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    Frequent wireless disconnections

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    • N
      Nairou
      last edited by

      I'm using a CM9 on a ALIX (alix2d2) board. Upgraded to the latest pfSense 2.2.4.

      Wireless periodically cuts out for brief moments. I never see it being down, but if I'm streaming something to my Chromecast, it'll periodically get disconnected. If I watch the Chromecast at the right moment, I see it quickly blink to the screen where it's reconnecting to the network, then back again. It's as if the wifi is dropping for just a moment. But it is enough to disrupt any streaming.

      If I switch to another router for wifi instead of the pfSense box, these disconnections do not occur, so it's definitely not a problem with the other devices.

      I haven't noticed anything unusual in the wireless logs. The timing of the disconnect might be when the GTK rekey occurs, but I'm not certain.

      
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: WPA rekeying GTK
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:28:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: WPA rekeying GTK
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:38:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:41:27	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 IEEE 802.11: disassociated
Aug 14 09:41:27	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: event 2 notification
Aug 14 09:41:27	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 IEEE 802.1X: unauthorizing port
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 IEEE 802.11: associated
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: event 1 notification
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: start authentication
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 IEEE 802.1X: unauthorizing port
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: sending 1/4 msg of 4-Way Handshake
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/4 Pairwise)
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: sending 3/4 msg of 4-Way Handshake
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (4/4 Pairwise)
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 IEEE 802.1X: authorizing port
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 RADIUS: starting accounting session 55C234EE-000001E1
Aug 14 09:41:28	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: pairwise key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: WPA rekeying GTK
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: sending 1/2 msg of Group Key Handshake
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA b0:ee:45:49:72:b8 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 00:a0:96:4b:87:03 WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: received EAPOL-Key frame (2/2 Group)
Aug 14 09:48:29	hostapd: ath0_wlan0: STA 9c:d9:17:20:a5:dc WPA: group key handshake completed (RSN)

      Giving everything static IPs (mapped within pfSense) reduced the frequency of disconnections somewhat (from every few minutes, to 10s of minutes), but they still occur throughout the day.

      Any ideas what could cause this? Any other logs I should look for? I'm hoping this isn't a hardware problem, but I wouldn't know how to tell…

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      • ?
        Guest
        last edited by

        I saw the same thing and got a Ruckus AP and found the same thing… I live within 5 miles of a major airport and attribute it to that, but who knows. Maybe military stuff. Mine will reconnect 2-3 times a day and varied in time. Weather radar is also know to wreck havok on wireless signals. Streaming TV is the only place i really notice it... Happens to all devices I have.

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        • N
          Nairou
          last edited by

          The thing is, though, if I turn off the wireless on my pfSense box, and hook up a Linksys router (DD-WRT) for wireless, I never get a single disconnection. Works great for days. So it has to be something about the pfSense box in particular that is causing it. I'm just not familiar enough with it to know what…

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          • D
            doktornotor Banned
            last edited by

            FreeBSD = not usable for WiFi. Keep the DD-WRT router hooked and move on.

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            • ?
              Guest
              last edited by

              Seems to work differently for people. Not sure what the issue is. Maybe I have low expectations.
              FreeBSD ath0 as a wifi client works as well as Windows in my opinion…WifiMgr on Mate is solid.
              So i wonder if its not a power issue or some other X factor. Maybe hostAPD is broke on FreeBSD? Funny how it is fine on Linux and just a port to FreeBSD so should be similar. I really dunno. I don't consider it broke but others do.

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              • B
                bennett28
                last edited by

                My wireless has gone down for 30-60 seconds once or maybe twice a day. It's a fairly new setup so I'm hoping It's something I've missed with install or firewall settings.. I'm running 2.2.4 release, 3 seperate NIC's, wireless is managed on it's own NIC with 1 rule to allow "any" traffic as I've just got it setup.. Wireless ap is an Xclaim Xi3.. (little brother to Ruckus equipment). Has anyone got any ideas.. really don't want to fork out more cash for a router or AP if it keeps dropping out.

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