In/Out errors :(

bardelot

Same problem here, very high "in errors" rate.

Compex WLM54SAG 200mW (Chipset should be Atheros AR5414)

Tried increasing the hw.ath.txbuf and hw.ath.rxbuf but it wouldn't help.

$ sysctl -a | grep ath.0
dev.ath.0.%desc: Atheros 5212
dev.ath.0.%driver: ath
dev.ath.0.%location: slot=12 function=0
dev.ath.0.%pnpinfo: vendor=0x168c device=0x001b subvendor=0x168c subdevice=0x2062 class=0x020000
dev.ath.0.%parent: pci0
dev.ath.0.smoothing_rate: 95
dev.ath.0.sample_rate: 10
dev.ath.0.countrycode: 0
dev.ath.0.regdomain: 0
dev.ath.0.slottime: 9
dev.ath.0.acktimeout: 23
dev.ath.0.ctstimeout: 23
dev.ath.0.softled: 0
dev.ath.0.ledpin: 0
dev.ath.0.ledon: 0
dev.ath.0.ledidle: 270
dev.ath.0.txantenna: 1
dev.ath.0.rxantenna: 1
dev.ath.0.diversity: 0
dev.ath.0.txintrperiod: 5
dev.ath.0.diag: 0
dev.ath.0.tpscale: 1
dev.ath.0.tpc: 1
dev.ath.0.tpack: 63
dev.ath.0.tpcts: 63
dev.ath.0.monpass: 24

$ sysctl hw.ath
hw.ath.hal.swba_backoff: 0
hw.ath.hal.sw_brt: 10
hw.ath.hal.dma_brt: 2
hw.ath.hal.version: 0.9.17.2
hw.ath.txbuf: 3000
hw.ath.rxbuf: 6000
hw.ath.regdomain: 0
hw.ath.countrycode: 0
hw.ath.xchanmode: 1
hw.ath.outdoor: 1
hw.ath.calibrate: 30
hw.ath.dwell: 200

jjstecchino

Hi all,
I am experiencing , as many other posting in this thread, a ton of IN and some OUT error on the wireless interface.
Also the performance of the wireless link is sluggish at best. This is unfortunate because pfSense is such an excellent product and would be soooo nice to have an all around firewall/wireless AP working solution.
My setup is an alix 2c3 with a Compex WLM54G 200mW. The chipset is an atheros AR2413. I am running pfSense 1.2 release with the wireless card in AP mode, bridged to the LAN interface.

athstats results are similar to what has been posted by others, a ton of rx failed 'cuz FIFO buffer overrun' and many beacon setup failed 'cuz no mbuf'.

Changing the size of the rx and tx buffer ameliorate but does not solve the problem.

Reading the previous posts it is not clear if the problem we are all experiencing is related to:

a) setup (PC hw vs Embedded platform, mini pci/pci wireless network card).
b) a particular chipset or family of
c) configuration (Access point ?)
d) atheros driver support for that specific chipset/card

Maybe could be useful to ask people having the problem but even more useful people who are NOT experiencing the problem to specify their setup.

The bulk of the errors are receive FIFO buffer overrun which would indicate a problem to timely move out the receive buffer data. It would appear (since we can change the size of the buffer) that the buffer itself is a chunk of main memory allocated by the atheros driver. The inability to timely move this data from the driver allocated memory to the OS would point to a problem in the interaction between FreeBSD kernel and the ath driver however this interaction may be complicated by specific hardware issues.

It would be useful to know from people with working configuration, experiencing good wireless throughput and few or no errors about their setup and configuration.
I am convinced what we are experiencing is a ath driver issue that become evident with specific hw configurations.
By collecting the above info we will know what works and what doesn't. We could submit bug requests to FreeBSD however the issue will not be taken care in useful time.

Being pragmatic it would be easier to buy a card known to work with a specific motherboard and pfSense.

firestar

It would be interesting to setup a FreeBSD 7.0 installation as an access point and try the wifi network for at least a week. This would ensure us it is a problem related to FreeBSD 6.x drivers or anything else in the worst case. Wifi networks are source of trouble. That's why I prefer ethernet cables, though I use pfSense as an AP and I experience this issue. :(
If somebody has enough knowledge to do it, do it a let us know. ;D

jjstecchino

pfSense 1.3 should be out soon and we will be able to try freebsd 7.
In the meantime it would be intresting to know from whoever is not experiencing in/out errors what kind of setup they are using so we can compile a list of working/non working components. In particular it would be intresting to know about what motherboard, wireless card and pfsense version and working/non working status.

KoalaTNR

Hello,

I had the same problems.

