I have a Dlink DWA-547 PCI Card which is supported by the ath9k driver. With the version in 2.6.29 I get very low signal strengths reported. (Usally between 4% and 6%). My laptop using the iwl3945 driver reports much better signal strengths with the same distance to the AP. I tested with -wl and got better results but they where still not that good. Also -wl reports the signals as xx/70 while 2.6.29 reports xx/100 . Will attach both iwlist scan outputs.
Created attachment 20659 [details] iwlist scan output using 2.6.29
Created attachment 20660 [details] iwlist scan output using 2.6.29-rc8-wl
phy0: Atheros AR5416 MAC/BB Rev:2 AR2133 RF Rev:81: mem=0xffffc200118e0000, irq= 17
Thank you very much for the report. Next step is to determine if this is a regression or not. To find we'll need to see if this is present on 2.6.27 or 2.6.28. Please let us know if you get to test this, regardless it will be addressed first on wireless-testing.
(In reply to comment #4) > Thank you very much for the report. Next step is to determine if this is a > regression or not. To find we'll need to see if this is present on 2.6.27 or > 2.6.28. Please let us know if you get to test this, regardless it will be > addressed first on wireless-testing. Sorry for the delay it seems to happen with 2.6.27 too (have not tested 2.6.28), but 2.6.29 + compat-wireless-2009-03-28 seems to be ok (39/70) -> same levels as the iwl3945 card. ---- wlan0 Scan completed : Cell 01 - Address: 00:1C:10:2F:A1:E7 Channel:10 Frequency:2.457 GHz (Channel 10) Quality=39/70 Signal level=-71 dBm Encryption key:on ESSID:"wrt54gl" Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s Mode:Master Extra:tsf=000000a1433c9987 Extra: Last beacon: 20ms ago IE: Unknown: 00077772743534676C IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C IE: Unknown: 03010A IE: Unknown: 2A0104 IE: Unknown: 2F0104 IE: Unknown: 32040C121860 IE: Unknown: DD06001018020004 Cell 02 - Address: 00:1C:DF:D4:E9:74 Channel:1 Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1) Quality=34/70 Signal level=-76 dBm Encryption key:on ESSID:"BelkinS" Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s 18 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 24 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s Mode:Master Extra:tsf=0000008b308e6495 Extra: Last beacon: 879ms ago IE: Unknown: 000742656C6B696E53 IE: Unknown: 010882848B961224486C IE: Unknown: 030101 IE: Unknown: 2A0104 IE: Unknown: 32040C183060 IE: Unknown: 2D1AEE110FFFFF0000010000000000000000000000000C0000000000 IE: Unknown: 3D1601050700000000000000000000000000000000000000 IE: Unknown: 3E0100 IE: WPA Version 1 Group Cipher : TKIP Pairwise Ciphers (2) : TKIP CCMP Authentication Suites (1) : PSK IE: IEEE 802.11i/WPA2 Version 1 Group Cipher : TKIP Pairwise Ciphers (2) : TKIP CCMP Authentication Suites (1) : PSK IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101000003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00 IE: Unknown: 7F0101 IE: Unknown: DD07000C4304000000 IE: Unknown: DD1E00904C33EE110FFFFF0000010000000000000000000000000C0000000000 IE: Unknown: DD1A00904C3401050700000000000000000000000000000000000000 IE: Unknown: DD9F0050F204104A0001101044000102103B000103104700102880288028801880A880001CDFD4E9741021001242656C6B696E20436F72706F726174696F6E1023001642656C6B696E20576972656C65737320526F75746572102400034635441042000C3131313131313131313131311054000800060050F20400011011001642656C6B696E20576972656C65737320526F75746572100800020084103C000101 ----
The throughput seems odd thought. I get around 2MB/s download speed using the test on speedtest.net, and 1.5MB/s upload. Same test with the wired connection results into 9.6MB/s download and 0.86MB/s upload. With iwl3945 (same range to the AP) I get 7.66MB/s download and 0.93MB/s upload. So whats wrong with the download speed? Upload is near the maximum my ISP provides. Testing with iperf I get 1.85MB/s (between ath9k desktop card and iwl3945 in the laptop). iconfig shows "Bit Rate=12 Mb/s" while on the Intel card it says reports 24MB/s.
