In/Out errors :(

sullrich · May 9, 2006, 2:33 PM

You have to remove /tmp/rules.debug as well after changing config.xml as its the cached version and will simply overwrite config.xml on the next filter reload operation.

So technically the reboot is not needed.

billm · May 9, 2006, 4:35 PM

@sullrich:

You have to remove /tmp/rules.debug as well after changing config.xml as its the cached version and will simply overwrite config.xml on the next filter reload operation.

So technically the reboot is not needed.

close… /tmp/config.cache :)

--Bill

sullrich · May 9, 2006, 6:02 PM

@billm:

@sullrich:

You have to remove /tmp/rules.debug as well after changing config.xml as its the cached version and will simply overwrite config.xml on the next filter reload operation.

So technically the reboot is not needed.

close… /tmp/config.cache :)

--Bill

Grr. Bill is absolutely right. This head cold is driving me ape shit.

pcatiprodotnet · May 10, 2006, 9:35 PM

My Tx was set to 0, and Rx to 1 (on Atheros).
Is 0 or 1 the First antenna? And, what does it mean when set to "2".
Thank you,
-Pete

hoba · May 10, 2006, 9:39 PM

The second time I link to http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=1149.msg6765#msg6765 in this thread :P

pcatiprodotnet · May 10, 2006, 9:49 PM

Thanks hoba!
Although it's fairly obvious, I was just hoping to see it spelled out in no uncertain terms that 0=Main and 1=Aux.
I was careful to read the card's docs to be sure I put the First pigtail (labeled "Antenna#1") on Main,
and the Second pigtail (labeled "Antenna#2") on Aux. -Pete

nima.m · May 10, 2006, 9:41 PM

2 means Auto.

What I did was to set both antenna to 0 fisrt and check the in/out errror, then set both to 1 and check the errors again.
Do the same and see when you get less error, then you know which antenna port you should use.

pcatiprodotnet · May 10, 2006, 9:48 PM

nima.m, is it possible that you plugged your single pigtail into the card's Aux antenna port, and that is why you had to set it to 1?

hoba · May 10, 2006, 9:49 PM

@pcatiprodotnet:

Thanks hoba!
Although it's fairly obvious, I was just hoping to see it spelled out in no uncertain terms that 0=Main and 1=Aux. -Pete

I think that is related to the hardwarelayout. I have even seen cards with no label on either of the antennaoutputs. I recommend doing what nima.m suggested. Try to see what gives you the best results. Generate some traffic (try to load it) and you should see errors increasing rather fast with the wrong setting. Closing the case might help finding the wrong setting too, so you get some noise reflections inside the case with the non hooked up output.

nima.m · May 10, 2006, 9:56 PM

I have no idea :-)

I bought one of those Lintex 6 Nic router and told them to install a CM9 minipci and a external antenna and send it to me.
And they did that, And I havn't open my case for checking it.

pcatiprodotnet · May 10, 2006, 10:39 PM

I just tried the above procedure on beta4, deleted /tmp/config.cache, rebooted for good measure, and it didn't change.
I loaded up /cf/conf/config.xml , and re-checked it…
<maximumstates><afterfilterchangeshellcmd>sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna=0;sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna=0;sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity=0</afterfilterchangeshellcmd>

but in shell it still reports...

sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity

dev.ath.0.diversity: 1

sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna

dev.ath.0.rxantenna: 1

sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna

dev.ath.0.txantenna: 0</maximumstates>

nima.m · May 10, 2006, 10:35 PM

Change it to :

<shellcmd>sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity=0</shellcmd>
<afterfilterchangeshellcmd>sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity=0</afterfilterchangeshellcmd>

then reboot and check

sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity

pcatiprodotnet · May 10, 2006, 10:50 PM

It's still unchanged. -Pete

pcatiprodotnet · May 13, 2006, 3:59 PM

Is there a way to simply run a shell script after pfsense finishes booting? If so, I could put the sysctl commands there.
This problem with the antennas is causing us quite a bit of hassle.
Also, I wouldn't recommend pfSense pre-determining the antenna settings because people will often attach a single pigtail on the "wrong" mini-pci U.FL connector or transpose two connectors for main/aux. If you must, perhaps setting both Tx & Rx to Auto would be the most generally helpful; but, having the ability to set them in the GUI is golden.
Thank you, -Pete

lsf · May 13, 2006, 6:33 AM

This is not something we controll, it's controlled by the freebsd driver/HAL. One of the reasons i haven't added these settings are just because of that. What should be defaults ? should I first up the card and enable it, and then allow the values to be changed ? if not, how should i get the defaults ? (the defaults "change" based on what settings it found "sensible" when the interface was up'ed and configured).
Basically what i'm trying to say is that the driver does not behave the same on every HW combo/user setup. So it's hard to pick any default. I know the driver does not do this perfectly, but it probably does a better job then us presetting/hardcoding this.

nima.m · May 13, 2006, 10:07 AM

@pcatiprodotnet:

Is there a way to simply run a shell script after pfsense finishes booting? If so, I could put the sysctl commands there.

Thats what shellcmd tag do,

Lets try this
1.Change your config file in this way :
<shellcmd>echo 1 > /beforeShell;sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity=0;echo 1 > /afterShell</shellcmd>
<afterfilterchangeshellcmd>echo 1 > /beforeFilter;sysctl dev.ath.0.rxantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.txantenna=1;sysctl dev.ath.0.diversity=0;echo 1 > /afterFilter;</afterfilterchangeshellcmd>

2.Reboot

3.SSH to your router

4.Run this command one by one and see the result :

ls /beforeShell
ls /afterShell
ls /beforeFilter
ls /afterFilter

pcatiprodotnet · May 14, 2006, 8:33 PM

After some investigation, I discovered that boot commands are working; however, after a little time, the old settings get put back. I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Perhaps with Diversity is On, the wireless card is changing the Rx antenna setting based on what it thinks is best at the moment?

Another handy command: athstats

Although information is sparse, it appears that for tx/rxantenna setting: 0=auto, 1=antenna1, 2=antenna2.

-Pete

billm · May 14, 2006, 1:36 PM

@pcatiprodotnet:

After some investigation, I discovered that boot commands are working; however, after a little time, the old settings get put back. I'm not quite sure what to make of this.
-Pete

Yeah, I believe some of that is the ATH driver. It's annoying. FWIW, I have a machine with two antenna's attached and I constantly get errors - it doesn't seem to impact the performance of the unit, so I've just learned to ignore it.

–Bill

lsf · May 16, 2006, 10:20 PM

@pcatiprodotnet:

Although information is sparse, it appears that for tx/rxantenna setting: 0=auto, 1=antenna1, 2=antenna2.

To be honest i haven't checked this in a while, so it might have changed in the ath driver, however madwifi also seems to have what I stated earlier, and it used to be the defautls of the HAL.
So this might be some weirdness with athstats as well (i'll check this out later)
BTW: both=auto

If diversity is on then it should change antennas whenever it needs to (autosense), however if diversity is off then it should stick to what you set it to. And diversity should not turn on again unless you change the interface settings or up/down the interface.

rneily · May 18, 2006, 3:03 AM

Another question.. If I enable TPC via sysctl commands, it seems to turn on both antennas, and diversity. Does TPC require the use of two antennas? I have searched on this, but I cant find anything? (I'm using a CM9)