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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Are you sure that's graphing link
speed? How did it dip below 6Mbit? (MHz y-axis label?) The
modems cannot operate slower than that in only-n mode.<br>
<br>
--Bart<br>
<br>
<br>
On 07/21/2014 01:08 PM, Dean Gibson AE7Q wrote:<br>
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The displayed link speed was also dropping. See <a
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-07-xx_Data.png">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-07-xx_Data.png</a><br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-07-21 11:24, Bart Kus wrote:<br>
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<blockquote cite="mid:53CD5ACD.7030403@bartk.us" type="cite">
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Have you looked at the possibility
that your modem is negotiating a higher link speed over time
and that's the cause for the gradual signal level loss? When
you reboot these things and they aren't pressed to move data,
they opt for the slowest (and highest power) modulation. As
data comes in for them to move, if they build up queues, they
try higher order modulations, which make use of amplitude
modulation, and reduce the average power level.<br>
<br>
It is possible to instruct the modem to only support a subset
of speeds. For example, the slowest speed only (6Mbit):<br>
<br>
[eo@AE7SJ/Monroe-Paine] /interface wireless> set 0
supported-rates-a/g=<br>
12Mbps 18Mbps 24Mbps 36Mbps 48Mbps 54Mbps 6Mbps 9Mbps<br>
<br>
I don't think upgrading or downgrading firmware has anything
to do with RSSI readings as they're read directly from the
Atheros chip and not computed in firmware.<br>
<br>
The real test of the health of your connection would be if it
consistently supports the same ballpark speed range (bits/sec
actually moved) or if it is indeed dropping due to this 8dB
RSSI delta you're seeing. If the modem finds itself having
too many communication errors because it chose a modulation
that is too fast, it'll lower its negotiated speed.<br>
<br>
--Bart<br>
<br>
<br>
On 7/21/2014 10:28 AM, Dean Gibson AE7Q wrote:<br>
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OK, over the last three weeks both the TX and RX signal levels
have dropped 8dB; see:<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-07-xx_RX.png">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-07-xx_RX.png</a><br>
<br>
While this could be due to vegetation, the drop (somewhat
gradual this time) looks suspiciously like the previous two
drops of 8dB (see prior messages below). On Friday I noticed
that MicroTik had a new firmware release, v6.17, and I
upgraded to that. That fixed an NTP bug introduced in v6.14
but made no difference in dBm levels, so Sunday evening I
downgraded to v6.13. That downgrade/reboot was successful,
but also made no difference. So, I did a second reboot in
preparation for upgrading back to v6.17 (using the same
scenario as below).<br>
<br>
This time, however, "presto!" (the results below) does not
quite apply. The 5SHPn shows a power-on LED, and when
connected to a switch, shows an electrical network LED.
However, <b>the 5SHPn is inaccessible via Ethernet</b> (using
Winbox to access via both by last IP address, and by MAC
address). PINGs fail; there is no corresponding entry in the
ARP table. I can hold in the reset button while power-cycling
the 5SHPn, and I get the flashing power LED indicating a
"reset configuration" is happening, but to no avail: Winbox
is unable to connect to the 5SHPn.<br>
<br>
<b>This is the third time I've had this 8dB drop</b>, and the
second time I've had to go to the roof to reset the radio.