There are some messages like: ----- wlan0: beacon loss from AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 - sending probe request wlan0: beacon loss from AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 - sending probe request wlan0: beacon loss from AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 - sending probe request wlan0: beacon loss from AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 - sending probe request ---- In dmesg
Can you update to the latest compat-wireless, and load the driver with the modparam 'debug=0x200', proceed to associate with your AP and then post the kernel log here ? Thanks.
Created attachment 20915 [details] debug output
Todays compat-wireless is even worse, it cannot connect to the ap at all: --- eth0: no IPv6 routers present wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 1 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 2 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 3 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 timed out wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 1 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 1 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 1 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 2 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 3 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 timed out wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 1 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 2 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 try 3 wlan0: direct probe to AP 00:1c:10:2f:a1:e7 timed out ---------- iwlist scan ---------- wlan0 Scan completed : Cell 01 - Address: 00:1C:10:2F:A1:E7 Channel:10 Frequency:2.457 GHz (Channel 10) Quality=26/70 Signal level=-84 dBm Encryption key:on ESSID:"wrt54gl" Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s Mode:Master Extra:tsf=000000249798b186 Extra: Last beacon: 3947ms ago IE: Unknown: 00077772743534676C IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C IE: Unknown: 03010A IE: Unknown: 050400010000 IE: Unknown: 2A0104 IE: Unknown: 2F0104 IE: Unknown: 32040C121860 IE: Unknown: DD06001018020204 IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101000003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00 ------------
Please try the attached patch for the low signal issue and see if it helps. The patch can be applied on tip of wireless testing Author: Reinette Chatre <reinette.chatre@intel.com> Date: Fri May 15 16:13:46 2009 -0700 iwlwifi: do not cancel delayed work inside spin_lock_irqsave Calling cancel_delayed_work() from inside spin_lock_irqsave, introduces a potential deadlock. As explained by Johannes Berg <johannes@sipsolutions.net>
Created attachment 21445 [details] patch to solve the signal quality issue This patch should be applied on top of the following commit. Author: Reinette Chatre <reinette.chatre@intel.com> Date: Fri May 15 16:13:46 2009 -0700 iwlwifi: do not cancel delayed work inside spin_lock_irqsave Calling cancel_delayed_work() from inside spin_lock_irqsave, introduces a potential deadlock. As explained by Johannes Berg <johannes@sipsolutions.net>
Created attachment 21446 [details] scan result with this patch I have tried the patch, but unfortunately it does not seem to change anything. (ie. signal strengths still low) Btw. the timeout problem I reported in #10 is solved (was only related to the specific snapshot I tested with earlier).
Can you please attach the iwlist scan output with Intel Card.?
Created attachment 21447 [details] output of iwlist scan using the intel iwl3945 card Sure output attached. (Same range to the AP)
What about the signal strength of the associated AP with the above patch?.
(In reply to comment #16) > What about the signal strength of the associated AP with the above patch?. 25/70 see: -------------- wlan0 Scan completed : Cell 01 - Address: 00:1C:10:2F:A1:E7 Channel:1 Frequency:2.412 GHz (Channel 1) Quality=25/70 Signal level=-85 dBm Encryption key:on ESSID:"wrt54gl" Bit Rates:1 Mb/s; 2 Mb/s; 5.5 Mb/s; 11 Mb/s; 18 Mb/s 24 Mb/s; 36 Mb/s; 54 Mb/s Bit Rates:6 Mb/s; 9 Mb/s; 12 Mb/s; 48 Mb/s Mode:Master Extra:tsf=00000007aca85984 Extra: Last beacon: 7119ms ago IE: Unknown: 00077772743534676C IE: Unknown: 010882848B962430486C IE: Unknown: 030101 IE: Unknown: 2A0104 IE: Unknown: 2F0104 IE: Unknown: 32040C121860 IE: Unknown: DD06001018020004 IE: Unknown: DD180050F2020101000003A4000027A4000042435E0062322F00 ---------------
Created attachment 21493 [details] scan result with rt2500usb on the same machine The attched output contains the scan result (iwlist scan) with an rt2500usb based device plugged in. As you can see the Atheros card (wlan0) reports much weaker signal strengths as the ralink one (wlan1).
Btw. it seems that the Atheros Device has the exact same issues in Windows Vista x64.
drago01, please check out the patches at: http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13537 John, can this bug be marked duplicate of 13537? Thanks!
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 13537 ***