[Voyage-linux] OK. Now I'm puzzled

[Edwin Whitelaw]

I have a two-leg backbone that connects my system to my upstream 
provider.  The upstream end is an ALIX with an XR5 into a 22db grid and 
my end is the same thing except for a 26db grid.  The midpoint is an 
ALIX with two XR5s hooked to  respective 26db grids and the following 
configuration.

/etc/network/interfaces
auto ath0
iface ath0 inet static
        address 10.220.8.2
        netmask 255.255.255.252
        broadcast 10.220.8.4
         madwifi-base wifi0
         wireless-mode managed
#       wireless-channel 64
        wireless-essid crc2
#       wireless-key s:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        up /usr/sbin/athctrl -i wifi0 -d 7300
        down wlanconfig ath0 destroy

auto ath1
iface ath1 inet static
        address 10.220.9.2
        netmask 255.255.255.252
        broadcast 10.220.9.4
         madwifi-base wifi1
         wireless-mode Managed
#       wireless-channel 153
        wireless-essid nrvu-hills
        wireless-key s:xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        up /usr/sbin/athctrl -i wifi1 -d 5600
        down wlanconfig ath1 destroy

hills-bb:/etc/network# iwconfig ath0
ath0      IEEE 802.11a  ESSID:"crc2"  Nickname:""
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:5.745 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated
          Bit Rate:6 Mb/s   Tx-Power:14 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=40/94  Signal level=-43 dBm  Noise level=-83 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:5348  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

hills-bb:/etc/network# iwconfig ath1
ath1      IEEE 802.11a  ESSID:"nrvu-hills"  Nickname:""
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:5.785 GHz  Access Point: 00:15:6D:53:23:3C
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:16 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3
          Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:3132-3334-3536-3738-3930-7A78-63   Security 
mode:restricted
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality=40/94  Signal level=-45 dBm  Noise level=-85 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

I can get 22+ mbs on the ath1 link but the ath0 leg won't link.  I have 
had it connect once or twice and running any kind of sustained iperf or 
even large pings will reboot the system.  We replaced the ath0 radio 
today so will try the other end tomorrow though I'm still thinking this 
system is the problem source.  What could cause non-association with 
this kind of signal strength?  I've tried multiple frequencies and have 
swapped which end is the AP vs station.  I've also tried with and 
without encryption.

Any thoughts?

Edwin

-- 
<=+=+=+==+=+=+==+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=>
Edwin Whitelaw, P.E.
New River Valley Unwired, LLC
2200 Lonesome Dove Dr
Christiansburg, VA 24073
540-239-0318