So, I've removed the antenna from the roof. So, unless
someone has a bright idea, the 5SHPn and the 31dBi dish
antenna are available for $120 total. I'd like to sell them
as a unit, because I've got a really nice (but easily
removable) taped seal of the antenna/radio connection. If you
can't get the radio to work, you're only out $20.<br>
<br>
-- Dean<br>
425-338-4276 (home)<br>
425-359-4276 (cell)<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-06-13 18:29, Dean Gibson
AE7Q wrote:<br>
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Going back to v6.13 didn't improve anything, but it did seem
to get rid of the occasional variations in voltage (from
13.5v down to 12.8v) that SNMP was reporting to "The Dude"
software. So, after letting v6.13 run for couple hours with
no improvement, I reinstalled v6.15.<br>
<br>
Presto! Instant dBm improvement back to my normally
observed values. Here are links to SNMP graphs of the drop
@9:30am, and the rise at 17:48pm. Of course, you can also
see this in Nigel's Cacti reporting, albeit with less
horizontal (time) resolution.<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-06-13_0940.png">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-06-13_0940.png</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-06-13_1740.png">http://www.ae7q.com/misc/media/5.9GHz/2014-06-13_1740.png</a><br>
<br>
Note that the reported sudden dBm "rise" to -60dBm (the
upper limit I've imposed to keep the graph scale reasonable)
on two occasions in the second graph, is when I upgraded and
then reconfigured the radio (from a cut-&-paste script),
and should be ignored.<br>
<br>
Note that a very similar scenario occurred several months
ago, when I upgraded from v6.10 to v6.12.<br>
<br>
Of course, today is Friday the 13th. Maybe Jason is
responsible.<br>
<br>
-- Dean<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-06-13 12:28, Dean
Gibson AE7Q wrote:<br>
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<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-06-13 12:13, Cory
(NQ1E) wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAGOhXwKUqn-hJ3BbybzLj4_cmaNiXkX7Co0sn_v5xf+HF5K42g@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div class="gmail_extra">Did it rain on those trees
you're pointing at around then? :)<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jun 13, 2014 at 12:12
PM, Dean Gibson AE7Q <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:hamwan@ae7q.com" target="_blank">hamwan@ae7q.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">This
morning (well after the update to v6.15 last
night) just after 9:30am, I saw a 8dB drop in both
TX and RX signal levels, which persist at this
time. I did a "reset configuration", which did
not solve the problem.<br>
<br>
Did anyone do a change at Paine sector 2 around
9:30am?<br>
</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
<br>
It's been raining gently all morning. Last night it
rained a bit harder, and I saw no significant or unusual
variation. I'm going back to v6.13 to see if that changes
anything.<br>
<br>
The drop was very sudden. I have that antenna connection
very well sealed, I thought, and the Ethernet cable runs
uphill to get into the eaves. I did a cursory visual
check of that this morning.<br>
</blockquote>
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<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014-05-04 13:00, Dean Gibson
AE7Q wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:53669C43.3060100@ae7q.com" type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default"
style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small">OK,
everything is back working, and I have my dBm back!!<br>
<br>
Not a comedy of errors, but two factors intertwined to
create this problem:<br>
<br>
<ol>
<li>Since configuring the radio after a configuration
reset requires the use of WinBox (until you get IP
addresses set up), I moved the network connection
from the radio to its normal router on the DMZ, and
connected it to a router on my LAN via an extension
Ethernet cable and a "dual-RJ-45-jack adapter". The
port light on the router associated with the radio
connection was off. This morning when I went to
disconnect the cables, I saw the port light on the
router flash momentarily. Junked the dual-RJ-45
adapter and used another one (I had previously tried
a different cable), and I had WinBox access to the
radio! Everything worked except for the LEDs ...<br>
</li>
<li><b>After much more screwing around</b>, I found
out that for version 6.12,<b> the LEDs are not
configured by default</b> !!! Remember, I had
done a "reset-configuration" ...<br>
</li>
</ol>
<p><br>
So, for others that update to v6.12, here are the
relevant lines in the setup:<br>
</p>
<p><b><font color="#3333ff"><tt>/system leds add
type=interface-status interface=ether1-local
leds=user-led</tt><tt><br>
</tt><tt>/system leds add
type=wireless-signal-strength
interface=wlan1-gateway
leds=led1,led2,led3,led4,led5</tt></font></b><br>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra">Now that I know I can configure the
LEDs with other options, I'll try some.<br>
<br>
I have no clue as to why my dBm dropped, and why I now
have my prior values back ...<br>
<br>
-- Dean<br>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br>
<div class="HOEnZb">
<div class="h5"> -----Original Message-----<br>
From: PSDR [mailto:<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:psdr-bounces@hamwan.org">psdr-bounces@hamwan.org</a>]
On Behalf Of Dean Gibson AE7Q<br>
Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2014 1:44 AM<br>
To: Puget Sound Data Ring<br>
Subject: Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Metal 5SHPn firmware
6.12 is current (addendum)<br>
<br>
Well, this did not end well. ... I decided to
reset the configuration (using the command line)
... it appears to have "bricked" the radio.<br>
<br>
It draws about 160ma (about the value from a week
ago, when I first measured it). There is no light
on the side of the unit, and the Ethernet port is
dead.<br>
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