timeout problems with certain APs and b43

timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[John H.]

 uname -a
Linux laptop 2.6.23.1-49.fc8 #1 SMP Thu Nov 8 21:41:26 EST 2007 i686
i686 i386 GNU/Linux
fedora 8

on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
XP....


wlan0: switched to long barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)



wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Larry Finger]

John H. wrote:
>  uname -a
> Linux laptop 2.6.23.1-49.fc8 #1 SMP Thu Nov 8 21:41:26 EST 2007 i686
> i686 i386 GNU/Linux
> fedora 8
> 
> on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> XP....
> 
> 
> wlan0: switched to long barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
> wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
> 
> 
> 
> wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out

Do you have the opportunity to capture the wireless traffic with a second computer using Kismet or
Wireshark when this condition occurs? Without that info, it would be hard to know what might be
wrong. Of course, I don't have the problem with either of my AP's.

Could you identify the make/model and firmware revisions of any AP's that show this behavior?

Larry

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[John H.]

wrt54gs with latest firmware.

it seems exclusive to linux:O

On Nov 21, 2007 4:18 PM, Larry Finger <larry.finger@lwfinger.net> wrote:
> John H. wrote:
> >  uname -a
> > Linux laptop 2.6.23.1-49.fc8 #1 SMP Thu Nov 8 21:41:26 EST 2007 i686
> > i686 i386 GNU/Linux
> > fedora 8
> >
> > on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> > get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> > the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> > XP....
> >
> >
> > wlan0: switched to long barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
> > wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
> >
> >
> >
> > wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
>
> Do you have the opportunity to capture the wireless traffic with a second computer using Kismet or
> Wireshark when this condition occurs? Without that info, it would be hard to know what might be
> wrong. Of course, I don't have the problem with either of my AP's.
>
> Could you identify the make/model and firmware revisions of any AP's that show this behavior?
>
> Larry
>

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Larry Finger]

John H. wrote:
> wrt54gs with latest firmware.
> 
> it seems exclusive to linux:O
> 
> On Nov 21, 2007 4:18 PM, Larry Finger <larry.finger@lwfinger.net> wrote:
>> John H. wrote:
>>>  uname -a
>>> Linux laptop 2.6.23.1-49.fc8 #1 SMP Thu Nov 8 21:41:26 EST 2007 i686
>>> i686 i386 GNU/Linux
>>> fedora 8
>>>
>>> on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
>>> get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
>>> the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
>>> XP....
>>>
>>>
>>> wlan0: switched to long barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
>>> wlan0: switched to short barker preamble (BSSID=00:0f:66:53:3e:24)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
>>> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
>>> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
>>> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
>>> wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
>> Do you have the opportunity to capture the wireless traffic with a second computer using Kismet or
>> Wireshark when this condition occurs? Without that info, it would be hard to know what might be
>> wrong. Of course, I don't have the problem with either of my AP's.
>>
>> Could you identify the make/model and firmware revisions of any AP's that show this behavior?

Please do not top post!

The problem is not generic with Linksys AP's. I use a WRT54GL V1.1 and a WRT54G V5. Neither shows
the problem.

We need a dump of the wireless traffic when this condition occurs.

Larry

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Johannes Berg]

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> on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> XP....

> wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out

Does it help to reload the b43 module? I think I have seen this problem
before but always associated it with suspend/resume rather than a long
time elapsing, I also thought it was due to bad power recalibration.

johannes

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Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Johannes Berg]

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> > > on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> > > get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> > > the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> > > XP....
> > 
> > > wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
> > 
> > Does it help to reload the b43 module? I think I have seen this problem
> > before but always associated it with suspend/resume rather than a long
> > time elapsing, I also thought it was due to bad power recalibration.
> 
> It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
> router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)

Well, yeah, that's expected though, you lose signal at some point. Not
expected is that it happens without moving anything. Unless the
calibration code is wrong which wouldn't really surprise me either.

johannes

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Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Rafael J. Wysocki]

On Friday, 23 of November 2007, Johannes Berg wrote:
> 
> > on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> > get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> > the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> > XP....
> 
> > wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
> 
> Does it help to reload the b43 module? I think I have seen this problem
> before but always associated it with suspend/resume rather than a long
> time elapsing, I also thought it was due to bad power recalibration.

