dot11MeshHWMPpreqMinInterval — the minimum interval of time (in TUs) during which a mesh STA can send only one action frame containing a PREQ element. One. At a time. Patience, queen 👑
  • dot11MeshHWMPperrMinInterval — the minimum interval of time (in TUs) during which a mesh STA can send only one Action frame containing a PERR element
  • dot11MeshHWMPnetDiameterTraversalTime — the interval of time (in TUs) that it takes for an HWMP information element to propagate across the mesh 🌐
  • dot11MeshHWMPRootMode — the configuration of a mesh STA as root mesh STA
  • dot11MeshConnectedToMeshGate — if set to true, we advertise that this STA is connected to a mesh gate in mesh formation info. If false, the value in mesh formation is determined by the presence of root paths in the mesh path table 🚪
  • dot11MeshConnectedToAuthServer — if set to true then this mesh STA will advertise that it is connected to a authentication server in the mesh formation field
  • dot11MeshHWMPRannInterval — the interval of time (in TUs) between root announcements are transmitted. Yes, "between ... are transmitted" — grammar is on vacation, the meaning is "how often root announcements go out" 📢
  • dot11MeshGateAnnouncementProtocol — whether to advertise that this mesh station has access to a broader network beyond the MBSS. Trust, this one comes with lore: (This is missnamed in draft 12.0: dot11MeshGateAnnouncementProtocol set to true only means that the station will announce others it's a mesh gate, but not necessarily using the gate announcement protocol. Still keeping the same nomenclature to be in sync with the spec.) So the name is lowkey lying but we keep it fr fr 🏷️
  • dot11MeshForwarding — whether the Mesh STA is forwarding or non-forwarding entity (default is TRUE — forwarding entity) 🔁
  • rssi_threshold — the threshold for average signal strength of candidate station to establish a peer link 📶
  • ht_opmode — mesh HT protection mode
  • dot11MeshHWMPactivePathToRootTimeout — The time (in TUs) for which mesh STAs receiving a proactive PREQ shall consider the forwarding information to the root mesh STA to be valid
  • dot11MeshHWMProotInterval — The interval of time (in TUs) between proactive PREQs are transmitted
  • dot11MeshHWMPconfirmationInterval — The minimum interval of time (in TUs) during which a mesh STA can send only one Action frame containing a PREQ element for root path confirmation
  • power_mode — The default mesh power save mode, which will be the initial setting for new peer links. (enum nl80211_mesh_power_mode, if you were wondering what type it is) 😴
  • dot11MeshAwakeWindowDuration — The duration in TUs the STA will remain awake after transmitting its beacon. The post-beacon scroll session 👀
  • plink_timeout — If no tx activity is seen from a STA we've established peering with for longer than this time (in seconds), then remove it from the STA's list of peers. Default is 30 minutes 🕰️
  • dot11MeshNolearn — Try to avoid multi-hop path discovery (e.g. PREQ/PREP for HWMP) if the destination is a direct neighbor. But heads up — note that this might not be the optimal decision as a multi-hop route might be better. So if using this setting you will likely also want to disable dot11MeshForwarding and use another mesh routing protocol on top. Not a "set it and forget it" girlie, got it? 🙈

🌸 Description 🌸

These parameters can be changed while the mesh is active. Live edits, no restart required — slay 💖

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

okay bestie, deep breath 💖 this is the "you liked this, so go read 350 other pages" section, and no cap it is enormous. it's basically the entire cfg80211 chapter of the kernel docs dumped out in one go. i'm keeping it in the exact same order so you can follow along like a playlist, and sprinkling commentary where my brain lit up. let's go 🎀

the file itself, the origin story 🗂️

  • Kernel file ./include/net/cfg80211.h

like, if you only click one thing, click this one. it's the header all of this lives in.

start at the very beginning 📖

these two are literally the opening acts, read them first or you'll be lost in the sauce fr.

channels, rates, bands & caps 📡

the whole "what radio are we even talking about" era of your journey:

  • enum ieee80211_channel_flags(9)
  • struct ieee80211_channel(9)
  • enum ieee80211_rate_flags(9)
  • enum ieee80211_bss_type(9)
  • enum ieee80211_privacy(9)
  • struct ieee80211_rate(9)
  • struct ieee80211_he_obss_pd(9)
  • struct cfg80211_he_bss_color(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_ht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_vht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_he_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_eht_mcs_nss_supp(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_eht_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_uhr_cap(9)

ht, vht, he, eht, uhr… the alphabet soup is real 😭 it's giving "every generation of wifi got its own struct".

