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Re: [Karlnet] KN50 Problem with 8.x firmware

To: "Karlnet Mailing List" <karlnet@wispnotes.com>
Subject: Re: [Karlnet] KN50 Problem with 8.x firmware
From: "Norm Young" <lists@applegatebroadband.net>
Reply-to: Norm Young <lists@applegatebroadband.net>,Karlnet Mailing List <karlnet@WISPNotes.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 14:48:44 -0800
List-post: <mailto:karlnet@WISPNotes.com>
Amen brother(s).  Same problem noted here.  It really limits where I can use
the KN-50 CPEs.

Norm


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Hrbek" <bhrbek@jagwireless.net>
To: "Karlnet Mailing List" <karlnet@WISPNotes.com>
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Karlnet] KN50 Problem with 8.x firmware


> I've seen the same exact think on my first 3 KN-50 installs.   I replaced
> the Dell cards all three times with older silvers and the links went from
> marginally working to working perfectly.
>
> Karlnet....you got your ears on?
>
>
> -bob
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Timothy J. Steele" <tsteele@e-isco.com>
> To: <karlnet@wispnotes.com>
> Cc: <support@karlnet.com>
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 2:10 PM
> Subject: [Karlnet] KN50 Problem with 8.x firmware
>
>
> > Last month there was a post to a thread from Mark McKibbin (see
> > http://lists.wispnotes.com/pipermail/karlnet/2003-October/003153.html
> > <http://lists.wispnotes.com/pipermail/karlnet/2003-October/003146.html>
> > ) in regards to the KN50 "Blackbird" units.  His questions were in
> > regards to the poor link quality of the Orinoco Gold cards and other
> > cards that have been included with the units.  We have been experiencing
> > similar problems (our units were purchased with Dell TrueMobile Radios
> > (Agere chipset Firmware rev. 8.10.1)).  I have been running tests on a
> > number of different cards with the KN50.  The following are the results:
> >
> > NOTE:  These tests were conducted on live point-to-multipoint
> > connections.  We used all the same hardware for our testing; the only
> > change was the radio card for each test.  The KN50 board was classified
> > as a SOHO CPE with product v1.00-00-073017.  Our average connection
> > speed with a 1024k key is around 700-900k.  The Base units we used for
> > testing are using software versions 4.43 and 4.44.  They have a varied
> > number of subscribers, from 4 (a new site) up to 50+ (our oldest site).
> > On all these tests, the SNR was between 12dB and 18dB upstream to Base
> > and 21dB to 30dB downstream from Base.
> >
> > Dell Radio:
> > Chipset:  Agere
> > Firmware ver.: 8.10.1
> > PING test (a standard IP tools PING test from a PC through the Base to
> > the CPE (100 packets)):  73% of the packets lost
> > Throughput test (5 bandwidth tests from 2wire.com and dslreports.com):
> > 278, 112, 245, 237, 298 (speed measured in kilobits)
> > NOTE:  The packets lost in the PING test are RARELY noted on the client
> > side (i.e. surfing the Internet, Web Page comes up unavailable).  They
> > just notice a significant slowdown.
> >
> > Orinoco Gold:
> > Chipset:  Agere
> > FW ver:  8.72.1
> > PING test:  64% lost
> > Throughput:  451, 368, 519, 259, 311
> >
> > Orinoco Silver:
> > Chipset:  Agere
> > FW ver:  6.6.1
> > PING test:  0% lost
> > Throughput:  676, 574, 481, 625, 616
> >
> > Avaya Radio:
> > Chipset:  Agere
> > FW ver:  6.8.1
> > PING test:  0% lost
> > Throughput:  550, 447, 380, 571, 561
> >
> > Wave Wireless Radio:
> > Chipset:  Agere
> > FW ver:  6.8.1
> > PING test:  1% lost
> > Throughput:  515, 660, 674, 553, 622
> >
> > Demarctech Prism Radio:
> > Chipset:  Intersil (800C)
> > FW ver:  1.3.6
> > PING test:  3%
> > Throughput 591, 745, 652, 733, 725
> >
> > At the location where we were doing the final throughput tests, an NDIS
> > install in a local server has the following results:
> > PING test:  1% lost
> > Throughput:  725, 989, 867, 967, 802
> >
> > I realize that the PING test is hardly conclusive, but it definitely
> > coincides with the lower bandwidth connections.  Does anyone else have
> > similar findings?  One other point of note is that the PING test on a
> > unit connected to a highly utilized Base has significantly more dropped
> > packets on the Dell and Orinoco Gold cards (i.e.  The cards are noted
> > with a 73% and 64% loss on a Base with 40+ subscribers, these numbers
> > drop to 35% and 23% on a Base with 20 or less clients).  This would
> > indicate Base unit over saturation, but we can connect a standard NDIS
> > (radio) client or a KN100 board and the PING tests and throughput tests
> > are excellent (0% loss, avg. 880k throughput).
> >
> > It appears that cards running older versions of firmware (6.x.x) do not
> > have the problems that newer firmware (8.x.x) have; at least in regards
> > to the KN50.  I have upgraded the Orinoco Silver card to v8.7.5 firmware
> > and it exhibits the same problems.  I downgraded the firmware and the
> > problem goes away.  Our only option, at this point, is to downgrade the
> > firmware on the newer cards or try to find older silver cards with the
> > external antenna attachment (seeing as how the new silvers do not have
> > them anymore).
> >
> > I tested the Orinoco Gold and the Dell Radio in a KN100 board with the
> > following results:
> >
> > OG:
> > PING test: 0% lost
> > Throughput:  714, 784, 987, 966, 908
> >
> > Dell:
> > PING Test:  1% lost
> > Throughput:  837, 664, 843, 767, 813
> >
> > This looks like a problem with the KN50's and newer Agere firmware.
> > Anytime you install 8.x firmware on any radio in the KN50, performance
> > is significantly reduced and there is a high amount of IP packet
> > failure.  Our research team would like to know if anyone else concurs
> > with these findings and is there a solution in the works.  If not, is
> > there anymore testing you would like from our end to get this issue
> > resolved?
> >
> >
> > Tim Steele & Marcus Rudd
> > Wireless Networking Engineers
> > e-ISCO Internet
> > www.e-isco.com <http://www.e-isco.com/>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Karlnet mailing list
> > Karlnet@WISPNotes.com
> > http://lists.wispnotes.com/mailman/listinfo/karlnet
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Karlnet mailing list
> Karlnet@WISPNotes.com
> http://lists.wispnotes.com/mailman/listinfo/karlnet


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