Dear Tumbleweed support,

I have a rather strange problem with my
Pixel 6a NOT seeing the not!-hidden SSID
of my Tumbleweed WPA/WPA2-personal access point.

OS on access point: Tumbleweed
OS versions tested: 20230111 + 20230214
NetworkManager: 1.40.8-1.1 + 1.42.0-1.1
Hardware tested: Thinkpad T440 + T14 gen1

Client: Pixel 6a (stock OS and GrapheneOS
tested, both Feb/2023)

Details:

The Pixel 6a does not see/display the SSID that has been
configured and enabled on the access point (tested
with Laptops T440 + T14 gen1, and 20230111 + 20230214).
The SSID entry is simply not displayed at all
by the Pixel 6a Wi-Fi search (no matter whether
Google stock OS or GrapheneOS is running).
Of course the SSID has NOT been hidden in the
configuration of the access point!

Configuration details:

KDE -> System Settings -> Network Connections -> [+ add Wi-Fi (shared)]
-> Tab: Wi-Fi -> Mode: Access Point
-> Tab: Wi-Fi -> Visibility: [ ] Hidden network   (thus NOT hidden)
-> Tab: Wi-Fi-Security -> Security: WPA/WPA2 Personal
-> Tab: IPv4 -> Method: Shared to other computers
-> Tab: IPv6 -> Method: Disabled (other settings tested as well - does not
matter)

BTW: I tried to turn on/off several configuration options
(e.g. [v] IPv4 is required ..., Andvanced [ ] Send Hostname, etc)
without any effect (the problem remains - not displayed/found SSID).

*** Stranger things part 1: All other SSIDs are visible.

The Pixel 6a device shows the SSIDs of ALL other
Wi-Fi access points in reach: An OpenWRT router (WPA2 2.4
and 5GHz), the Wi-Fi access point of the internet provider
(WPA2 2.4 and 5 GHz) and all other visible SSIDs/APs of neighbors.
I did compare the list of SSIDs on the Pixel 6a with the SSIDs
visible on another Linux and Windows laptops. The Pixel 6a sees
ALL the SSID of these APs, but not the SSID provided by the
Tumbleweed AP.

First conclusion:

=> The Pixel 6a is NOT broken and sees the
SSIDs of all other APs in reach.

Besides Stock-OS I also tried GrapheneOS (Feb/2023).
And also GrapheneOS does NOT see the SSID of the
Tumbleweed AP, but all other SSIDs are visible
in GrapheneOS as well.

I tried a different Laptop with Tumbleweed
and two different Tumbleweed versions.
In no case the Pixel 6a found that SSID.

*** Stranger things part 2: All other devices see the SSID of the TW AP

All other devices (other Linux and Windows
laptops, a Pixel 4a with LineageOS, two tables
with LineageOS, an Apple tablet and an iPhone),
they ALL CAN see the SSID provided by the TW AP.

Second conclusion:

=> There seems to be nothing wrong with
the WPA/WPA2-personal TW AP.

Hm ... the horror goes on ...

*** Stranger things part 3: Oh, WEP, you are so creepy ...

NOW, I did change the encryption method
of the TW AP from WPA/WPA2 to "WEP key 128bit".

And, holy moley, NOW the SSID is displayed by
the Pixel 6a (stock OS and GrapheneOS).
When completely disabling the encryption,
the SSID is visible as well.

Therefore the Pixel 6a is definitively not broken,
but there seems to be some very strange
incompatibility between (latest?) Android
(only?) on Pixel (6a?) devices and TW APs
with WPA/WPA2-personal encryption.

This brings me to the main question:

Why does the Pixel 6a not see/display the SSID
of a WPA/WPA2-personal AP created in TW,
but sees the SSID of all other WPA/WPA2-personal APs
and sees the SSID of a WEP AP created in TW?

If anyone has a clue, please tell me.

Thank you so much.

Best regards,

Martin