On Wed, 2008-03-26 at 19:52 -0700, Grant wrote: > > > > > > I'm trying to strengthen a wireless connection that spans about > > > 150 > > > > > > feet and has to go through about 5 walls. I bought two of these: > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833164110 > > > > > > > > > > > > for either end of the connection, but I'm having trouble making > > it > > > > > > work well. I've noticed the connection will be perfect for a > > short > > > > > > time, but then disappear. When watching iwconfig during this > > process, > > > > > > it looks like the connection is good when on a low rate, but > > when it > > > > > > goes to 54 Mbps it falls apart. > > > > > > > > > > > > Should limiting the rate solve this problem? If so, how can I do > > > > > > that? I'm using hostapd on the AP and wpa_supplicant on the > > client. > > > > > > > > > > > > - Grant > > > > > > > > > > Grant, > > > > > > > > > > Yes, lowering the rate to a "slower" speed will help greatly. The > > lower > > > > > rates use less compression and modulation... less complex wave forms > > > > > better connects over long hauls. > > > > > > > > > > The antennas look very good, but what's driving them? I use and > > whole > > > > > heartedly endorse SENAO products and have had very good luck with > > these > > > > > models: ECB-3220 (400 mw) or 2611CB3 PLUS (200 mw) at: > > > > > http://www.wlansolution.com. Either unit with the high gain > > antennas you > > > > > have, will penetrate what you stated and probably go pretty high > > on the > > > > > speed scale doing it too. > > > > > > > > I'm using a Netgear PCI adapter on the AP and an Edimax USB adapter on > > > > the client. Do you know how I can limit the rate? Should it be done > > > > on the Gentoo AP or the client? > > > > > > > > - Grant > > > > > > I use wireless-tools from portage. In it is iwconfig. A simple man > > iwconfig > > > will show you what you need. Other thing you could do is configure the > > > Wireless AP for a fixed rate... works for me. > > > > I found this: > > > > rate_wlan0=( "5.5M" ) > > > > which isn't documented in net.wireless, but it doesn't seem to have > > any affect. I've tried it on the router and the client which uses > > wpa_supplicant. I still see the rate on the client fluctuate all the > > way up to 54 Mb/s in the output from iwconfig. The router's rate is > > always reported as 0 kb/s. > > > > - Grant > > It appears 'iwconfig wlan0 rate 11M' works (at least as far as the > output from iwconfig is concerned) but how can I set /etc/conf.d/net > to always use this rate? > > - Grant
The best way I found to do this is to just write your own script and run it at the default runlevel. write a script called wireless-up save it in your /root directory. Then in /etc/conf.d/local.start add the script name to the list: /root/wireless-up. Make sure the script is executable with chmod 666 /root/wireless-up. Here is what mine looks like. I laugh when I read this thing that I call a script. I'll be upgrading this in the future but for now maybe someone has a better idea and/or script. #!/bin/bash DATE=`date +%m_%d_%Y` ifconfig wlan0 up || "echo wlan up failed" iwconfig wlan0 essid ACCESSPOINTNAME || "echo setting essid failed" iwconfig wlan0 mode Managed || echo "setting mode to managed failed" iwconfig wlan0 key restricted YOURKEYHERE || echo "key failed verification" dhclient wlan0 || echo "wlan0 failed to receive dhcp request response" # if [ $DATE -ne `date +%m_%d_%Y -r /tmp/.wireless.* rm /tmp/.wireless.* iwconfig >> /tmp/.wireless.$DATE exit 0 -- gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org mailing list
