Does every USB WIFI-Adapter with 802.11n specification support hot-spot? Can't set up hot spot on linux

I have been trying to set up a hotspot using my EDUP 802.11n USB adapter on Archlinux. As I understand, this USB adapter is supposed to support AD-HOC. However, I am unable to set hot spot up, and I can also confirm that ad-hoc is not supported with this device.

However I suspect that I might be missing something still. It is surprising that this USB adapter does not support ad-hoc mode. Could you guide me through if I am missing anything?

iw list output:

Wiphy phy1
wiphy index: 1
max # scan SSIDs: 4
max scan IEs length: 2257 bytes
max # sched scan SSIDs: 0
max # match sets: 0
Retry short limit: 7
Retry long limit: 4
Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
Device supports T-DLS.
Supported Ciphers:
    * WEP40 (00-0f-ac:1)
    * WEP104 (00-0f-ac:5)
    * TKIP (00-0f-ac:2)
    * CCMP-128 (00-0f-ac:4)
    * CCMP-256 (00-0f-ac:10)
    * GCMP-128 (00-0f-ac:8)
    * GCMP-256 (00-0f-ac:9)
    * CMAC (00-0f-ac:6)
    * CMAC-256 (00-0f-ac:13)
    * GMAC-128 (00-0f-ac:11)
    * GMAC-256 (00-0f-ac:12)
Available Antennas: TX 0 RX 0
Supported interface modes:
     * managed
     * monitor
Band 1:
    Capabilities: 0x17e
        HT20/HT40
        SM Power Save disabled
        RX Greenfield
        RX HT20 SGI
        RX HT40 SGI
        RX STBC 1-stream
        Max AMSDU length: 3839 bytes
        No DSSS/CCK HT40
    Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
    Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 2 usec (0x04)
    HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-7, 32
    Bitrates (non-HT):
        * 1.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
        * 2.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
        * 5.5 Mbps (short preamble supported)
        * 11.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
        * 6.0 Mbps
        * 9.0 Mbps
        * 12.0 Mbps
        * 18.0 Mbps
        * 24.0 Mbps
        * 36.0 Mbps
        * 48.0 Mbps
        * 54.0 Mbps
    Frequencies:
        * 2412 MHz [1] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2417 MHz [2] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2422 MHz [3] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2427 MHz [4] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2432 MHz [5] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2437 MHz [6] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2442 MHz [7] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2447 MHz [8] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2452 MHz [9] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2457 MHz [10] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2462 MHz [11] (20.0 dBm)
        * 2467 MHz [12] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
        * 2472 MHz [13] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
        * 2484 MHz [14] (20.0 dBm) (no IR)
Supported commands:
     * new_interface
     * set_interface
     * new_key
     * start_ap
     * new_station
     * new_mpath
     * set_mesh_config
     * set_bss
     * authenticate
     * associate
     * deauthenticate
     * disassociate
     * join_ibss
     * join_mesh
     * remain_on_channel
     * set_tx_bitrate_mask
     * frame
     * frame_wait_cancel
     * set_wiphy_netns
     * set_channel
     * tdls_mgmt
     * tdls_oper
     * probe_client
     * set_noack_map
     * register_beacons
     * start_p2p_device
     * set_mcast_rate
     * connect
     * disconnect
     * set_qos_map
     * set_multicast_to_unicast
software interface modes (can always be added):
     * monitor
interface combinations are not supported
HT Capability overrides:
     * MCS: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
     * maximum A-MSDU length
     * supported channel width
     * short GI for 40 MHz
     * max A-MPDU length exponent
     * min MPDU start spacing
Device supports TX status socket option.
Device supports HT-IBSS.
Device supports SAE with AUTHENTICATE command
Device supports low priority scan.
Device supports scan flush.
Device supports AP scan.
Device supports per-vif TX power setting
Driver supports full state transitions for AP/GO clients
Driver supports a userspace MPM
Device supports active monitor (which will ACK incoming frames)
Device supports configuring vdev MAC-addr on create.
max # scan plans: 1
max scan plan interval: -1
max scan plan iterations: 0
Supported TX frame types:
     * IBSS: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * managed: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * AP: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * AP/VLAN: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * mesh point: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * P2P-client: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * P2P-GO: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
     * P2P-device: 0x00 0x10 0x20 0x30 0x40 0x50 0x60 0x70 0x80 0x90 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0 0xe0 0xf0
Supported RX frame types:
     * IBSS: 0x40 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
     * managed: 0x40 0xb0 0xd0
     * AP: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
     * AP/VLAN: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
     * mesh point: 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
     * P2P-client: 0x40 0xd0
     * P2P-GO: 0x00 0x20 0x40 0xa0 0xb0 0xc0 0xd0
     * P2P-device: 0x40 0xd0
Supported extended features:
    * [ RRM ]: RRM
    * [ FILS_STA ]: STA FILS (Fast Initial Link Setup)
    * [ CQM_RSSI_LIST ]: multiple CQM_RSSI_THOLD records
    * [ CONTROL_PORT_OVER_NL80211 ]: control port over nl80211
    * [ SCAN_RANDOM_SN ]: use random sequence numbers in scans
    * [ SCAN_MIN_PREQ_CONTENT ]: use probe request with only rate IEs in scans
    * [ CONTROL_PORT_NO_PREAUTH ]: disable pre-auth over nl80211 control port support
    * [ SCAN_FREQ_KHZ ]: scan on kHz frequency support
    * [ CONTROL_PORT_OVER_NL80211_TX_STATUS ]: tx status for nl80211 control port support

output of nmcli device wifi hotspot ifname wlp0s20u1 ssid toto password toto:

Error: Device 'wlp0s20u1' supports neither AP nor Ad-Hoc mode.

output of sudo iw wlp0s20u1 set type ibss:

command failed: Operation not supported (-95)

output of sudo iwconfig wlp0s20u1 mode ad-hoc

Error for wireless request "Set Mode" (8B06) :
SET failed on device wlp0s20u1 ; Operation not supported.

My question is, can I be absolutely sure that this device does not support ad-hoc mode, and I should buy a usb-adapter that supports it? I am sceptical because I assumed that such a device would of course support such a niche mode.

I still want to believe that if I get some configuration right, it will work. What do you think?


iw clearly says:

Supported interface modes:
     * managed
     * monitor

With a good network adapter, the list could look like this:

      Supported interface modes:
                 * IBSS
                 * managed
                 * AP
                 * AP/VLAN
                 * WDS
                 * monitor
                 * mesh point
                 * P2P-client
                 * P2P-GO

So no, this cannot work. And no, there is no “law” saying that all Wi-Fi adapters must support infrastructure mode. I would fully expect cheaper adapters (like this one) to not support it.

If you can, get an internal (Mini PCIe, M.2 or PCIe) adapter with a well-known chipset. Looking at the chipset is the best solution anyway. Unfortunately, with new hardware revisions, it can chance without notice.