Re: kern/44060: iwn wireless works for awhile, then fails

[Donald Allen <donaldcallen%gmail.com@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR kern/44060; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Donald Allen <donaldcallen%gmail.com@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: kern/44060: iwn wireless works for awhile, then fails
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 09:38:25 -0500

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 Update 2: It took a lot longer today, but I have again experienced this
 failure. Wireless was working normally and then suddenly, network
 connectivity goes away. I was using the laptop in my customary spot
 approximately 80' from the base station (SMC, pretty new, does b, g, and n)
 which should not be a problem and never is with Linux running (I should
 mention that before I got fed up with the behavior of the developers, I ran
 OpenBSD on this machine and had no wireless problems with it either; I
 mention this because the NetBSD and OpenBSD drivers have common ancestry).
 Today, when this happened, I picked up the machine and went into my office,
 where the base station lives. Sitting just a few feet from the base station,
 connectivity was re-established briefly and then went away again. Just to be
 sure I am not having a wireless equipment issue, I checked my wife's laptop
 (Thinkpad R500, Windows 7) and it is talking to the network wirelessly
 without problems.
 
 I'm a retired software developer/manager and have done a lot of OS work,
 including Unix (Mach) but not in many years. I know C well and am good at
 debugging (after doing this for 46 years, if I weren't, there would be a
 problem). I'm willing to take a crack at debugging this, which I assume
 would involve getting a kernel debugger into the act. I'm new to NetBSD, so
 I don't know the details, and I don't know this driver. I could probably
 understand the driver by reading the code, but it might make more sense to
 form a team involving me, someone else, and a telephone. The someone else
 should be a person who knows the driver and kernel debugging. I can supply
 the fingers and the ability to reproduce the problem. I will wait for some
 feedback from someone knowledgeable before attempting to proceed myself. In
 the meantime, I'll continue using the system with a PCMCIA wireless card
 (Atheros), to temporarily remove the iwn hardware from the picture.
 
 On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 7:33 AM, Donald Allen 
<donaldcallen%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:
 
 > Update: Under the same circumstances as I observed repeated failures
 > yesterday, today the iwn wireless is working normally. I will continue to
 > test this to try to understand what provokes the problem, if anything.
 > Meanwhile, I would suggest that you (the kernel developers) do not devote
 > time and energy to this until I see it again and can reproduce it.
 >
 
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 Update 2: It took a lot longer today, but I have again experienced this fai=
 lure. Wireless was working normally and then suddenly, network connectivity=
  goes away. I was using the laptop in my customary spot approximately 80&#3=
 9; from the base station (SMC, pretty new, does b, g, and n) which should n=
 ot be a problem and never is with Linux running (I should mention that befo=
 re I got fed up with the behavior of the developers, I ran OpenBSD on this =
 machine and had no wireless problems with it either; I mention this because=
  the NetBSD and OpenBSD drivers have common ancestry). Today, when this hap=
 pened, I picked up the machine and went into my office, where the base stat=
 ion lives. Sitting just a few feet from the base station, connectivity was =
 re-established briefly and then went away again. Just to be sure I am not h=
 aving a wireless equipment issue, I checked my wife&#39;s laptop (Thinkpad =
 R500, Windows 7) and it is talking to the network wirelessly without proble=
 ms.<br>
 <br>I&#39;m a retired software developer/manager and have done a lot of OS =
 work, including Unix (Mach) but not in many years. I know C well and am goo=
 d at debugging (after doing this for 46 years, if I weren&#39;t, there woul=
 d be a problem). I&#39;m willing to take a crack at debugging this, which I=
  assume would involve getting a kernel debugger into the act. I&#39;m new t=
 o NetBSD, so I don&#39;t know the details, and I don&#39;t know this driver=
 . I could probably understand the driver by reading the code, but it might =
 make more sense to form a team involving me, someone else, and a telephone.=
  The someone else should be a person who knows the driver and kernel debugg=
 ing. I can supply the fingers and the ability to reproduce the problem. I w=
 ill wait for some feedback from someone knowledgeable before attempting to =
 proceed myself. In the meantime, I&#39;ll continue using the system with a =
 PCMCIA wireless card (Atheros), to temporarily remove the iwn hardware from=
  the picture.<br>
 <br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 8, 2010 at 7:33 AM, Donald Allen=
  <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a 
href=3D"mailto:donaldcallen%gmail.com@localhost";>donaldcall=
 en%gmail.com@localhost</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote 
class=3D"gmail_quote" sty=
 le=3D"margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);=
  padding-left: 1ex;">
 Update: Under the same circumstances as I observed repeated failures yester=
 day, today the iwn wireless is working normally. I will continue to test th=
 is to try to understand what provokes the problem, if anything. Meanwhile, =
 I would suggest that you (the kernel developers) do not devote time and ene=
 rgy to this until I see it again and can reproduce it.<br>
 
 </blockquote></div><br>
 
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