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Ticket #864 (assigned enhancement)

Opened 16 years ago

Last modified 15 years ago

setting countrycode bring down txpower too much - channels range might ok

Reported by: kinlus@tiscali.cz Assigned to: mrenzmann (accepted)
Priority: minor Milestone:
Component: madwifi: HAL Version: trunk
Keywords: txpower countrycode channels Cc:
Patch is attached: 0 Pending:

Description

I have CM9: (manufacturer - who knows) 

# lspci -v
0000:00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Unknown device 185f:1012
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 168, IRQ 12
        Memory at 80000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

# sysctl -a | grep wifi0

dev.wifi0.regdomain = 0
dev.wifi0.countrycode = 0

# iwlist ath0 txpower
ath0      8 available transmit-powers :
          0 dBm         (1 mW)
          8 dBm         (6 mW)
          10 dBm        (10 mW)
          12 dBm        (15 mW)
          14 dBm        (25 mW)
          16 dBm        (39 mW)
          18 dBm        (63 mW)
          20 dBm        (100 mW)
          Current Tx-Power:20 dBm       (100 mW)

# iwlist ath0 channel
ath0      46 channels in total; available frequencies :
          Channel 01 : 2.412 GHz
          Channel 02 : 2.417 GHz
          Channel 03 : 2.422 GHz
          Channel 04 : 2.427 GHz
          Channel 05 : 2.432 GHz
          Channel 06 : 2.437 GHz
          Channel 07 : 2.442 GHz
          Channel 08 : 2.447 GHz
          Channel 09 : 2.452 GHz
          Channel 10 : 2.457 GHz
          Channel 11 : 2.462 GHz
          Channel 36 : 5.18 GHz
          Channel 40 : 5.2 GHz
          Channel 42 : 5.21 GHz
          Channel 44 : 5.22 GHz
          Channel 48 : 5.24 GHz
          Channel 50 : 5.25 GHz
          Channel 52 : 5.26 GHz
          Channel 56 : 5.28 GHz
          Channel 58 : 5.29 GHz
          Channel 60 : 5.3 GHz
          Channel 64 : 5.32 GHz
          Channel 149 : 5.745 GHz
          Channel 152 : 5.76 GHz
          Channel 153 : 5.765 GHz
          Channel 157 : 5.785 GHz
          Channel 160 : 5.8 GHz
          Channel 161 : 5.805 GHz
          Channel 165 : 5.825 GHz
          Current Frequency=2.452 GHz (Channel 9)

When setting loading with countrycode=203 

# sysctl -a | grep wifi0

dev.wifi0.regdomain = 0
dev.wifi0.countrycode = 203


# iwlist ath0 txpower
ath0      8 available transmit-powers :
          0 dBm         (1 mW)
          4 dBm         (2 mW)
          6 dBm         (3 mW)
          8 dBm         (6 mW)
          10 dBm        (10 mW)
          12 dBm        (15 mW)
          14 dBm        (25 mW)
          16 dBm        (39 mW)
          Current Tx-Power:16 dBm       (39 mW)

But this (http of course) hxxp://www.nuclearcat.com/athmap.txt says.. 

CZECH REPUBLIC (CZ, 0xcb, 203) ETSI3_WORLD (0x36, 54)
2412B 18.0 2417B 18.0 2422B 18.0 2427B 18.0 2432B 18.0 2437B 18.0
2442B 18.0 2447B 18.0 2452B 18.0 2457B 18.0 2462B 18.0 2467B 18.0
2472B 18.0 5180A 16.0 5200A 16.0 5220A 16.0 5240A 16.0 5260A 16.0
5280A 16.0 5300A 16.0 5320A 16.0

Allowed 18dBm txpower on all 2.4 frequencies... 

# iwlist ath0 channel
ath0      35 channels in total; available frequencies :
          Channel 01 : 2.412 GHz
          Channel 02 : 2.417 GHz
          Channel 03 : 2.422 GHz
          Channel 04 : 2.427 GHz
          Channel 05 : 2.432 GHz
          Channel 06 : 2.437 GHz
          Channel 07 : 2.442 GHz
          Channel 08 : 2.447 GHz
          Channel 09 : 2.452 GHz
          Channel 10 : 2.457 GHz
          Channel 11 : 2.462 GHz
          Channel 12 : 2.467 GHz
          Channel 13 : 2.472 GHz
          Channel 36 : 5.18 GHz
          Channel 40 : 5.2 GHz
          Channel 44 : 5.22 GHz
          Channel 48 : 5.24 GHz
          Channel 52 : 5.26 GHz
          Channel 56 : 5.28 GHz
          Channel 60 : 5.3 GHz
          Channel 64 : 5.32 GHz
          Current Frequency=2.412 GHz (Channel 1)

Is it ok??

Change History

09/08/06 05:44:53 changed by mrenzmann

  • status changed from new to assigned.
  • owner set to mrenzmann.

The nuclearcat list misses one important information: the HAL and driver version that was used to create this list. Without this information, the list is inaccurate, since the available TX power settings might have changed with a new HAL version.

Manufacturer of the CM9 is Wistron Neweb.

To answer your last question: from the code point of view the behaviour seems to be correct. However, telling if this behaviour also matches the "real world regulation" is out of my scope - on the other hand I believe you and others when they say that the regulatory limitation is not that hard as the HAL believes.

This needs to be forwarded to Atheros. However, it's quite certain that solving this issue will take some time, so don't hold your breath.

09/22/06 00:05:17 changed by Dr. Ajay N. Khosla

I have a doubt about nuclearcat list. I am from India. We have regulation to use 30dBm transmit power ie. about 1000mw and total ERP 36dBm ie. 4W.

http<colon>//www<dot>wpc<dot>dot<dot>gov<dot>in/Static/Gazette%20(%202.4%20GHz)_Outdoor<dot>doc

Where as nuclearcat show around 18 (??). Is it updated.

When I set my country code 356, I am unable to set txpower >19 using senao NMP 8602 Plus 400mw mini-pci card.

11/21/06 19:32:26 changed by anonymous

Dr. Ajay N. Khosla: have you been able to set the Senao to a output higher than 19dbm with other countrycode settings? I have not been successfull at this, even though my Senao NMP-8602 is capable of doing 26dbm. I bought the card i the UK.

If there is hardware limitations, is there any way to change this. I know there are 8602 cards in the US who has successfully run at 26dbm. Do I need to flash the card or something?

I am getting pretty desperate as I have been unable to get a clear answer to this after over 2 days searching the web.

12/08/06 16:31:03 changed by selelvian@myrealbox.com

In Australia, the regulations also allow 4W of EIRP.

www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.1638528:STANDARD::pc=PC_1794#radiated

I bought a Senao NMP-8602 in Australia, but so far, it is actually performing worse than the original Intel IPW2200 I wanted to replace with it, because I cannot seem to get txpower higher than 18dBm (the Intel allowed 20dBm).