Link goes dead during data transfer

[Matthew Bloch]

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Hi there,

We have a simple link setup over about 400m using the hostap 0.1.2 drivers at
each end and a pair of cards made by Pheenet (WL-002) identifying themselves
with the following firmware:

cc:/usr/src/hostap-utils-0.1.2# ./hostap_diag wlan0
Host AP driver diagnostics information for 'wlan0'

NICID: id=0x8003 v1.0.0 (HWB3163 Rev B, Samsung PC Card Rev. B)
PRIID: id=0x0015 v0.3.0
STAID: id=0x001f v0.8.3 (station firmware)

Sometimes, often during large data transfers, but sometimes for no reason we
can see, we see messages like this in the kernels' logs:

Dec  2 03:40:41 cc kernel: wlan0: TXEXC - status=0x0004 ([Discon])
tx_control=000c
Dec  2 03:40:41 cc kernel:    retry_count=0 tx_rate=0 fc=0x0008 (Data::0)
Dec  2 03:40:41 cc kernel:    A1=00:80:c6:e3:5c:ac A2=00:80:c6:e3:5c:ab
A3=44:44:44:44:44:44 A4=00:00:00:00:00:00
Dec  2 03:40:41 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:40:41 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:dd:cf:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:40:52 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:40:52 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:6e:e8:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:02 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:02 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:59:95:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:13 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:13 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:94:e1:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:23 cc kernel: wlan0: TXEXC - status=0x0004 ([Discon])
tx_control=000c
Dec  2 03:41:23 cc kernel:    retry_count=0 tx_rate=0 fc=0x0008 (Data::0)
Dec  2 03:41:23 cc kernel:    A1=ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff A2=00:80:c6:e3:5c:ab
A3=44:44:44:44:44:44 A4=00:00:00:00:00:00
Dec  2 03:41:23 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:23 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:db:e6:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:34 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:34 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:53:e9:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:44 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:44 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:12:dd:5c:ab
Dec  2 03:41:55 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus=1 (Connected)
Dec  2 03:41:55 cc kernel: wlan0: LinkStatus: BSSID=02:23:37:e1:5c:ab

This can be triggered for testing purposes with a ping flood across the
wireless link.

The only way we've found to fix it is to unload and reload the hostap and
hostap_plx driver modules at both ends of the link.  I'm thinking about
automating this grotty hack but would rather see if anyone can suggest
another solution; the one which seems most obvious is upgrading the cards'
firmwares.

I've tried picking some 1.7.4 driver files from http://linux.junsun.net/
intersil-prism/ but none seem compatible with my 8003 NICID, which (from my
understanding) is the part which dictates compatibility with my card.  Does
anyone else with the same card know where I can find firmware?

cheers,

- --
Matthew Bloch                             Bytemark Hosting
                                  tel. +44 (0) 8707 455026
                        http://www.bytemark-hosting.co.uk/
          Dedicated Linux hosts from 15ukp ($26) per month
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