Hello,
I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
Hardware is:
05:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless
Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
Subsystem: AzureWave Device 1089
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop-
ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort-
<TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19
Region 0: Memory at f4000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2- AuxCurrent=375mA
PME(D0+,D1+,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
Address: 00000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [60] Express (v2) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s
<512ns, L1 <64us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal-
Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+
TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1,
Latency L0 <512ns, L1 <64us
ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain-
CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+
DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Not Supported, TimeoutDis+
DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-
LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 2.5GT/s, EnterCompliance-
SpeedDis-, Selectable De-emphasis: -6dB
Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range,
EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-
Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB
LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB
Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting
UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt-
UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt-
UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt-
UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout-
NonFatalErr-
CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout-
NonFatalErr+
AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+
ChkEn-
Capabilities: [140 v1] Virtual Channel
Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed
Status: InProgress-
VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128-
WRR256-
Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=ff
Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
Capabilities: [160 v1] Device Serial Number 00-15-17-ff-ff-24-14-12
Capabilities: [170 v1] Power Budgeting <?>
Kernel driver in use: ath9k
iwconfig wlan0
wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"ssid"
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:
00:25:33:22:11:00
Bit Rate=150 Mb/s Tx-Power=17 dBm
Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
Encryption key:off
Power Management:on
Link Quality=14/70 Signal level=-63 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:4 Invalid misc:1423 Missed beacon:0
I run iwconfig 3 times in 7 seconds. The link quality alternated between
47 and 14.
from dmesg:
[44322.665996] cfg80211: Calling CRDA to update world regulatory domain
[44322.671992] cfg80211: World regulatory domain updated:
[44322.672013] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth),
(max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[44322.672016] cfg80211: (2402000 KHz - 2472000 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[44322.672018] cfg80211: (2457000 KHz - 2482000 KHz @ 20000 KHz),
(300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[44322.672020] cfg80211: (2474000 KHz - 2494000 KHz @ 20000 KHz),
(300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[44322.672022] cfg80211: (5170000 KHz - 5250000 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[44322.672024] cfg80211: (5735000 KHz - 5835000 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(300 mBi, 2000 mBm)
[44322.672040] cfg80211: Calling CRDA for country: DE
[44322.675940] cfg80211: Regulatory domain changed to country: DE
[44322.675943] cfg80211: (start_freq - end_freq @ bandwidth),
(max_antenna_gain, max_eirp)
[44322.675945] cfg80211: (2400000 KHz - 2483500 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(N/A, 2000 mBm)
[44322.675946] cfg80211: (5150000 KHz - 5350000 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(N/A, 2000 mBm)
[44322.675948] cfg80211: (5470000 KHz - 5725000 KHz @ 40000 KHz),
(N/A, 2698 mBm)
[44322.718450] ath9k 0000:05:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 19 (level, low) ->
IRQ 19
[44322.718464] ath9k 0000:05:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[44322.769376] ath: EEPROM regdomain: 0x60
[44322.769377] ath: EEPROM indicates we should expect a direct regpair map
[44322.769380] ath: Country alpha2 being used: 00
[44322.769381] ath: Regpair used: 0x60
[44322.771077] ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm
'ath9k_rate_control'
[44322.771635] Registered led device: ath9k-phy0
[44322.771649] ieee80211 phy0: Atheros AR9285 Rev:2
mem=0xffffc900049e0000, irq=19
[44352.572121] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): wlan0: link is not ready
[44353.795313] wlan0: authenticate with 00:25:33:22:11:00 (try 1)
[44353.797269] wlan0: authenticated
[44353.797297] wlan0: associate with 00:25:33:22:11:00 (try 1)
[44353.800439] wlan0: RX AssocResp from 00:25:33:22:11:00 (capab=0x431
status=0 aid=31)
[44353.800444] wlan0: associated
[44353.800447] wlan0: invalid aid value 31; bits 15:14 not set
[44353.807136] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): wlan0: link becomes ready
[44364.240181] wlan0: no IPv6 routers present
lines 2150-2187/2187 (END)
The connection to the AP is built with wpa_supplicant's driver wext
(WPA2-TLS).
What are the problems?
1. The performance of the driver alternates (at the same point of the
antenna) very highly. Measured with netperf, it is between 10 and 72^6
bits/sec (input). It seems to be relevant, if the notebook has just been
booted or if the driver has been reloaded / reconnected (reconnection
with wpa_supplicant often doesn't work at all without reloading the driver).
Output is more stable, it's mostly at about 70^6 bits/sec.
2. Running audio data via upnp e.g., must be continuous. It is
impossible with ath9k to get a continuous data stream (input). There are
all few minutes / seconds distortions.
I traced the wlan0-device with wireshark. I can see, that the distortion
happens after closing the old TCP-connection (FIN/ACK-sequence) and
building the new TCP-connection with SYN. Between the FIN/ACK and the
next SYN-package can be more than 3 seconds!
After that break, I can see 3 (!!!) SYN packets at the same time going out.
3. The connection is unstable - the link quality alternates between 14
and 47 at the same place. This sould be more constant.
4. The Tx-Power is 17 - it should be 20.
5. iwconfig says, that the encryption key is off. Does this mean, that
hardware encryption doesn't work at all?
iwlist wlan0 encryption says:
wlan0 2 key sizes : 40, 104bits
4 keys available :
[1]: off
[2]: 1234-5678-9012-3456-6789-0123-4567-8901 (128 bits)
[3]: 0123-4567-8901-2345-6789-0123-5678-1234 (128 bits)
[4]: off
Current Transmit Key: [1]
What is not the problem:
- the server
- the AP
- the WLAN
Why can't these elements be the problem?