Setup 1

Hardware: Wrap, Compex WLM54SAG23, 1 antenna
Software: PfSense 1.2 Release

iMac –> Mac OS X --> very good WLAN performance and few in/out errors
Dell Notebook with Intel Wlan --> Windows --> very poor WLAN performance and many in/out errors

In/out errors 381789/0 in one day

==> with a second antenna I've the same errors.
==> that's not an problem of antenna-settings but rather problem with the wlan-adapters and freebsd.

Setup 2

Hardware: Wrap, Compex WLM54SAG23, 1 antenna
Software: PfSense 1.2 Release (special Build that based on FreeBSD 6.3 instead 6.2)

iMac –> Mac OS X --> very good WLAN performance and few in/out errors
Dell Notebook with Intel Wlan --> Windows --> very good WLAN performance and few in/out errors

In/out errors 216/0 in one day (If I setup the antenna-settings correctly or connect the second antenna than I get no in/out errors)

The 6.3 based PfSense 1.2 can downloaded here:

http://cvs.pfsense.org/~sullrich/testing_images/6/FreeBSD_RELENG_6_3/pfSense_RELENG_1_2/

Greetings
Thomas

covex

If I setup the antenna-settings correctly…

what do you mean by that? could you please post your settings here…

jjstecchino

I updated to the image you suggested (released 4-10-2008), unfortunately I am having the same amount of in/out (expecially IN) errors as previously.
The setup is an alix board (3LAN) and the same compex card you have and 2 antennas.
I am glad it worked for you.

Johnny

jjstecchino

On a positive note, after some testing, even with a large number of IN errors and few OUTt errors, wireless performance is much better, no disconnections that I can tell and fast speed. The 1.2 with FreeBSD 6.3 has made a difference.

Thanks

Johnny

covex

jjstecchino, stupid question… alix-embedded... which image did you use from there

GoldServe

Just to report back, 6.3 freebsd based 1.2 works very well! Speed didn't get faster but no disconnections ever! Cheers!!!!!

jjstecchino

@covex:

jjstecchino, stupid question… alix-embedded... which image did you use from there

Sorry covex, I failed to mention that I am not running the embedded image but the regular one on a microdrive.

Johnny

MageMinds

@covex:

jjstecchino, stupid question… alix-embedded... which image did you use from there

I installed the following file onto a CF on my computer, it is the embedded version of pfSense 1.2 running on FreeBSD 6.3

http://cvs.pfsense.org/~sullrich/testing_images/6/FreeBSD_RELENG_6_3/pfSense_RELENG_1_2/pfSense.img.gz

covex

MageMinds, r u sure? this image is 116MB when i'm downloading it… 0_o

eri--

Can please the users having errors say if they have traffic shaping enabled?
If yes, deactivating it does make things better?

covex

no shaping here…
numerous in errors and 0 out errors

jjstecchino

No shaping here as well. Simple AP bridged to LAN.
Still a lot of in errors, mainly due to FIFO buffer overrun.
I have to say that using the 6.3 1.2 image still gives the IN/OUT errors however I do not have the connection/disconnection problem that was making the wireless unusable. Now I am using PFsense as an access point and it is very usable.

Johnny

sigi

I have some observations about this too.

First I had some failures because my WRAP had some "out of mbuf blockings"
ifconfig ath0 down && ifconfig ath0 up solved the blocking.

I made a update to the FBSD 6_3 Version and had still mbuf raising.
Then I disabled Traffic shaping to ath0

Further it seems that higher load lowers the error rate.

Here is the Cacti output for this Changes.

ath-studies.png_thumb

MageMinds

@covex:

MageMinds, r u sure? this image is 116MB when i'm downloading it… 0_o

That's exactly what I have downloaded, although I have a 25 MB or so file. Try removing the file name from the link and click the file name yourself, it may help.

deepdish

@jjstecchino:

On a positive note, after some testing, even with a large number of IN errors and few OUTt errors, wireless performance is much better, no disconnections that I can tell and fast speed. The 1.2 with FreeBSD 6.3 has made a difference.

Thanks

Johnny

I'm confirming this as well. I upgraded my pfsense box to the 6.3 image. I have the D-Link DWL-AG530 card (Atheros 5215 chip) and it works perfectly. No disconnection issues or stability issues. Sure, I have a lot of in and out errors after testing it out for the week ( In/out errors: 35344689/65 ), but they have not affected the performance or stability of the wireless connection, even with a weak signal (1 - 2 bars on iPhone).
I have WPA encryption running and runs like a champ!

Also, I ran an iperf test from my laptop wirelessly to my PC via Ethernet. TCP throughput hovering around 21 - 23mbps at full signal (1 meter away from antenna).

serialdie

Did anybody did the upgrade from the webGUI?
If not how?!?
TIA.