Re: systemd-networkd MAC address randomization stops working when iwd restarts

James,

On Mon, Feb 23, 2026 at 2:36 PM James Prestwood <[email protected]> wrote:
> Looks like the issue is in the configuration. IWD removes/creates a new
> fresh interface on startup, which conflicts with how you want to use
> randomization with systemd. If you want systemd to manage the interface
> you need to tell IWD to use the interface systemd/udev creates by using
> this option in main.conf:
>
> [DriverQuirks]
> DefaultInterface=<driver>

thank you, that fixed it. It has no bad side effects, does it?

I have to say, the situation still looks like a bug. Having systemd
manage the interface and using iwd for 802.11 is a supported
configuration, I assume, so iwd shouldn't collide with systemd
components then. Also, I would never think of looking at
DefaultInterface: there is no driver quirk, the name sounds unrelated
to the issue and I actually don't understand the terse description
(what is a default interface?).

Cheers,
Roman