TP-Link G and N Performance

[pmerrill]

I was looking at the differences in performance between G and N (20Mhz) today from a G laptop. I was video streaming www.abc.net.au iView. If I set the router to B+G, channel 6 and watched iView, it had smooth playback. If I then switched the router to B+G+N (20Mhz) on channel 6 (the only change), the playback was very jerky, starting and stopping about every 2-3 seconds. This is even though the laptop I was using only has a 54G connection.

There was no other activity on the router at the time.

Any ideas? Any setting change that would make a difference?

[pmerrill]

Another point. For my wireless n devices that I do have, the maximum speed that I can connect at for my two wireless n devices is 65 Mbits, which, for the 1043nd, seems a little low.

On reading more about wireless N on wikipedia, it possibly appears that Gargoyle/OpenWRT has only configured one antenna for transmit and receive, thus limiting the connection to a max of 65 MBits.

How does one check when antenna configuration that Gargoyle is using from putty?

I'm hoping for my 1043nd and wireless n at 20 MHz, I should at least be able to get 130 MBits? However, if I have 54G devices and n, perhaps it will only connect at 65 MBits max?

[mix]

You might try playing with iw:

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/iw

[pmerrill]

You might try playing with iw:

http://linuxwireless.org/en/users/Documentation/iw

Did iw list, here's the output

root@Gargoyle:~# iw list
Wiphy phy0
Band 1:
Capabilities: 0x104e
HT20/HT40
SM Power Save disabled
RX HT40 SGI
No RX STBC
Max AMSDU length: 3839 bytes
DSSS/CCK HT40
Maximum RX AMPDU length 65535 bytes (exponent: 0x003)
Minimum RX AMPDU time spacing: 8 usec (0x06)
HT TX/RX MCS rate indexes supported: 0-15
Frequencies:
* 2412 MHz [1] (27.0 dBm)
* 2417 MHz [2] (27.0 dBm)
* 2422 MHz [3] (27.0 dBm)
* 2427 MHz [4] (27.0 dBm)
* 2432 MHz [5] (27.0 dBm)
* 2437 MHz [6] (27.0 dBm)
* 2442 MHz [7] (27.0 dBm)
* 2447 MHz [8] (27.0 dBm)
* 2452 MHz [9] (27.0 dBm)
* 2457 MHz [10] (27.0 dBm)
* 2462 MHz [11] (27.0 dBm)
* 2467 MHz [12] (disabled)
* 2472 MHz [13] (disabled)
* 2484 MHz [14] (disabled)
Bitrates (non-HT):
* 1.0 Mbps
* 2.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
* 5.5 Mbps (short preamble supported)
* 11.0 Mbps (short preamble supported)
* 6.0 Mbps
* 9.0 Mbps
* 12.0 Mbps
* 18.0 Mbps
* 24.0 Mbps
* 36.0 Mbps
* 48.0 Mbps
* 54.0 Mbps
max # scan SSIDs: 4
max scan IEs length: 2257 bytes
Coverage class: 0 (up to 0m)
Available Antennas: TX 0x7 RX 0x7
Configured Antennas: TX 0x7 RX 0x7
Supported interface modes:
* IBSS
* managed
* AP
* AP/VLAN
* WDS
* monitor
* P2P-client
* P2P-GO
Supported commands:
* new_interface
* set_interface
* new_key
* new_beacon
* new_station
* set_bss
* authenticate
* associate
* deauthenticate
* disassociate
* join_ibss
* remain_on_channel
* set_tx_bitrate_mask
* action
* frame_wait_cancel
* set_wiphy_netns
* set_channel
* set_wds_peer
* Unknown command (82)
* Unknown command (81)
* Unknown command (84)
* Unknown command (87)
* Unknown command (85)
* connect
* disconnect
Supported TX frame types:
* IBSS: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* managed: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* AP: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* AP/VLAN: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* mesh point: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* P2P-client: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
* P2P-GO: 0x0000 0x0010 0x0020 0x0030 0x0040 0x0050 0x0060 0x0070 0x0080 0x0090 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0 0x00e0 0x00f0
Supported RX frame types:
* IBSS: 0x00d0
* managed: 0x0040 0x00d0
* AP: 0x0000 0x0020 0x0040 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0
* AP/VLAN: 0x0000 0x0020 0x0040 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0
* mesh point: 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0
* P2P-client: 0x0040 0x00d0
* P2P-GO: 0x0000 0x0020 0x0040 0x00a0 0x00b0 0x00c0 0x00d0
root@Gargoyle:~#

Don't see any 65 MBits, looks like it's only G mode but not sure what all this output indicates.

Any suggested iw commands I should run?

[pbix]

Questions about wireless drivers and performance are best posted at OpenWRT.org IMHO. While individuals who frequent this forum might have some insights the Gargoyle developers here do not mess with these drivers typically and I don't know that much about them.

[pmerrill]

Many thanks, will do so.

I must say that the Gargoyle interface is excellent and the logging and control top notch. Keep up the good work guys!

[pmerrill]

One final question. Does anyone in the Gargoyle community have a laptop connecting to their router at speeds greater than 150 Mbps? I have a desktop with two antennas that connects at 150 but my n class laptops all connect at 130 and I've never seen more than 150.

So, anyone have greater than 150?

[DoesItMatter]

Yes and No

I don't have a laptop but a desktop with Wireless USB adapters

I have 3 different ones:

Airlink 101 Dual band Wireless N adapter - AWLL7025

Asus USB-N13 Wireless USB Adapter - USB-N13

ENCORE ENUWI-N 802.11n Wireless Adapter - ENUWI-N

Test router - Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH

All 3 can connect higher than 150mbps

They usually connect in the 200mbps-ish range

Reported connection speeds are usually 270mbps or 300mbps

It's all about the drivers and configuring the wireless drivers properly

[pmerrill]

One thing I did find out... All of my laptops have Atheros chipsets that only support 1 stream, single band, so that means 150 Mbps. Specifically, the chip ends with 1ND whereas it needs to end with 2ND to allow 300 Mbps. Problem solved. So when looking for a laptop you need to check if it's wireless n 150 or wireless n 300 in your laptop!!!

Probably everyone else knew this, but I didn't.

Check out
http://www.atheros.com/computing/technology.php?nav1=26

You need a AR9002WB-2NG which is referenced http://www.atheros.com/computing/techno … product=76