the sband iftype data situation (iconic) 👑

  • struct ieee80211_sband_iftype_data(9)
  • enum ieee80211_edmg_bw_config(9)
  • struct ieee80211_edmg(9)
  • struct ieee80211_sta_s1g_cap(9)
  • struct ieee80211_supported_band(9)

and then the very important little family around it:

that leading underscore one is the internal twin, iykyk 🫶

actions and configuration 🛠️

this is a whole chapter of the docs, and it comes with its own cast:

  • Actions and configuration(9)
  • struct vif_params(9)
  • struct key_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_chan_def(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_cfg(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_fils_aad(9)
  • struct cfg80211_set_hw_timestamp(9)

chandef city, population: yes 🏙️

the channel-definition girlies are thriving here:

dfs required vs dfs usable vs dfs cac time — three separate pages, three separate moods 💀

survey, crypto, AP settings & beaconing 🌸

  • enum survey_info_flags(9)
  • struct survey_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_crypto_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mbssid_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_rnr_elems(9)
  • struct cfg80211_beacon_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_acl_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_fils_discovery(9)
  • struct cfg80211_unsol_bcast_probe_resp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_s1g_short_beacon(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ap_update(9)
  • struct cfg80211_csa_settings(9)
  • struct cfg80211_color_change_settings(9)

the AP girls are booked and busy 💅

interface combos & stations 👯

  • struct iface_combination_params(9)
  • enum station_parameters_apply_mask(9)
  • struct sta_txpwr(9)
  • struct link_station_parameters(9)
  • struct link_station_del_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ttlm_params(9)
  • struct station_parameters(9)
  • struct station_del_parameters(9)

note the del variants are separate pages, don't @ me, that's just how it is 🫠

  • enum cfg80211_station_type(9)
  • cfg80211_check_station_change(9)
  • enum rate_info_flags(9)
  • enum rate_info_bw(9)
  • struct rate_info(9)
  • enum bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct sta_bss_parameters(9)
  • struct cfg80211_txq_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_tid_stats(9)
  • struct link_station_info(9)
  • struct station_info(9)

SAR (the power police) 🚨

  • struct cfg80211_sar_sub_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_specs(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_freq_ranges(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sar_capa(9)
  • cfg80211_get_station(9)

monitor, mesh & OCB era 🦋

  • enum monitor_flags(9)
  • enum mpath_info_flags(9)
  • struct mpath_info(9)
  • enum wiphy_bss_param_flags(9)
  • struct bss_parameters(9)
  • struct mesh_setup(9)
  • struct ocb_setup(9)
  • struct ieee80211_txq_params(9)

scanning and BSS list handling 🔍

whole chapter, whole vibe:

  • Scanning and BSS list handling(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ssid(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_6ghz_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_scan_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_match_set(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_plan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_select_adjust(9)
  • struct cfg80211_sched_scan_request(9)
  • enum cfg80211_signal_type(9)
  • struct cfg80211_inform_bss(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_ies(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_elem(9)
  • ieee80211_bss_get_ie(9)

auth, assoc, deauth, disassoc (the social life of a station) 💌

  • struct cfg80211_auth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_link(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ml_reconf_req(9)
  • enum cfg80211_assoc_req_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_assoc_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_deauth_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_disassoc_request(9)

the way that auth and deauth are both here and they're not even on speaking terms 😭

  • struct cfg80211_ibss_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_bss_selection(9)
  • struct cfg80211_connect_params(9)
  • enum cfg80211_connect_params_changed(9)
  • enum wiphy_params_flags(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmksa(9)

wowlan, coalesce & power saving 😴

  • struct cfg80211_pkt_pattern(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_tcp(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce_rules(9)
  • struct cfg80211_coalesce(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_match(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_nd_info(9)
  • struct cfg80211_wowlan_wakeup(9)
  • struct cfg80211_gtk_rekey_data(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_ft_ies_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_mgmt_tx_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_exception(9)
  • struct cfg80211_dscp_range(9)
  • struct cfg80211_qos_map(9)

