ath5k blind to nearby network
Hello everyone,
I'm more or less ordinary Linux user: have used the system for a long time. While I'm accustomed to manual tweaking of the system, I gave up regarding set up of secure wireless connection. I rely on the tools, networkmanager at the beginning, wicd now, to do the job. Which was performed rather well except lately, when I encounter strange problem.
The short version is: my laptop doesn't see my home network (and can't connect to, too).
For longer one, there is needed some background. The AP used is Motorola WR850G running DD-WRT v24-sp1 (and v24-beta few months earlier). The laptop is Fujitsu-Siemens Lifebook E8310 with Atheros AR242x built in. For reference, there is also another laptop, HP, with Intel IPW2200 on board. Both laptops run on Debian unstable with unpatched, custom configured 2.6.29.1 kernel. What works or worked:
- HP
- FSC with Madwifi long time ago
- FSC running Windows XP
- FSC with Linux&ath5k few months ago
What doesn't:
- FSC with Linux&ath5k now
- FSC with Knoppix 6.1
The symptom is that with both NetworkManager and WICD (and "iwlist <if> scanning") I don't see my home network on the list. I see all other neighbouring networks around and I'm even able to connect if any is open. Too much power on AP is not an issue as I lowered it to pathetic level (30mW), besides HP doesn't complain. Problem is probably not with hardware nor with AP as WinXP on FSC connects flawlessly.
The only uncertainity is with the DD-WRT version as I'm not 100% sure if the FSC worked after the firmware upgrade. Most probably, yes. Anyway, WinXP still works.
I mentioned Madwifi only for completness. I had bad experience with the driver and I'm not going to use it unless I get really good argument ("it works for me" is not such one).
In summary, the problem seems to lie somewhere around ath5k driver on this paritcular laptop connecting to this particular access point. Now I have no reason to believe there is an error in ath5k but I'm at loss what to check more. So maybe someone suggest what additional diagnosis can I perform to better isolate the glitch? Any suggestion is welcome.
As I don't subscribe to this list, please CC me when replying.
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Signature · 1 line
Grzegorz Nowakowski
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Quoted 10 lines · Tony Vroon
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Hash: SHA1Quoted 4 lines · On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:39:58 +0200 Grzegorz Nowakowski <[email protected]> wrote:
The symptom is that with both NetworkManager and WICD (and "iwlist <if> scanning") I don't see my home network on the list. I see all other neighbouring networks around and I'm even able to connect if any is open.
Quoted 4 lines
Please doublecheck your wireless regulatory setting. On the default "world" domain, it is unlikely you will be able to see networks on channel 13. You may well have chosen that specific channel because it was so quiet.
Gee, that was so stoopid! You have guessed correctly, the channel in use was indeed thirteenth and 13 was its number. After reconfiguring the AP to use another one everything seems to be working fine.
But that leaves me with the question: why Windows XP on Atheros and Linux on Intel didn't have such trouble?
Anyway, thanks for suggestion and best regards.
Signature · 1 line
Grzegorz Nowakowski
On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 6:24 PM, Grzegorz Nowakowski <[email protected]> w= rote:
Quoted 8 lines · Tony Vroon
Quoted 7 lines
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Hash: SHA1Quoted 2 lines · On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:39:58 +0200 Grzegorz Nowakowski <[email protected]> wrote:
The symptom is that with both NetworkManager and WICD (and "iwlist <if> scanning") I don't see my home network on the list. =A0I see =
all
Quoted 6 lines
Quoted 6 lines
Quoted 2 lines
other neighbouring networks around and I'm even able to connect if any is open.
Please doublecheck your wireless regulatory setting. On the default "world" domain, it is unlikely you will be able to see networks on channel 13. You may well have chosen that specific channel because i=
t
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 1 line
was so quiet.
Gee, that was so stoopid! =A0You have guessed correctly, the channel =
in
Quoted 1 line
use was indeed thirteenth and 13 was its number. =A0After reconfiguri=
ng
Quoted 3 lines
the AP to use another one everything seems to be working fine.
But that leaves me with the question: why Windows XP on Atheros and L=
inux
Quoted 1 line
on Intel didn't have such trouble?
Windows XP auto-configures the regulatory domain based on your regional settings. Intel cards have semi-hardcoded regulatory information in their EEPROMs, which allows Linux to automatically select the right regulatory settings. Atheros cards have no such firmware-level regulatory enforcement.
Quoted 6 lines
Anyway, thanks for suggestion and best regards.
--
Grzegorz Nowakowski
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Quoted 3 lines
the body of a message to [email protected]
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2009/4/13 G=E1bor Stefanik <[email protected]>:
Quoted 5 lines
Windows XP auto-configures the regulatory domain based on your regional settings. Intel cards have semi-hardcoded regulatory information in their EEPROMs, which allows Linux to automatically select the right regulatory settings. Atheros cards have no such firmware-level regulatory enforcement.
=2E..yet. Actually ath9k does, and there are patches for ath5k.
However, a lot of cards are programmed to be world roaming in the eeprom too. So 'iw reg set XX' is still your best bet.
--=20
Bob Copeland %% www.bobcopeland.com
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2009/4/13 G=C3=A1bor Stefanik <[email protected]>:
Quoted 1 line
On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 6:24 PM, Grzegorz Nowakowski <[email protected]>=
Quoted 7 lines · wrote:
Quoted 7 lines · Tony Vroon
Quoted 6 lines
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1Quoted 1 line · On Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:39:58 +0200 Grzegorz Nowakowski <[email protected]> wrote:
The symptom is that with both NetworkManager and WICD (and "iwlis=
t
Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line
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<if> scanning") I don't see my home network on the list. =C2=A0I =
see all
Quoted 1 line
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other neighbouring networks around and I'm even able to connect i=
f
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 5 lines
Quoted 1 line
any is open.
Please doublecheck your wireless regulatory setting. On the default "world" domain, it is unlikely you will be able to see networks on channel 13. You may well have chosen that specific channel because =
it
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 1 line
was so quiet.
Gee, that was so stoopid! =C2=A0You have guessed correctly, the chan=
nel in
Quoted 1 line
Quoted 1 line
use was indeed thirteenth and 13 was its number. =C2=A0After reconfi=
guring
Quoted 3 lines
Quoted 3 lines
the AP to use another one everything seems to be working fine.
But that leaves me with the question: why Windows XP on Atheros and =
Linux
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 1 line
on Intel didn't have such trouble?
Windows XP auto-configures the regulatory domain based on your regional settings.
Not quite.
Quoted 3 lines
Intel cards have semi-hardcoded regulatory
information in their EEPROMs, which allows Linux to automatically select the right regulatory settings.
Sort of right.
Quoted 2 lines
Atheros cards have no such
firmware-level regulatory enforcement.
Wrong.
The right answer is the windows Atheros driver uses the EEPROM for regulatory enforcement. The Intel drivers, depending on the card through different regulatory domain SKUs, also use their EEPROM information for regulatory compliance but are mostly always configured to a sort of world roaming regulatory domain. Both the Intel windows and Linux drivers make use of these regulatory domains.
The reason why you may not see Channel 13 on ath5k is the old ath5k doesn't make use of the EEPROM to take advantage of setting your regulatory environment.
As Bob indicated though and mainly thanks to his efforts, ath5k will soon be doing this so you won't have to be specifying your regulatory domain manually.
Luis
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