Create Wi-Fi Hotspot on Linux using nmcli

create-hotspot.md

Create a Wi-Fi hotspot on Linux using nmcli

Original post : https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/310699

nmcli con add type wifi ifname wlan0 con-name Hostspot autoconnect yes ssid Hostspot
nmcli con modify Hostspot 802-11-wireless.mode ap 802-11-wireless.band bg ipv4.method shared
nmcli con modify Hostspot wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk
nmcli con modify Hostspot wifi-sec.psk "veryveryhardpassword1234"
nmcli con up Hostspot

Note

If after reboot nmcli con up Hotspot doesn't work

Use this command instead to start Hotspot

UUID=$(grep uuid /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/Hotspot | cut -d= -f2)
nmcli con up uuid $UUID

How to use the proxy section in the .nmconnection file?
I mean can I use the Tor Socks proxy in there to wrap my hotspot?

@anapeksha: Sorry, I have no experience on that.

Thanks! This method solved this error for me (leaving this here for those searching for a solution).

Error: Connection activation failed: IP configuration could not be reserved (no available address, timeout, etc.)

I have a problem:
~ sudo nmcli con up Hotspot
Error: Connection activation failed: No suitable device found for this connection (device eth0 not available because profile is not compatible with device (mismatching interface name)).

(i'm using voidlinux) can you help me please ?

in the nmcli cmd code block, Hostspot should change to Hotspot, otherwise the UUID part will get no result.
and some system will add .nmconnection , so it better to using this to get UUID (as long there is no other connection name start with Hotspot)
UUID=$(grep uuid /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/Hotspot* | cut -d= -f2)
and for the last part, dnsmasq binary is needed to turn on the hotspot

Following these commands creates the wifi hotspot for me, but DHCP doesn't seem to work, even though I have dnsmasq installed. The clients are stuck on "self assigned ip". I'm on ubuntu server 22.04 on a raspberry pi w 2.

Following these commands creates the wifi hotspot for me, but DHCP doesn't seem to work, even though I have dnsmasq installed. The clients are stuck on "self assigned ip". I'm on ubuntu server 22.04 on a raspberry pi w 2.

@groeneveld on Debian derivatives (ie Ubuntu, Raspian, etc) you need to install dnsmasq-base and not dnsmasq

this is wep (very weak encryptions)
how using WPA3 ?

I never ran into any problems with Ubuntu on a Pi. This week I've been transitioning to an Asus Tinker board S R2.0 running Debian 10 kernel 4.4.194 and it has been frustrating.
wlan0 is up with the correct IP address: 10.42.0.1
Hotspot is up and SSID is there, advertised
Select SSID, try to login and then

UUID is correct,... basically everything seems correct. I don't know what I am missing
Any help will be appreciated

In archlinux to share the wired internet via wifi, the dnsmasq packet is required for the network to lift properly.

It is also possible to create the network in a single command.

$ IFNAME="wlan0" && CON_NAME="MATARIFE" && PASSWD="password" && nmcli c add type wifi ifname $IFNAME con-name $CON_NAME autoconnect yes ssid $CON_NAME 802-11-wireless.mode ap 802-11-wireless.band bg ipv4.method shared wifi-sec.key-mgmt wpa-psk wifi-sec.psk "$PASSWD"

And then just lift the network.

$ nmcli con up $CON_NAME

We check that the wired network is sharing the internet via wifi.

$ nmcli d s | grep ^$IFNAME
wlan0          wifi      connected     MATARIFE

I also have a script that automates the procedure. For more information I also have a post on my Telegram channel dedicated to the topic.

greate on rk3568 debian