NAN, aka Neighbor Awareness Networking 🧚

(this is the group chat that also shows up as its own chapter)

  • Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_band_config(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_channel(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_local_sched(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_map(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_peer_sched(9)
  • enum cfg80211_nan_conf_changes(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func_filter(9)
  • struct cfg80211_nan_func(9)

pmk, external auth, measurement & OWE 🎀

  • struct cfg80211_pmk_conf(9)
  • struct cfg80211_external_auth_params(9)
  • struct cfg80211_ftm_responder_stats(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_result(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_ftm_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request_peer(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_request(9)
  • struct cfg80211_update_owe_info(9)
  • struct mgmt_frame_regs(9)

the wiphy mothership 👑

everything orbits these:

  • struct cfg80211_ops(9)
  • enum wiphy_flags(9)
  • struct ieee80211_iface_limit(9)
  • struct ieee80211_iface_combination(9)
  • enum wiphy_wowlan_support_flags(9)
  • struct wiphy_wowlan_support(9)
  • struct wiphy_coalesce_support(9)
  • enum wiphy_vendor_command_flags(9)
  • enum wiphy_opmode_flag(9)
  • struct sta_opmode_info(9)
  • struct wiphy_vendor_command(9)
  • struct wiphy_iftype_ext_capab(9)
  • cfg80211_get_iftype_ext_capa(9)
  • struct cfg80211_pmsr_capabilities(9)
  • struct wiphy_iftype_akm_suites(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio_cfg(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio_freq_range(9)
  • struct wiphy_radio(9)
  • enum wiphy_nan_flags(9)
  • struct wiphy_nan_capa(9)
  • struct wiphy(9)

wiphy lifecycle & friends (the whole friend group) 🫶

create → register → then the RCU-flavoured pointer magic:

and the graceful exit:

plus the locking era 💅

wiphy work queues (yes, both flavours) ⏰

regular, delayed, and hrtimer — three whole flavours, all with queue/cancel/flush, and the delayed one also gets a pending. queen behaviour honestly 👑

wireless_dev & regulatory power 👸

utility functions 🧰

whole chapter, then the individual helpers:

channel ↔ freq, khz and non-khz versions, both directions — pick your fighter 🌈

data path helpers 🚀

element hunting (find those IEs) 🔎

yes, elem and ie both get a match version and a plain version. four for four. we love consistency 💜

regulatory enforcement infrastructure 📜

and the internals, lowkey spicy 🌶️

scan results & BSS notifications 📶

note the _locked one — different function, different rules, do not swap them 🙈

ref and put are a matched set, pls don't leak 🫠

mlme mgmt, assoc responses & mic failures 💀

RFkill integration 📴

vendor commands 🤝

test mode 🧪

connect / roam / disconnect era 💫

connect, connected, roamed, disconnected… the full relationship arc 😭

channel stays & mgmt tx 🔔

station info bookkeeping 📋

rx / tx frames & control port 📨

CQM & radar & CAC stuff 📡💥

the notify girlies (all of them) 🎀

and the last one, saving the best for the end 👑

  • struct cfg80211_beaconing_check_config(9)

so yeah, that's the roster 💖 literally hundreds of cross-references, and that's only the pointers — the actual legal / author-y bits are still coming, so don't wander off just yet.

okay so the cross-reference list for this one is long — like, genuinely a whole scroll — but every single one is here because that's the whole point of a good SEE ALSO: you're never lost, bestie, you're just one man away from whatever you actually needed 🌸

like, that first chunk is already giving networking main character energy 💅 and we're not even done. keep scrolling, bestie 👑

midway scroll check: you're doing amazing 🫶 the NAN girls are all accounted for, the feature-flag besties too, and yes there's more. always more ✨

and that's the whole roll call, bestie — all sixty-four of them, not a single one skipped, no cap 💖 if you got this far you're lowkey a kernel networking girlie now, and honestly? iconic behavior 👑

fr fr though: if you're jumping into any of these, read that page's own DESCRIPTION and OPTIONS before you start poking structs — cross-references are a map, not a vibe check 🎀

okay and finally, the cute lil sign-off 💌 this page ships out of ./include/net — that's the source path, mwah — dated October 2026, and the page itself is struct mesh_config(9). slay, documented, periodt 🦋

📦 where this page comes from