ath5k: problems with wireless network data transfer

ath5k: problems with wireless network data transfer

[Fabio Rossi]

I'm using the lastest wireless-testing for connecting to my access point using 
the ath5k driver. There are no problems in associating to the AP.

I have a lot of problems with the connection in the sense that I observe 
frequently no data transfer between the station and the AP (and so Internet). 
During this network inactivity I can't ping the router or the route command 
is stuck for many seconds. During these periods of time (when I can't use the 
network) the station is always associated to the AP.

Basically the problem arises when I observe a stall in a (previously 
initiated) data transfer or I can't open web pages. I'm sure that the 
wireless network is running correctly because I use at the same time a 
second PC working with the p54pci driver. Moreover there are no problems if I 
connect to the router via ethernet cable.

For example, if I ping (during the same period of time) the router from the 
two PCs, I get the following results:

(ath5k based PC)
526 packets transmitted, 366 received, 30% packet loss, time 526508ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.896/3.963/223.934/12.986 ms

(p54pci based PC)
525 packets transmitted, 524 received, 0% packet loss, time 526127ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 1.145/8.392/408.565/29.224 ms

Any idea about the problem or how I can debug this situation?

Regards,
Fabio

Re: ath5k: problems with wireless network data transfer

[Nick Kossifidis]

2009/2/5 Fabio Rossi <rossi.f@inwind.it>:
> I'm using the lastest wireless-testing for connecting to my access point using
> the ath5k driver. There are no problems in associating to the AP.
>
> I have a lot of problems with the connection in the sense that I observe
> frequently no data transfer between the station and the AP (and so Internet).
> During this network inactivity I can't ping the router or the route command
> is stuck for many seconds. During these periods of time (when I can't use the
> network) the station is always associated to the AP.
>
> Basically the problem arises when I observe a stall in a (previously
> initiated) data transfer or I can't open web pages. I'm sure that the
> wireless network is running correctly because I use at the same time a
> second PC working with the p54pci driver. Moreover there are no problems if I
> connect to the router via ethernet cable.
>
> For example, if I ping (during the same period of time) the router from the
> two PCs, I get the following results:
>
> (ath5k based PC)
> 526 packets transmitted, 366 received, 30% packet loss, time 526508ms
> rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.896/3.963/223.934/12.986 ms
>
> (p54pci based PC)
> 525 packets transmitted, 524 received, 0% packet loss, time 526127ms
> rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 1.145/8.392/408.565/29.224 ms
>
> Any idea about the problem or how I can debug this situation?
>
> Regards,
> Fabio

Can you please post a dmesg output when ath5k loads ?


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Nick

Re: ath5k: problems with wireless network data transfer

[Fabio Rossi]

On Thursday 05 February 2009, Nick Kossifidis wrote:

> Can you please post a dmesg output when ath5k loads ?

This is the dmesg output:

cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
ath5k 0000:00:0b.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LNKB] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
ath5k 0000:00:0b.0: registered as 'phy0'
phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel'
ath5k phy0: Atheros AR5212 chip found (MAC: 0x56, PHY: 0x41)
ath5k phy0: RF5112B multiband radio found (0x36)
udev: renamed network interface wlan0 to ath0
cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
        (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth), (max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
        (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz), (600 mBi, 2000 mBm)

Re: ath5k: problems with wireless network data transfer

[Fabio Rossi]

On Thursday 05 February 2009, Tim Hawkins wrote:

> this problem has been around for some time, users of the "aspire one"
> know to turn off the ath5k driver
> and use a branch of the madwifi driver patched with AR242x support,
> otherwise wireless networking is completely unreliable.
>
> The problem appears to be poor support for ar242x in the current in
> the wild version in most popular distros.
>
> The ath5k drive will load and appear to work, but is so flaky that it
> is virtually unusable.

Thanks for reporting the links where are described similar problems. You have 
a AR242x chip, from what I have understood the MAC+PHY part is common to my 
AR5212. So the problem could be related to the MAC management inside ath5k. I 
don't know if it's related by here I can see 5 AP, maybe the medium is too 
crowded.