I've got a WUSB600N rt3572sta-based wlan usb stick, running with the
ralink driver (on the same notebook at the same place). If this usb wlan
chip is used, the data stream is always continuous and the performance
(in- and output) is above 76^6 bits/sec.
I would be happy if somebody could fix these problems. If you need more
information, please ask - I will try to provide it.
Klaus Mueller
On 2011-03-27 2:08 PM, Klaus M?ller wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
> 11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
> the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
> [...]
> iwconfig wlan0
>
> wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"ssid"
> Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:
> 00:25:33:22:11:00
> Bit Rate=150 Mb/s Tx-Power=17 dBm
> Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
> Encryption key:off
> Power Management:on
> Link Quality=14/70 Signal level=-63 dBm
> Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
> Tx excessive retries:4 Invalid misc:1423 Missed beacon:0
>
>
> I run iwconfig 3 times in 7 seconds. The link quality alternated between
> 47 and 14.
>
Have you tried switching your AP to HT20 instead of HT40 to see if that
improves stability?
- Felix
Richard Sch?tz wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
>> 11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
>> the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
>
> https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=31452
According the bug, the problem doesn't exist in 2.6.37.4. I can't
acknowledge this. 2.6.37 is as bad as 2.6.38.
Klaus.
Richard Sch?tz wrote:
>> If the AP is set to HT20, this driver doesn't use IEEE 802.11n any more,
>> or, to say it more specific: the selected bit rate is max. 64 Mb/s and
>> the performance is even worse.
>
> Of course it uses 802.11n, but only with 20 MHz channel width, so the
> data rate is lower than with 40 Mhz channel width. The highest rate of
> 802.11g is 54 Mbit/s anyway.
I know - but there isn't any difference between g and n with 20 MHz
channel in real performance. That's why I wrote the driver wouldn't use
n any more. But this wasn't correct with respect of the technical view.
>> I'm wondering at all, why the ath9k driver doesn't switch to 300 Mb/s:
>> the rt3572sta-driver doesn't have any problem with both settings.
>
> Your AR9285 only supports up to 150 Mbit/s.
Now it's clear, why 150 Mbit/s is the maximum.
Klaus
> Hello,
>
> I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
> 11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
> the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=31452
--
Regards,
Richard Sch?tz
> If the AP is set to HT20, this driver doesn't use IEEE 802.11n any more,
> or, to say it more specific: the selected bit rate is max. 64 Mb/s and
> the performance is even worse.
Of course it uses 802.11n, but only with 20 MHz channel width, so the
data rate is lower than with 40 Mhz channel width. The highest rate of
802.11g is 54 Mbit/s anyway.
> I'm wondering at all, why the ath9k driver doesn't switch to 300 Mb/s:
> the rt3572sta-driver doesn't have any problem with both settings.
Your AR9285 only supports up to 150 Mbit/s.
--
Regards,
Richard Sch?tz
Felix Fietkau wrote:
> On 2011-03-27 2:08 PM, Klaus M?ller wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
>> 11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
>> the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
>> [...]
>> iwconfig wlan0
>>
>> wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"ssid"
>> Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:
>> 00:25:33:22:11:00
>> Bit Rate=150 Mb/s Tx-Power=17 dBm
>> Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
>> Encryption key:off
>> Power Management:on
>> Link Quality=14/70 Signal level=-63 dBm
>> Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
>> Tx excessive retries:4 Invalid misc:1423 Missed beacon:0
>>
>>
>> I run iwconfig 3 times in 7 seconds. The link quality alternated between
>> 47 and 14.
>>
> Have you tried switching your AP to HT20 instead of HT40 to see if that
> improves stability?
If the AP is set to HT20, this driver doesn't use IEEE 802.11n any more,
or, to say it more specific: the selected bit rate is max. 64 Mb/s and
the performance is even worse.
I'm wondering at all, why the ath9k driver doesn't switch to 300 Mb/s:
the rt3572sta-driver doesn't have any problem with both settings.
Klaus.
On 2011-03-27 4:37 PM, Klaus M?ller wrote:
> Felix Fietkau wrote:
>> On 2011-03-27 2:08 PM, Klaus M?ller wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I'm running kernel 2.6.38.1 (from the OpenSuSE buildservice on OpenSuSE
>>> 11.4) and compat-wireless-2011-03-26 (the performance / functionality of
>>> the driver delivered with 2.6.38.1 is unusable).
>>> [...]
>>> iwconfig wlan0
>>>
>>> wlan0 IEEE 802.11bgn ESSID:"ssid"
>>> Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point:
>>> 00:25:33:22:11:00
>>> Bit Rate=150 Mb/s Tx-Power=17 dBm
>>> Retry long limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr:off
>>> Encryption key:off
>>> Power Management:on
>>> Link Quality=14/70 Signal level=-63 dBm
>>> Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
>>> Tx excessive retries:4 Invalid misc:1423 Missed beacon:0
>>>
>>>
>>> I run iwconfig 3 times in 7 seconds. The link quality alternated between
>>> 47 and 14.
>>>
>> Have you tried switching your AP to HT20 instead of HT40 to see if that
>> improves stability?
>
> If the AP is set to HT20, this driver doesn't use IEEE 802.11n any more,
> or, to say it more specific: the selected bit rate is max. 64 Mb/s and
> the performance is even worse.
>
> I'm wondering at all, why the ath9k driver doesn't switch to 300 Mb/s:
> the rt3572sta-driver doesn't have any problem with both settings.
AR9285 is a single stream chipset, so it only has one antenna and can't
do any MIMO.
- Felix