New topic heading - Jeff Liebermann had posted on this subject in another thread:
Thanks, Jeff, for the post. Just a couple of comments > "Skip - Working on the boat" hath wroth:
I'll try googling for a good report. With any luck it will show up in something like this and I can actually get to talk with someone about how they succeeded. I'm hopeful of getting a cogent (well, technically, *any* response would be somewhat surprising) reply to a very complete RFH from Senao corporate tech support.
I don't have a clue (perhaps you could help?) about how to further separate. Just as a basis (removed during the ethernet portions of the test), I have a Hawking USB antenna. I'ts what makes this post possible. It also (with its configuration utility) tells me the SSID, Mac and strengths of all the visible SSIDs. At least fair for seeing what to expect from the Senao gear.
With the internal wifi card disabled, and the Hawking unplugged, I set about solely to make (one of the) units perform as a bridge. Perhaps it's a matter my expectations. As already specified elsewhere, I am clueless about networking minutiae. However, what I expected was to be able to find an AP and communicate with it, through an antenna attached to one of these units configured as a bridge, in much the same fashion as I do with my internal wifi antenna (disabled for all but the most infrequent appearances outside either my home or boat) or my USB antenna. So, if that's the problem, you're quite right, I need to start over. "Over" in the most basic sense, too, as, if I can't do it as above, I clearly don't have any clue about what hardware is required to get me communicating with a remote AP...
Onward to separation and defeat (so far, any way):
1) The ethernet portion of my testing setup seems to work just fine, as demonstrated by my ability to configure the card when connected (more below). I can reliably configure it to DHCP or specify IP and subnets, along with extras in the advanced section, in the event I wanted to use it to directly talk to more than one piece of gear, each with its own IP and subnet set. I *am* rather irritated by Windoze' inability to toggle between DHCP and specific settings, requiring manual entry each time I leave the DHCP. So, link 1 works. As a subset, it behaves in the same fashion whether I use the supplied 6' crossover, or the 4" pigtail (the better to use when two are in a small box) I made up. So, links 1a and 1b work. 2) The power supply appears to work. That is, it powers the unit and I can reach/configure the unit once it's powered. So, link 2 works. 3) The antenna (the one I expect to use with the bridge) (and the pigtail connector) appears to work. That's because it sees the same APs, in the same power range, as the Hawking does. Because I have been unable to make the unit work, I've not bothered to attempt verifying the other antenna. If I ever succeed with the bridge configuration, I'll check out the duck. Link 3a works; 3b, with its different pigtail (different antenna end) is left untouched for the moment. 4) The unit itself is a very mixed bag. There are 3 lights and a reset button.The antenna light rarely comes on, though, over the more than 12 months that I've been valiantly (foolishly is more likely) attempting to make this system work, it has, in the past, come on. Removing and reinserting the antenna doesn't change that result. In the times when it works to that level, it sees the same SSID as my Hawking does, so the connection point and coax pigtail of the antenna work. 4a is flaky.
The power light comes on when attached to the wall wart by the provided plug. It also goes off when the manual reset button is pushed. 4b seems to work.
Pushing the manual reset returns the card to factory defaults. 4c seems to work.
The ethernet light comes on when there's a cable inserted (note that it doesn't mean anything about connectivity - just that there's something in the hole), and off when removed. I can also configure the unit when the ethernet cord or pigtail is inserted and the unit returned to factory default. 4d seems to work.
So, there's the mechanical report on the unit. Both (I have two, supposedly to make an AP/Bridge pair) behave in the same fashion mechanically.
5) The performance report you probably saw as a part of the "up the mast" thread. Without repeating it here, I sequenced through each of the available options (select one of two possibilities), starting with factory default, attempting to communicate at each point. Various failures resulted. Both of these units is supposedly able to perform as either a bridge or AP. However, I've been testing them only in the bridge mode. Until I have a working bridge, there's no point in trying to make it communicate through an AP unit.Regardless of the result of the many different configuration option selections, and the various different information returns (see SSID, don't see SSID, associate SSID, don't associate SSID, release IP, don't renew, etc.), and regardless of the configuration of the NIC, I have not succeeded in passing/retrieving data to/from the net. That's in any case, but in particular when (in the times when it *will* associate) associated with the SSID I'm using right now, therefore confirmed open and available. So, 5 is a failure.
Given that I have not been able to make this perform as a bridge, I've not gone beyond that point for quite a while. If I could ever make the bridge work (neither unit works as a bridge, both have current firmware flashes), I could go on to attempting to make the setup (the same as provided me by my vendor) Mr. Navas has asserted will work perform, whether the two units were piggybacked or separated by lots of ethernet cable and a 60+ foot metal column (sorry, I know you sail - I'm just frustrated).
So, how may I further divide and experiment? At this point I have no illusions about the conquering part. The stubborn side of me wants to know WTF is going on.
L8R
Skip
Morgan 461 #2 SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
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