From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jul 3 08:29:29 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 05C46106564A for ; Fri, 3 Jul 2009 08:29:29 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from onemda@gmail.com) Received: from mail-fx0-f218.google.com (mail-fx0-f218.google.com [209.85.220.218]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7ED458FC13 for ; Fri, 3 Jul 2009 08:29:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from onemda@gmail.com) Received: by fxm18 with SMTP id 18so1812562fxm.43 for ; Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:29:27 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=IZkoMqUM6V0/jbzQHXCGq9RepS1LkbFcLyJuTdFcSn4=; b=LDk0Wx6rm79KqKf6jpyxHDrNFMNQ198clxIPkYHRp41F1T/HKNGofNQm6ev/kaaip8 G7Oylselm4RDejdWHsC94thI1e070E1INhGrHVImQCLBXmZfQzJu3nszXrMGiVGDZxqW MNdzI+XSqbi5LCBfqf3v2lxlIDCfcYg31pT9c= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=EGdq3xdTlueQuUn89vtgUp/wqg9gXrtQHbSkae3gUmRhGbp4MRhHSDNG202/fCRPao N4lkY7zlwOy4C7ONwWz5NOPGjGgH0UGbtzeV62ZK7+WffuWYqxyUyXuCMUWnVt82DOXK ZkNz/05HMM2oRndl8Gs8NZms0nlTmICTKehr0= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.204.118.138 with SMTP id v10mr1031332bkq.40.1246609767054; Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:29:27 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <3d5d3ca90907022327m1858369fp117d1daf3436c876@mail.gmail.com> References: <3d5d3ca90907011048t1a096865iceaa3b82c1af82f4@mail.gmail.com> <3a142e750907011055r3750fd54rb66612a4b110e090@mail.gmail.com> <3d5d3ca90907011120h35b5e665gee30466ce72097e7@mail.gmail.com> <3a142e750907011526ka68c664s3606fdc9b4ad2889@mail.gmail.com> <3d5d3ca90907011845g26124a59y9643ef4623610f6@mail.gmail.com> <3a142e750907020304tcb3296fy574dfc4b0fd7d875@mail.gmail.com> <3d5d3ca90907021152t65160614ne9d3c6b4ce81f671@mail.gmail.com> <3a142e750907021314j7dc4dcedv88d8ea83ffd94d5c@mail.gmail.com> <3d5d3ca90907022327m1858369fp117d1daf3436c876@mail.gmail.com> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 08:29:26 +0000 Message-ID: <3a142e750907030129t214e9ee8ub74143efbf555818@mail.gmail.com> From: "Paul B. Mahol" To: Robert Hall Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Wireless NICs on 7.2 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:29:29 -0000 On 7/3/09, Robert Hall wrote: > On Thu, Jul 2, 2009 at 4:14 PM, Paul B. Mahol wrote: >>> $ ifconfig ral0 list scan >>> SSID BSSID CHAN RATE S:N INT CAPS >>> livingroom 00:13:10:b9:e7:d6 6 54M -93:-95 100 E >> >> 93 is too low. > > Paul, I really appreciate your help. I'm obviously not an expert on > either wireless networks or radio communication in general. But I > doubt the accuracy of the scan. First of all, there's an XP box less > than a foot away getting a "very good" signal (according to both the > MS and the Belkin utilities), and successfully communicating with the > wireless network. When I move the FBSD box and put the XP box in it's > place, the XP box continues to report a good signal and continues to > communicate with the network. While the XP box is reporting > variations in rate and signal, the FBSD box reports no change. > Secondly, when I run "ifconfig ral0 up scan", the scan hangs. It never > completes or reports results. According to the man page, it's supposed > to complete the scan, report the results, and exit. I have to Ctrl-C > and run "ifconfig ral0 list scan" to get the results. So I know that > at least part of the scan function doesn't work and I know that it's > not detecting changes in rate and signal that are being reported by > the XP box. That have sense only if station is associated. Reported driver signal is to low to be usefull. > 1) The XP box works fine with the Linksys NIC in it. > 2) Both the XP and FBSD boxes are Dell Optiplex GX270, so they have > identical hardware aside from the wireless NICs. > 3) The md5 checksum for the install CD is correct, so I should have a > good installation of 7.2 > 4) I seem to be getting a good signal, good enough to communicate with > the network. > 5) Both the Belkin and the Linksys work fine in the XP box. > 6) The FBSD box always reports the same data, regardless of changes in > conditions. > 7) If I move the boxes and test them in the same physical location, > oriented in the same direction, the XP box works and the FBSD box > doesn't. > > So my guess is that output from a scan is the result of a problem in > the driver, and not the result of actual conditions. If I thought I > could solve this with a high gain antenna, I'd buy one in a second. > But at the moment I have pretty good reason to believe that the > problem isn't signal strength. I'd still like to compile a working > ndis driver for either the Belkin F5D7000 v.7032 or the Linksys WMP54G > v.4.1, if that is possible, or get the ral driver to work with the > Linksys. I'd be willing to move from 7.2 to 6.4 if anyone has had > success with that. I'm aware of similar problems with rum(4) driver - signal is too low comparing to linux rt73 and ndisulator. I don't have ral(4) card so I can not comment on that. Alternative approach would be to explore AP settings. -- Paul