Using one wifi device simultaneously as client and access point?

Ask Fedora
1

I want to connect a printer (and smartphones, tablets, etc.) by wifi to my Fedora 43 laptop (Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter) while still maintaining another wifi connection to an access point with InterNet connectivity. My understanding is that iw list’s:

        valid interface combinations:
                 * #{ managed } <= 2, #{ AP, mesh point, P2P-client, P2P-GO } <= 2, #{ P2P-device } <= 1,
                   total <= 4, #channels <= 1
                 * #{ managed } <= 2, #{ P2P-client } <= 2, #{ AP, mesh point, P2P-GO } <= 1, #{ P2P-device } <= 1,
                   total <= 4, #channels <= 2
                 * #{ managed } <= 1, #{ IBSS } <= 1,
                   total <= 2, #channels <= 1

states that this is generally possible.

I have found a rather elaborate description of how to do that for Debian and Intel AC 8260 (GitHub - giichinga/Simultaneous-Wi-Fi-Client-Hotspot-on-Linux: Simultaneous Wi-Fi Client + Hotspot on Linux (Intel AC8260) · GitHub) which feels amendable to Fedora.

However, before I go down that path: In Fedora, is there a simpler solution to use one wifi device as both access point and client? Is a more elegant integration with NetworkManager possible? (Ideally, I would like to enable and disable the access point with a click on the NetworkManager thingy in my KDE desktop.)

2

it is easier to make the printer a network connected printer and just add it to your current network

you are trying to connect to it as a wifi direct printer i would imagine, that is a option that devces like pcs and tablets or smartphones can do, but as you mention you need direct connection to the printer

but i prefer to just assign a static ip for the printer and just install it as a network printer, so the printer just conects to the normal wifi network you have there, same for the tablet and for the smartphone on that network, that is how i do it

i think i read about what you want to do, but it was on openwrt where i read about it and that is a linux version for routers, so no idea about that and sounds to me very complicated, easier to just make the printer available to every device on the network at once and forget about this problem