iwpriv

iwpriv interface [command] [arguments]

interface
    The name of the wireless network interface (e.g., wlan0, eth1).

[command]
    The specific command or parameter to set or query. The available commands depend on the wireless driver being used.

[arguments]
    Arguments to pass to the specified command. The type and number of arguments depend on the command.

-h or --help
    Displays a help message with a list of available private ioctls (commands) supported by the driver for the specified interface. Very useful to know what commands are actually supported by your driver.

The iwpriv command in Linux is used to manipulate Wireless Extensions specific parameters on a wireless network interface. Wireless Extensions is a Linux-specific API that allowed applications to configure and manage wireless network interfaces. This command allows users to set, get, and query specific settings exposed by the device driver. These settings often include proprietary features not covered by standard wireless configuration tools (like iwconfig or iw).

It provides direct access to hardware-specific or vendor-specific options of a wireless network device. Without iwpriv, managing such features would require using the wireless driver's custom tools, making the process more complex. The arguments and functionality offered by iwpriv depend entirely on the wireless driver and the capabilities it exposes via the Wireless Extensions interface. Due to the deprecation of Wireless Extensions in favor of the nl80211/cfg80211 framework, iwpriv is becoming less frequently used on modern systems.

iwpriv is dependent on Wireless Extensions, which is largely deprecated. Functionality varies greatly based on the wireless driver. Many newer drivers do not support or require iwpriv, having migrated to nl80211. The syntax and available commands can vary significantly between different wireless drivers.

iwpriv is often used for tasks like setting transmit power, configuring advanced security options, or enabling/disabling proprietary features offered by the wireless card's driver. Examples include adjusting antenna settings or setting specific regulatory domain parameters.

iwpriv was created as part of the Wireless Extensions project to provide a means of accessing vendor-specific and hardware-specific wireless features. Wireless Extensions were popular in the early days of Wi-Fi adoption in Linux. As the wireless landscape matured, Wireless Extensions were replaced by the nl80211/cfg80211 framework, which provides a more standardized and flexible approach to wireless configuration. Due to the shift towards nl80211, iwpriv is becoming less relevant in modern Linux distributions.

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