Recently I replaced my old Linksys WRT54GS with RB112+Senao NMP-8602+ (working as AP only) due to have top grade radio performance. Unfortunately the result is much worse than Linksys…
All of my clients has cards based on Ralink RT2560 (fixed to 5.5Mbit tx rate in driver - to increase output power), AP antenna is Interline 12dBi (horizontal polarization, omni, DC shorted, 1m of H1000 cable), network mode 802.11G (WPA2-PSK-AES).
Client signal levels seen by Linksys are -55 to -75dBm and the speed is quite reasonable but after replacing with RB/Mikrotik platform the performance degraded significantly - the fixed client tx rate seems not to work anymore (every client hopping over tx rates) and recieved client signals are -75 to -90dBm…Even without fixed rate Linksys reported much better signal levels…
I tried to limit tx rates on AP, change A to B connector etc but with no results.
WHAT IS GOING ON? Is linksys for $70 (cheap broadcom BCM2050 radio chip) is better than RB + new Atheros 5006X with “super” SENAO RF circuit for more than $200??
Maybe there is a problem with compatibility with DC shorted antenna or am I missing something??
Please, HELP!
P.S. Of course after back to Linksys everything works like before swap.
Yes, my clients have had a connection, but with bad performance and even some disconnects from time to time (only far users).
And yes I saw this message in log but not so frequently. Mainly I see ‘excessive data loss’ or somethig similar.
P.S. 'far users" means 1,5km - this is the biggest distance in my network so it is not very much…
I cannot test it without encryption because I have one antenna on the tower and all my client use WPA2…
I still can’t understand why CLIENT tx rate change when it is fixed on the driver (with linksys it is always stable).
There is another problem: output power of senao nmp-8602+. It is 400mW version and I cannot achieve full power - I tried every combination - manual tx power, card rates, fixed rated, default etc even tried to set 30dBm as sugested on this forum but best signal level on client side is similar to Linksys@150mW
@Equis
Is noise threshold works with new atheros chipsets?
Is this important which connector on senao card I choose? or are they equal?
Yes I have to try VSSID - maybe I’ll swap it again before winter comes for good…
What about using it without encryption? what is the benefits to not using “buggy” WPA2? My clients can autenticate and mainly there was no problem with disconecting but with poor performance.
also check the antenna port A or B option…just to be sure you have it set to the same port as the U.FL connector is connected.
I would also strongly recommend swaping out that 8602 for a GOOD card, such as an R52, CM9 or best = SR2…
we have seen some issues with laptop clients to an 8602…really a trash card, made to be Cheap money-wise…i knew it was weird when i was getting a 400mW card for ~$40 sr2 and the others named are a world of difference when it comes to these “weird” issues
well - it´s new for me that wpa2 should be “buggy”
but i think even a bad encryption (like WEP) is better than nothing, because without enc. everyone could connect to your AP or could listen to the data sent over the air…
@matthias
I don’t say that WPA2 is buggy. I said “buggy” because of what you say about problems with mikrotik WPA2 and mixed manufacturers…I have no problems with WPA2 and Linksys - everything works like a charm.
@jo2jo
I checked every comination of A and B connector and A and B antenna option.
AFAIK the 8602 card is one of the best miniPCI card with very good specyfication (sensitivity, power etc), comparable with SR2, but cheaper (about $90 in my country). Every WLAN shop recommend it as very good choice, better than CM9 and so on. Ofcourse they say that SR2 is best choice but the price is very high.
The problem is that I’m not sure that when I even buy SR2 my problem will disapear…
We also ran Linksys AP before and had no Problems with WPA2. But when integrating Mikrotik as AP and Linksys as Clients there was no good connection. With Mikrotik AP and Mikrotik Client it works fine.
Problem could be, that with Mikrotik WPA2 the “wpa capabilites are not enabled”, but with Linksys they are…
I gave this Info to MT support, but it seems that they have no time for this atm…
This is big suprise for me…but I prefer your practical experience than sellers one. So which card should I get to have top grade radio (for AP, 2,4GHz, 802.11g)? SR2? CM-9? R52? or other one? I want to have possibility to use at least 19-20dBm in the highest G rates (48,54) so probably SR2 is the only choice. Please advice.
I can choose form this offers: http://www.cyberbajt.pl/index.php?i=grupa&id=13&idd=94 http://www.technologic.pl/produkty_moduly_radiowe.html
@matthias
what wpa capabilities you talking about?
My every client is non-Mikrotik (Ralink RT2560 cards) but I think I shoud work fine - users can authenticate and they have connection. What problems you have with mikrotik+Linksys client?
I can vouch for the SR2’s and CM9’s as being great cards. These are the only cards we use, well those and a few PRISM cards. We no longer deploy PRISM’s due to their lack of support in RouterOS.
The new R52 is much better than the CM9 - which is a very good radio, making the R52 a very excellent radio. We have replaced several CM9’s with R52’s and seen a huge jump in link quality.
For example one link about 1km with poor antenna aiming and trees in the way (due to mounting, antennas couldn’t be aimed perfectly) with CM9’s on each end was around -75 most of the time, rates usually at 36M/36M. CCQ was good and throughput was accepable.
One end of the link was damaged by a nearby lightning strike and its’ associated power surge. Replaced WRAP2C+CM9 with RB112+R52, now signal is around -58 and rates are 54M/54M solid!!
R52 is HIGHLY reccomended by me. We no longer purchase CM9, because R52 is so much better!!
SR2/SR5 are also very good cards, if you need the higher power they are quality products and I reccomend them as well. Just keep in mind to use the lowest power that will work in any given situation, to prevent having too much noise.
sr2 and the others named are a world of difference when it comes to these “weird” issues