Return-path: Received: from nbd.name ([46.4.11.11]:41827 "EHLO nbd.name" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S933373Ab1FAKxM (ORCPT ); Wed, 1 Jun 2011 06:53:12 -0400 Message-ID: <4DE61A11.1070708@openwrt.org> (sfid-20110601_125315_717219_B851BBD2) Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:53:05 +0200 From: Felix Fietkau MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Johannes Berg CC: linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, linville@tuxdriver.com Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/3] mac80211: create a STA entry for a WDS interface after receiving a beacon References: <1306869394-83047-1-git-send-email-nbd@openwrt.org> <1306869394-83047-2-git-send-email-nbd@openwrt.org> <1306870354.29989.1.camel@jlt3.sipsolutions.net> <4DE543E2.9070600@openwrt.org> <1306872395.29989.3.camel@jlt3.sipsolutions.net> <4DE54E16.7000709@openwrt.org> <1306901843.3867.2.camel@jlt3.sipsolutions.net> In-Reply-To: <1306901843.3867.2.camel@jlt3.sipsolutions.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Sender: linux-wireless-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: On 2011-06-01 6:17 AM, Johannes Berg wrote: > On Tue, 2011-05-31 at 22:22 +0200, Felix Fietkau wrote: >> On 2011-05-31 10:06 PM, Johannes Berg wrote: >> > On Tue, 2011-05-31 at 21:39 +0200, Felix Fietkau wrote: >> >> On 2011-05-31 9:32 PM, Johannes Berg wrote: >> >> > On Tue, 2011-05-31 at 21:16 +0200, Felix Fietkau wrote: >> >> >> When a STA entry is created too early, a lot of essential information >> >> >> required for rate control is missing. >> >> > >> >> > I don't understand how you can rely on beacons for WDS. >> >> You usually set up WDS links between APs on the same channel, each >> >> running both a normal AP vif and a WDS vif. The remote AP's beacons are >> >> then used to detect the capabilities of the peer. >> > >> > I don't think we can rely on "usually" unless we also enforce that >> > somehow. Otherwise this link will basically be dead. There's nothing >> > that requires you to add WDS to an AP interface only after all. >> I don't think using WDS without APs makes any sense. Since WDS alone >> does not use beacons or probe requests, there's nothing else that would >> ensure that rate information, HT capabilities, etc. get exchanged. > > I just don't like the fact that you can create a non-functional WDS > interface by adding it when there's no AP interface. Actually, I just noticed that ieee80211_assign_perm_addr forces you to use the MAC address of an existing AP interface for a WDS interface, same as for an AP VLAN interface. So the requirement to also have an AP mode interface is not new. - Felix