sligbot
04-14-2004, 08:53 AM
I don't know if anyone else has tried this but I'll outline what I've done and see if there is any feedback available.
We initially set up 2 StarOS boxes (500MHz+ systems) based on the Atheros chipset (5212 chipset). The cards we used were the Engenius/Senao SL-5354MP mini-pci cards with PCI adapters (RB-11 "Mini-PCI single Slot Adapter" from wisp-router). When we booted up the first machine and tried to test it with our current CPE (based on the Intersil 2.5 chipset) it did not associate properly (at 802.11b and g). Seeing that we had never used our CPE with an Atheros product, we took it as an incompatibility issue between the two chipset manufacturers (even at the 802.11b level) and went back to the factory to ensure proper compliance with 82.11b (as we thought that was where the problem was). We assumed this to be the problem because when we linked the two "clone" systems together, they were able to communicate through 802.11a/b/g (Atheros to Atheros).
We recently. changed the PCI interface from the RB-11 to Dlink products (DWL-AG520). Immediately we noticed that our CPE had no problem associating and passing traffic with the DWL-AG520. Although the 520 did not operate in 5GHz, that was fine with us as our CPE is a "b/g" CPE, not "a". That tweaked my interest and I began testing again with the RB-11 combo (mini-PCI to PCI adapter combo -- that is). Still no success and still the same problems -- with the exact software settings in StarOS. Something seemed a little fishy here.
I then decided to see if the problem lay in the RB-11 board. I upgraded my WRAP board to be Atheros-compliant, popped in a 5354 mini-pci card and "voila" -- our CPE associated and passed data fine with the WRAP board.
I now believe that the problem lies somewhere within the scope of compatibility of the RB-11 board and StarOS. Strangely enough, as I mentioned before, StarOS works fine with the RB-11 in some contexts (ie when I transmitted between 2 "cloned" systems) but not with my CPE. Not until I eliminated the RB-11 variable by either changing card types (to the Dlink type) or by changing form factors (to "pure" mini-pci in the WRAP board) did I have any idea that it could be anything else than a compatibility issue between StarOS and the RB-11.
Any thoughts or similar experiences by anyone that might be able to provide some clarity?
We initially set up 2 StarOS boxes (500MHz+ systems) based on the Atheros chipset (5212 chipset). The cards we used were the Engenius/Senao SL-5354MP mini-pci cards with PCI adapters (RB-11 "Mini-PCI single Slot Adapter" from wisp-router). When we booted up the first machine and tried to test it with our current CPE (based on the Intersil 2.5 chipset) it did not associate properly (at 802.11b and g). Seeing that we had never used our CPE with an Atheros product, we took it as an incompatibility issue between the two chipset manufacturers (even at the 802.11b level) and went back to the factory to ensure proper compliance with 82.11b (as we thought that was where the problem was). We assumed this to be the problem because when we linked the two "clone" systems together, they were able to communicate through 802.11a/b/g (Atheros to Atheros).
We recently. changed the PCI interface from the RB-11 to Dlink products (DWL-AG520). Immediately we noticed that our CPE had no problem associating and passing traffic with the DWL-AG520. Although the 520 did not operate in 5GHz, that was fine with us as our CPE is a "b/g" CPE, not "a". That tweaked my interest and I began testing again with the RB-11 combo (mini-PCI to PCI adapter combo -- that is). Still no success and still the same problems -- with the exact software settings in StarOS. Something seemed a little fishy here.
I then decided to see if the problem lay in the RB-11 board. I upgraded my WRAP board to be Atheros-compliant, popped in a 5354 mini-pci card and "voila" -- our CPE associated and passed data fine with the WRAP board.
I now believe that the problem lies somewhere within the scope of compatibility of the RB-11 board and StarOS. Strangely enough, as I mentioned before, StarOS works fine with the RB-11 in some contexts (ie when I transmitted between 2 "cloned" systems) but not with my CPE. Not until I eliminated the RB-11 variable by either changing card types (to the Dlink type) or by changing form factors (to "pure" mini-pci in the WRAP board) did I have any idea that it could be anything else than a compatibility issue between StarOS and the RB-11.
Any thoughts or similar experiences by anyone that might be able to provide some clarity?