[WLANware] Mesh with 2 radios (help with 5 ghz)

[Frederico Marques]

Hi list,

First, thank you for your nice Freifunk Firmware and OLSR  
development. It was very easy to setup a very small Mesh (about 6  
nodes) with WRT54G's for a small portuguese community near my town  
(Ourém). I'm using wifidog for the captive portal & authentication of  
all Mesh with some iptables hacks to solve the multi-splash problems   
(every node has wifidog authentication for the users). I'm injecting  
a 0.0.0.0 route from a local cable provider in just one node.  
Everything works fine. I'm trying to build a P-t-P link to other  
area, 1,2km distance with a WRAP board and 2 radios. One radio is for  
the local 2.4 Ghz Freifunk Mesh, and the other radio I want to use is  
configured in a 5Ghz to remote location. Both radios are Wistron CM9  
mini-pci. On the other side there is another WRAP Box with two CM9  
radios. I have *clear* LOS and I have two pannel antennas pointed at  
each other, both are 5 Ghz 19 dbi from Pacific Wireless. I'm using  
Voyage Linux with OLSRd running on both radios/interfaces (ath0/ 
ath1). The 2.4 Ghz 6 node Mesh can communicate with the WRAP Box, and  
all routes are propagated, so, no problems with routing. Since I'm  
not a RF guy, I ask you any advice for the 5 Ghz link. I can't  
connect both WRAP's at 5 Ghz! I know it is very difficult to try to  
figure out the problem since it can be anything, but I ask what I  
should check? Some more info:

- Checked the link, with each antenna/wrap 5m away in my lab, no  
problems whatsoever.
- Both WRAP's are in the same frequency/channel, but with other  
channels I don't even have a signal, neither a lousy one.
- I've made the cables with lmr200 and n type connectors. I'm on  
expert on cables or RF, but I did a fast check with a signal injector  
and all was well (I hope). Cable problems?
- Tried different polarizations, but no success.
- Maybe it's a problem with adhoc and atheros/madwifi ?
- Do I need to setup any antenna diversity settings or use the defaults?
- Do I need to check the long distance settings (ack timeout...) on a  
1,2km link?
- Could be a problem of pigtails? I use UFL-to-N-bulkhead ones.
- Checked the link with a 2.4ghz and two Omni 2.4 12 dbi Pacific  
Wireless, and it was great! Good SNR and about 48Mbit rate connection.
- Is there any voodoo or some secret informations about 5 Ghz P-t-P  
links?

I welcome any advice you may have. I'm sorry if this is list is not  
the most appropriate to ask for help.


Fred