iwpriv

iwpriv interface
iwpriv interface private-command [arguments...]
iwpriv --version
iwpriv --help

interface
    The name of the wireless network interface (e.g., wlan0, ra0) to query or configure private settings for.

private-command
    A specific, driver-defined command or parameter name to interact with. These commands are not universal and vary significantly between wireless drivers.

[arguments...]
    Optional arguments or values required by the specified private-command.

--version
    Displays the version information for the iwpriv utility.

--help
    Displays a brief help message and usage instructions for iwpriv.

The iwpriv command is a specialized utility for configuring and displaying driver-specific parameters and extensions for wireless network interfaces in Linux. While iwconfig manages standard IEEE 802.11 settings like SSID, mode, and frequency, iwpriv provides access to private commands and capabilities exposed by a specific wireless driver. These private commands are highly dependent on the particular hardware and driver being used and are not part of the standard Wireless Extensions API. They are often utilized for advanced features, debugging, or accessing vendor-specific functionalities not covered by the standard wireless tools. It operates by sending specific ioctl calls to the kernel, leveraging the Wireless Extensions framework.

Driver Dependency: The available private commands and their behavior are entirely dependent on the specific wireless driver and hardware. Commands are not standardized across different devices.
Security Risks: Misuse of iwpriv can potentially expose sensitive information or alter critical driver settings, leading to network instability or security vulnerabilities.
Deprecation: For modern Linux kernels using the nl80211 wireless subsystem, iwpriv has largely been superseded by the more advanced and standardized iw command. Its utility is primarily for older drivers or specific legacy hardware.
Lack of Documentation: Private commands are often poorly documented or require direct inspection of driver source code to understand their functionality and parameters.

To see the private commands supported by a specific wireless interface's driver, simply run iwpriv followed by the interface name without any additional arguments. For example:
iwpriv wlan0
This will list all recognized private commands, often along with their expected argument count and read/write capabilities.

Once you know a private command, you can use it to get or set values. The syntax is iwpriv <interface> <private-command> [arguments...]. The arguments and their interpretation are entirely driver-dependent. For example, a driver might have a command like set_power_level:
iwpriv wlan0 set_power_level 20
Or to read a value, it might be:
iwpriv wlan0 get_statistic

iwpriv is part of the original Linux Wireless Extensions project, initiated by Jean Tourrilhes. It was developed alongside iwconfig to provide comprehensive control over wireless network interfaces in Linux. Its purpose was to bridge the gap where standard wireless settings were insufficient, allowing developers and advanced users to access vendor-specific features. With the advent of the nl80211 kernel subsystem and the iw command-line utility, which offers a more unified and robust interface for wireless configuration, the reliance on iwpriv has significantly diminished. However, it remains relevant for managing legacy wireless hardware and drivers that do not fully support nl80211.

iwconfig(8), iw(8), ifconfig(8), ip(8)