Re: [PATCH] mac80211: enable IBSS merging

[bruno randolf <bruno@thinktube.com>]

On Sunday 03 February 2008 08:22:12 Luis R. Rodriguez wrote:
> Sure ACK. Also as was stated, even with IBSS merge functionality
> working you could up with nodes splitting up due to missing the
> "leader" beacon due to interference or even strange radio node
> problems. A solution to this we implemented at Orbit with MadWifi was
> that instead of generating "random" BSSIDs you'd create one based on
> the hash of the SSID [1]. This ensures that nodes with identical SSIDs
> end up with identical BSSIDs, regardless of any strange problems.
> Technically from what I have gathered this doesn't break the specs but
> would prevent this split-IBSS problem. I actually like to see this
> technique added into mac80211 too.
>
> [1] http://www.orbit-lab.org/wiki/HowTo/bssidFix

this looks like a good idea to avoid many ibss merge problems, and it could be 
really useful to have that (maybe as an option?) in mac80211. but unless we 
have ibss merge functionality you won't be able to join older networks 
(higher TSF) which don't use that scheme, so we still need that to be able to 
communicate with other ("standard") drivers.

i guess the general question for mac80211 is: do we want and allow more 
liberal interpretations of the standard concerning IBSS mode or do we 
strictly stick with the "book"?

in my opinion these "extensions" are necessary in order to make IBSS mode 
useful at all and therefore we need them! and as long as they are able to 
interoperate with other drivers in IBSS mode i don't see a problem.

what's the position of the mac80211 maintainers concerning this? is there any 
chance of getting these patches merged?

bruno