What tool are you using for power?
This is important since you could be seeing data from probe requests
ACKs coming from the AP (as in a site planner tool like airopeek,
Airmagnet, etc) or raw RF data as seen in a Spectrum Analyzer
(oscilloscope, Wi-Spy, or the ones built into all our arrays).
Without any power reporting standards in the existing 802.11 spec,
vendors have leeway in how they respond to probe requests that report
power in ACKs resulting in many unusual reading for some known and some
unknown reasons. None of this breaks the standard.
Personally, I suspect it's your AP's playing tricks with their ACKs
reported power levels. Could be they want STAs to connect to the better
secured SSID - since STAs might have previously connected to the PSK
net, they will want to again if they see a higher power level. The AP
tries to trick them into picking the more secure SSID. It's not likely
you'll get anyone to admit this though - they wouldn't share this with
anyone outside of engineering.
Is there a specific problem you're having as a result of this
observation?
Regards,
Jon
303-808-2666
From: Matt Ashfield [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 5:39 AM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN]
I've been seeing this problem as well. Has anyone found a solution to
it?
We are using Nortel/Trapeze gear. Our WPA/TKIP/802.1x ssid is more
powerful than our WPA-PSK ssid even though theyre coming from the same
radio with the same power setting?!
Any advice is appreciated.
Matt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: Lee H Badman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 12:23 PM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN]
I completely agree on your summation of Windows, and it's flaky bars.
But as Peter (Queensland University) mentions, it becomes more puzzling
when tools like AirMagnet seem to back up the phenomenon.
Lee H. Badman
Wireless/Network Engineer
Information Technology and Services
Syracuse University
315 443-3003
From: Emerson Parker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 10:47 AM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN]
As far as Windows is concerned, it does an average of the signal levels
it sees. The problem is that Windows doesn't scan often enough or long
enough to actually see the beacon and sometimes records a zero
measurement. Multiple readings of zero results in a lower average and
the false impression of widely fluctuating signal levels. .
If not windows, it could be as simple as the AP alternating antennas for
the beacon and the position of the clients can't see the second antenna
as well as the first.
-Emerson
From: Peter Arbouin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 11:59 PM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN]
Hi,
We have also seen this when looking into problem areas using Airmagnet
Laptop analyzer the signal strength from the same ap on different ssids
fluctuates, usually with the open ssid having stronger signal strength.
Not sure why, but we would also be interested to hear if there is a
reason.
Regards,
Peter.
Peter Arbouin
Network Engineer
Network Operations Centre, ITS
Queensland University of Technology
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
PH: (07) 313 81030
From: Lee H Badman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, 2 October 2007 6:16 AM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN]
Just now starting to poke at this- we have an open-auth network and an
802.1x network. In areas where we are more hot-spotty and a client can
only see a single AP, we're getting a fair number of reports that the
802.1x network is weaker in signal out of the same LWAPP Cisco AP than
the open WLAN SSID is.
My first thought is that it's likely in the way that RSSI/bars are
displayed on individual clients, but we're also hearing that the 802.1x
network in these spots was too weak to use, but when jumping over to the
open network, the connection was usable. Has anyone else had to deal
with this perception? Mostly this seems to be a Mac issue, but not
exclusively.
Again- haven't done much real testing, but are hearing it enough where I
wonder if others have seen similar.
Lee H. Badman
Wireless/Network Engineer
Information Technology and Services
Syracuse University
315 443-3003
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