ATH rate and rssi considerations





I understand the difference between FBSD v.6 and v.7 regarding the RSSI value
displayed by `ifconfig ath list stat` on a machine running ath as hostap and
the reasons for this change but I think it is not so a very good idea at the
end, I explain why.

BTW `ifconfig ath0 list ap` on the client station does it well, showing the
signal strength and the noise level.

By only showing the RSSI value I have no chance to guess what is wrong with a
station with a low rssi. Perhaps the client antenna is bad aligned or if
interference or something else is drawing the rssi down. If I had the signal
strength and it is good I could say it is not antenna alignment but something
else by looking at the noise level. So now the sys-adm has a hard time
figuring out what is going on.

At the end it is not only the cosmetic issue, in fact the signal strength of
the ATH cards felt down, by 5-10 points or when looking at percentage, by
almost 50%. This is measured on the client with any 11abg card and as well on
freeBSD with the same ath card as on the AP.

*** I like to suggest that this is reconsidered and displayed as in FBSD v.6x
or displaying S:N which than would be much more useful on an AP and making
sense ***

At the same time the rssi change came up the RATE displayed when running OFDM
as 11g or 11a went amok, any station which had before a at least 12,24 or
higher RSSI felt down to 5.5 or often lower, most of them to 1 or 2M. Can you
tell why ? In order to answer possible daughts, I change the AP which runs
7-STABLE, lets say a 6.3 or a early 7-Stable (~07/2007) with same configs and
wthout touching the antenas the RSSI comes back to normal and the noise leevl
is less and at the end the signal strength measured on the client station
(whatever 11a/b/g gear) almost doubles.




--

João







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