It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)

Greetings,
Rafael

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Rafael J. Wysocki]

On Friday, 23 of November 2007, Johannes Berg wrote:
> 
> > > > on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> > > > get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> > > > the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> > > > XP....
> > > 
> > > > wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
> > > 
> > > Does it help to reload the b43 module? I think I have seen this problem
> > > before but always associated it with suspend/resume rather than a long
> > > time elapsing, I also thought it was due to bad power recalibration.
> > 
> > It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
> > router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)
> 
> Well, yeah, that's expected though, you lose signal at some point. Not
> expected is that it happens without moving anything. Unless the
> calibration code is wrong which wouldn't really surprise me either.

In my case, everything works just fine when the box is 6 meters away from the
AP (including a thick wall in between), but when I move it another 5-6 meters
away from the AP, things break down ...

I'd expect it to work at longer distances, but well. :-)

Greetings,
Rafael

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[John H.]

On Nov 23, 2007 4:21 PM, Rafael J. Wysocki <rjw@sisk.pl> wrote:
> On Friday, 23 of November 2007, Johannes Berg wrote:
> >
>
> > > > > on certain APs, the internet works for a long time then stops, and I
> > > > > get authentication time outs, why?  It usually works again if I reset
> > > > > the AP itself, which i should not have to do and don't have to if in
> > > > > XP....
> > > >
> > > > > wlan0: Initial auth_alg=0
> > > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > > wlan0: authenticate with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24
> > > > > wlan0: authentication with AP 00:0f:66:53:3e:24 timed out
> > > >
> > > > Does it help to reload the b43 module? I think I have seen this problem
> > > > before but always associated it with suspend/resume rather than a long
> > > > time elapsing, I also thought it was due to bad power recalibration.
> > >
> > > It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
> > > router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)
> >
> > Well, yeah, that's expected though, you lose signal at some point. Not
> > expected is that it happens without moving anything. Unless the
> > calibration code is wrong which wouldn't really surprise me either.
>
> In my case, everything works just fine when the box is 6 meters away from the
> AP (including a thick wall in between), but when I move it another 5-6 meters
> away from the AP, things break down ...
>
> I'd expect it to work at longer distances, but well. :-)
>
> Greetings,
> Rafael
>



wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"Network4Home"
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 00:0F:66:53:3E:24
          Bit Rate=1 Mb/s   Tx-Power=27 dBm
          Retry min limit:7   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr=2352 B
          Link Quality=68/100  Signal level=-58 dBm  Noise level=-69 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0


I'd say 68/100 is a good signal strength.  I do use suspend/resume a
lot, but sometimes only a reboot of the laptop or the AP seems to get
it working normally again.

Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Johannes Berg]

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> > > It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
> > > router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)
> > 
> > Well, yeah, that's expected though, you lose signal at some point. Not
> > expected is that it happens without moving anything. Unless the
> > calibration code is wrong which wouldn't really surprise me either.
> 
> In my case, everything works just fine when the box is 6 meters away from the
> AP (including a thick wall in between), but when I move it another 5-6 meters
> away from the AP, things break down ...
> 
> I'd expect it to work at longer distances, but well. :-)

Yeah, but keep in mind we reverse engineered all the calibration code.

johannes

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Re: timeout problems with certain APs and b43

[Rafael J. Wysocki]

On Saturday, 24 of November 2007, Johannes Berg wrote:
> 
> > > > It seems that I can reproduce something similar on demand with an SMC wireless
> > > > router by moving my box sufficiently far away from it. :-)
> > > 
> > > Well, yeah, that's expected though, you lose signal at some point. Not
> > > expected is that it happens without moving anything. Unless the
> > > calibration code is wrong which wouldn't really surprise me either.
> > 
> > In my case, everything works just fine when the box is 6 meters away from the
> > AP (including a thick wall in between), but when I move it another 5-6 meters
> > away from the AP, things break down ...
> > 
> > I'd expect it to work at longer distances, but well. :-)
> 
> Yeah, but keep in mind we reverse engineered all the calibration code.

Sure. :-)

For me it's not a problem (everywhere I use the wireless, there are APs close
enough ;-)), but it seems related to what's been reported in this thread.

Greetings,
Rafael