RTL8821CE does not support concurrent AP + managed mode (interface combinations not supported)

[devaprog]

I am using a Realtek RTL8821CE WiFi card on Manjaro Linux, and I am unable to use hotspot (AP mode) while connected to a WiFi network (managed mode).

Even though the device reports support for both modes individually, concurrent operation is not supported.

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System Details:

• OS: Manjaro Linux (Kernel: 7.0.13-1-MANJARO)
• Device: Realtek RTL8821CE
• Driver: rtl8821ce
  rtl8821ce/1.0.5.r188.g4e6b887, 7.0.13-1-MANJARO, x86_64: installed
  rtl8821ce/v5.5.2_34066.20200325, 7.0.13-1-MANJARO, x86_64: built
• Network Interface: wlo1

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Observed Behavior:

Running:

iw phy

Shows:

Supported interface modes:
    * managed
    * AP
    * P2P-client
    * P2P-GO

interface combinations are not supported

Because of this:

• I can connect to WiFi (managed mode) ✔
• I can create hotspot (AP mode) ✔
• But cannot do both simultaneously ❌

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Expected Behavior:

Support for concurrent interface combinations such as:

• managed + AP (WiFi sharing / hotspot while connected)

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Steps to Reproduce:

1. Connect to WiFi network

2. Try to create hotspot using:

   nmcli device wifi hotspot
   

3. Hotspot fails or disconnects WiFi

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Additional Notes:

• This prevents WiFi sharing (WiFi → hotspot)
• Common requirement for many users
• Possibly due to missing interface combinations in driver implementation

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Question:

Is concurrent mode (managed + AP) unsupported due to:

1. Hardware limitation of RTL8821CE?
2. Or missing implementation in the Linux driver?

Are there any plans to support valid interface combinations in the future?

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Logs (if needed):
I can provide dmesg, iw, or NetworkManager logs if required.

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Thanks for maintaining this driver!

[dubhater]

This driver doesn't support interface combinations, but it has another way to do what you want.

Add this on line 18 of the Makefile:

ccflags-y += -DCONFIG_CONCURRENT_MODE

and recompile. The driver should then create two interfaces instead of one. You can use one in AP mode and the other in station mode.