Mailing List os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com Archived Message #4496

From: Jonas Buys <os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com> Full Headers
Undecoded message
Sender: os2-wireless_users-owner <os2-wireless_users-owner@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: OS/2 Wireless Users List: Still Don't Get It.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 11:02:25 EST5EDT4,M4.1,M10.5
To: os2-wireless_users@2rosenthals.com

Hi, Standley, just some short comments, since I really
haven't got a lot of time, and I'll come back to this
soon.

--- Stanley Sidlov <stanleys@cybernex.net> wrote:
>
> I have to say, I don't have this problem in WinXP.

H?h?, XP hides the hardware details from the user.
That why most users having HW troubles on XP can't
resolve them :)

> This is a TP23, newly minted by IBM.
>
> I am using the Latest Dani Drivers with the PCCard
> Support, and I had/have the PCCard Director
> installed (4.22). When I was using the IBM drivers,
> the WiFi could turn off the Card's radio, now, it
> says it did but the card's led keeps blinking. Are
> there any IBM drivers for the PCCard Director that
> should not be used with the DANI drivers? I am using
> the suggested settings in the DANI documentation.
>
> I have a SMC2655W Access Point. The only time that I
can connect to the card is when I set WiFi Stat
> to ADHOC which is NOT the way it is setup. I am
> using a card specific driver which I'm not supposed
> to
> discuss, but I see that the IBM Prism NIF file is
> nearly identical except for the manufacturer's id's
> and using "MIB" for the default SSID.

Nice, let me guess: you're using the NetGear MA-401 or
LinkSys WPC-11 driver, right?
Now, about SSID :  You should change the value of
"MIB" or whatever to the Wireless Network Name of the
Wireless Access Point.  The same thing applies on the
Ad Hoc configuration; all devices in one specific WLAN
MUST have the same SSID name.  It's only tyhe Station
Name that has to differ (sometimes).

> I don't know if on the AP the key is shared or open
> which is configurable in the NIF, it appears to
> work either way, that is I connect to 'something' --
> XP doesn't show any other networks but mine when
> it is connected, at least none that have a visible
> SSID.

Well, it always says connecting to something.  Unless
you can ping the WAP, you are NOT having an
established Wireless LAN!  The best is to put the WAP
and wireless LAN at a distance of at most five meters,
and test everything then.  Once you can ping, then you
should have about 11Mbps.  Also, I've noticed that
WifiState is not so very accurate with this: often you
have to ping the WAP before the 11Mbps is reached,
thus once you ping, then the WLAN is "set up".

> I know what the network SSID is, and in the Wifi
> profile it is configured correctly, but when the
> card
> does connect it never ever shows the SSID, but it
> shows:
>
> Connected to IBSS
> SSID: non-spec @ 2 or sometimes 11 Mbs

Best is to first edit the NIF setting via MPTS until
everything already works and then using WifiState.

> Now, this is sort of strange since it won't connect
> when BSS is the choice, yet, it finds a BSS when
> ADHOC. I have yet to see the Green Bar showing
> signal strength, and the AP is about a foot away
> with
> the attennae horizontal. This gives a 100% signal
> strength in WinXP.

Channels!!  You have 11 channels in US, 13 channels in
EU, and some other number in Japan.  All devices in
the same WLAN must also have the same channel.  This
is a more precise specification of the 2.4GHz band.
XP's drivers might have another default channel than
the default one by the OS/2 driver.  You should verify
that both WAP and PCCard have the same channel.

> Also, DHCP is unable to obtain a lease after
> shutting down Lan0. [Again, Lan0 would be the first
> NIC
> in the MPTS? and LAN1 would be the second. Right?**]
>  I assume that the card would not say "Connected"
> if it was unable to communicate with the AP, but
> again, I expected that it would say the SSID of the
> network in the WiFi profile when it did.  

Consider it some "bug" in WifiState.  Please!  FIRST
configure your WLAN using the REAL tools, thus MPTS
and the NIF file, and then use WifiState!

> The WiFi I have came in a zip WiFi0992.zip The WiFI
> executable is 69709. The one in the IBMPrism
> package is 53869  -- both work the same way and have
> the same problem described above.

That's why I'm thinking it might be a configuration
error (channel SSID, ...).

> I really don't understand some of the
> inconsistencies in the .NIF file.

Well, wait until the PDF about all wireless drivers is
online at os2warp.be/wifi :p

> The default SSID is 'Merry Christmas !'  and if you
> change it to 'ANY' it should locate any SSID, but
> if it does, what is the SSID it will display?  The
> name of the one that it found or 'non-spec' ??

Wow!  You have entered ANY as SSID?  It might work, I
haven't tested that myself, but I would really
recommend to enter the same SSID name as you WAP.

> Here's one that I don't find consistent:
>
> [IRQ]
> Display = "IRQ Number"
> Type = Decimal
> Set = 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15
> Optional = YES
> Editable = YES
> Help= "You can specify an IRQ number to be used with
> this module."
>
> SO HOW do you specify the IRQ? Is it on the driver
> for the PCMCIA card? the NIF? Does this require a
> DEFAULT = statement aka DEFAULT = 10?  I would like
> to change the IRQ it interferes with a Modem card.

You needn't change this setting (IRQ) for NetGear and
LinkSys, it's done automatically.  How?  Well, as I
said, Open MPTS, install driver, click driver in lower
left field, click Edit or somewhat similar...  Then
enter the decimal number in the appropriate field, and
that edits the NIF automatically.
 
> And this one brings up questions, like what MAC does
> it show without a default? Or if you use MAC
> Address as part of your security, do you have to put
> the MAC address in? (I turned this off in the AP
> so that I could try to get this card configured
> without additional problems.)

MAC?  Why do you need that for?  I've tested all those
cards over here  (black ones @
http://www.os2warp.be/index2.php?pageid=2&sub=9) and I
never needed to mess up with that thing...

> Questions, questions. I need some guidance, and
> answers.  

I can only tell you at present to refer to the PDF
that will be online by the end of September.  There's
such a huge amount of things to tell about Wireless
LANs, and I really can't tell that all in one e-mail.
 
Regards, JB/2.
Note: Since English is not my native language, please
do tell if there are any unclarities.  I hope this
short e-mail has helped.

<< www.os2warp.be >>

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