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

[bob]

Hi Edwin,

Happy Holidays.

It looks to me like the rx level is higher than expected on the ath0 
side, suggesting noise or multi-path or both?

Aloha,
bob

Edwin Whitelaw wrote:
> 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
>