misc/121394: FreeBSD access point (ath0) fails 100% of the time (WPA2)

[Hugo Saro]

>Number:         121394
>Category:       misc
>Synopsis:       FreeBSD access point (ath0) fails 100% of the time (WPA2)
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       high
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Wed Mar 05 15:30:00 UTC 2008
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Hugo Saro
>Release:        FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE amd64
>Organization:
>Environment:
FreeBSD zaurak.bsdlan.org 7.0-RELEASE FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE #5: Mon Mar  3 14:26:28 WET 2008     klr at zaurak.bsdlan.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/ZAURAK  amd64

>Description:
My FreeBSD access point will always eventually fail with the following messages:

Mar  5 15:07:48 zaurak kernel: re0: discard frame w/o packet header
Mar  5 15:10:42 zaurak last message repeated 2 times
Mar  5 15:12:31 zaurak kernel: ath0: discard frame w/o packet header
Mar  5 15:13:40 zaurak kernel: re0: discard frame w/o packet header
Mar  5 15:13:56 zaurak kernel: re0: discard frame w/o packet header
Mar  5 15:14:40 zaurak kernel: ath0: stuck beacon; resetting (bmiss count 4)
Mar  5 15:14:40 zaurak kernel: ath0: ath_reset: unable to reset hardware; hal status 0
Mar  5 15:15:31 zaurak kernel: ath0: stuck beacon; resetting (bmiss count 4)
Mar  5 15:15:31 zaurak kernel: ath0: ath_reset: unable to reset hardware; hal status 0
Mar  5 15:15:58 zaurak kernel: re0: discard frame w/o packet header


(ath0 is the access point, re0 is the LAN link)

Bringing the interface up/down a few times will solve the problem for awhile, but eventually the only solution (if I want more than 20 minutes or so of connectivity) is rebooting the access point.

It will then work well for another two days or so.



I have been having this problem since *at least* 7.0-BETA2. (I used the same wireless card as an Ap on a previous computer, running 6.1-STABLE but without WPA2, I don't remember seeing this issue back then.. but that was long ago :-))



I am connecting to the wireless network via a 2200BG intel card:
iwi0 at pci0:2:4:0:        class=0x028000 card=0x27018086 chip=0x42208086 rev=0x05 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'MPCI3B  driverIntel PRO/Wireless 2200BG'
    class      = network


The access point is:
ath0 at pci0:5:1:0:        class=0x020000 card=0x5a001385 chip=0x0013168c rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Atheros Communications Inc.'
    device     = 'AR5212, AR5213 802.11a/b/g Wireless Adapter'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
>How-To-Repeat:
Connect to the wireless network, eventually the problem manifests itself.
>Fix:


>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: