Return-path: Received: from mail.candelatech.com ([208.74.158.172]:43187 "EHLO ns3.lanforge.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751937Ab1ANT3G (ORCPT ); Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:29:06 -0500 Message-ID: <4D30A3FC.7040609@candelatech.com> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:29:00 -0800 From: Ben Greear MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Rajkumar Manoharan CC: Felix Fietkau , Rajkumar Manoharan , =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn_Smedman?= , "linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org" Subject: Re: [RFC] ath9k: Handle interface changes properly References: <4D2E0653.7040606@openwrt.org> <20110113051849.GD8836@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> <4D2F0ADF.1040009@openwrt.org> <20110113163513.GA9291@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> <4D2F2D22.6070301@openwrt.org> <20110114181309.GA11920@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> <4D30944A.30100@openwrt.org> <20110114185317.GA12051@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> <4D309EC2.2060409@openwrt.org> <20110114192414.GA12090@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> In-Reply-To: <20110114192414.GA12090@vmraj-lnx.users.atheros.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 01/14/2011 11:24 AM, Rajkumar Manoharan wrote: > On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 12:36:42AM +0530, Felix Fietkau wrote: >> On 2011-01-14 7:53 PM, Rajkumar Manoharan wrote: >>> On Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 11:52:02PM +0530, Felix Fietkau wrote: >>>> On 2011-01-14 7:13 PM, Rajkumar Manoharan wrote: >>>> > On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 10:19:38PM +0530, Felix Fietkau wrote: >>>> >> On 2011-01-13 5:35 PM, Rajkumar Manoharan wrote: >>>> >> > Instead of setting opmde as AP for WDS, it is better to handle WDS >>>> >> > case in ath9k_hw. >>>> >> Why? Right now I don't even see any NL80211_IFTYPE_WDS handling in >>>> >> ath9k_hw, and I can't think of anything that should be handled >>>> >> differently in ath9k_hw compared to the AP opmode. >>>> > For WDS station, what should be the interface type? Forgive if I'm wrong. >>>> There is no WDS station opmode. 'WDS station' is a regular station >>>> interface with 4-addr mode enabled. It needs no special handling in ath9k. >>> still not convinced. Then what is the point mac80211 is informing about >>> WDS type to drivers. mac itself can pass it as AP type like what it >>> is doing for p2p GO. >> The WDS type is something else. If you have two APs, you can link them >> together with a separate WDS vif on each side pointing at the remote MAC >> address of the other node. >> I think that when we use ah->opmode, we should only use it for very >> generic operating modes: >> >> AP: no TSF sync, beacon tx can be enabled. >> ADHOC: TSF sync against IBSS cell, beacon tx can be enabled >> STATION: TSF sync against one AP, only station beacon timers for PS. >> >> Only the above distinctions are relevant for ath9k_hw, everything else >> is handled by the driver/stack. There is no reason for adding extra >> checks to ath9k_hw for mesh and WDS, since they work best with >> ah->opmode set to AP, and there is nothing extra on the *hardware* side >> that should be configured there via a different opmode. That's why I >> think leaking the mac80211 interface types to ath9k_hw is a bad idea. > Thanks for your detailed explanation. And meanwhile Ben is also > fixing hw mode based on vif counter. It would be better if he make > use this thread and address the same. > > Ben, > Any comments. If all I need to do is to treat WDS and MESH like an AP, that shouldn't be too hard. Does WDS need a beacon? Is there any limitations to the number of WDS vifs allowed, including combinations with other VIF types? Thanks, Ben > > -- > Rajkumar -- Ben Greear Candela Technologies Inc http://www.candelatech.com