Good Afternoon Everyone,
I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem I've been struggling with for a few weeks now. I have an AREDN node at my home in Corona, California and another at a repeater site nearby (Sierra Peak). Both are aligned to the KE6BXT 5 GHz Northeast node on Plesants Peak. The node at my home had good connectivity until a few weeks ago. The Sierra Peak node is new hardware, although I had a Ubiquiti Nanostation there previously that just was not cutting it. I've since replaced that with a Ubiquiti Powerbeam. The distance between nodes is 7.93 miles and 4.04 miles respectively.
Here's my issue. A few weeks ago, the node at my home stopped connecting to the site on Plesants Peak. I assumed a palm frond from a nearby palm tree had just overgrown and gotten in the way again. That happens about every three months or so. However, since trimming the overgrown palm and re-aligning the antenna, I have no connectivity. I show good signal-to-noise ratio (29), see a good data speed at 27.4 MBPS, and an error rate of only 7%. But, there is no link quality measurement and no connectivity. Screenshots attached...
For my node at Sierra Peak, also aimed at the same node on Plesants Peak, I have practically an identical issue. I show good signal-to-noise ratio (27), see a good data speed at 31.1 MBPS, and an error rate of zero. But, I show zero link quality, and neighbor link quality of 66%, and again have no connectivity. Again, screenshots are attached.
Does anyone here have any idea what might be going on? I'm stumped! And unfortunately, the site on Plesants is really my only RF path into AREDN from my home.
Thank you in advance all,
Tom, KI6GOA
I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem I've been struggling with for a few weeks now. I have an AREDN node at my home in Corona, California and another at a repeater site nearby (Sierra Peak). Both are aligned to the KE6BXT 5 GHz Northeast node on Plesants Peak. The node at my home had good connectivity until a few weeks ago. The Sierra Peak node is new hardware, although I had a Ubiquiti Nanostation there previously that just was not cutting it. I've since replaced that with a Ubiquiti Powerbeam. The distance between nodes is 7.93 miles and 4.04 miles respectively.
Here's my issue. A few weeks ago, the node at my home stopped connecting to the site on Plesants Peak. I assumed a palm frond from a nearby palm tree had just overgrown and gotten in the way again. That happens about every three months or so. However, since trimming the overgrown palm and re-aligning the antenna, I have no connectivity. I show good signal-to-noise ratio (29), see a good data speed at 27.4 MBPS, and an error rate of only 7%. But, there is no link quality measurement and no connectivity. Screenshots attached...
For my node at Sierra Peak, also aimed at the same node on Plesants Peak, I have practically an identical issue. I show good signal-to-noise ratio (27), see a good data speed at 31.1 MBPS, and an error rate of zero. But, I show zero link quality, and neighbor link quality of 66%, and again have no connectivity. Again, screenshots are attached.
Does anyone here have any idea what might be going on? I'm stumped! And unfortunately, the site on Plesants is really my only RF path into AREDN from my home.
Thank you in advance all,
Tom, KI6GOA
File Attachment:
KE6BXT does not hear KI6GOA or your signal is below KE6BXT's minimum threshhold.
This does not appear to be a point-to-point (p2p) link.
This appears to be a point-to-multi-point link at KE6BXT(NORTHEAST).
Perhaps if KE6BXT was configured as a PtMP and both of your nodes and
K9LMR were configured at 'Mesh Station', this might work better.
73, Chuck
The "Mesh Station" option in "Radio & Antennas" settings changes my SSID and I'm no longer seen by KE6BXT-PLEASANTSPK-M5R-NE.
Is this your experience Tom?
Over the last couple of months I have had two other radios, first a mobile Rocket and then a portable PowerBeam, connected to Pleasants after updating them to v3.25.1. Each was just idling on channel, not carrying any significant traffic. Perhaps their presence impacted Tom's link? Both have been shut off for 5-7 days.
If/when KE6BXT-PLEASANTSPK-M5R-NE configures as Point-Multi Point, I'll gladly reconfigure accordingly.
K9LMR
davestuff@instanet.com
Tom
After a few minutes, I changed "Radio purpose" from "Mesh Station" back to "Mesh" in the "Radio & Antennas" settings. My SSID defaulted to "AREDN-10-v3" and a minute later I was back on-line.
First, my apologies for the delay in my reply. I changed jobs recently and now I'm commuting between Corona and Downtown LA daily. So, my weekdays get a little limited for hobby time. I saw both of your posts today, came home, and started playing with the Radio Purpose settings on both nodes. Both were already configured in the "Mesh" mode. In addition, I tried the PtMP and Mesh Station modes and the result was the same as Dave's (complete loss of signal).
In mesh node, as they were previously configured and I've reverted them back to, my result was the same as what Dave mentioned happened with his recently with the firmware update. Each just appears to be idling on channel, not carrying any real traffic
Anyone else have any other thoughts or suggestions?
Tom
KE6BXT-PLEASANTSPK-M5R-NE showed '-' under neighbor snr and
5% under neighbor quality.
From what I can see, I see 4 nodes using 'mesh topology' and
likely with 3 hidden nodes and 1 exposed node.
This will not work well.
KE6BXT-PLEASANTSPK-M5R-NE cannot hear you well enough.
This cannot be fixed by a configuration change.
This needs a physical change at your end.
I am not familiar with your area geography,
Are each of your 2 stations in the intended coverage area of KE6BXT-PLEASANTSPK-M5R-NE antenna?
73, Chuck
I looked at your PDFs and am wondering if you have set location in each of your nodes.
One image indicated 64.9 miles and another 56.2 miles.
If true, this might be one of your problems.
73, Chuck
My home is probably about 6-8 miles from the Pleasants Peak site as the crow flies, and probably 3-5 miles from the Sierra Peak node. I just looked at the PDF you referenced and I think that was the ETX figure.
I could understand my home having some occasional issues, as there are palm trees nearby that tend to sway in the wind. However, I've never had an issue where I couldn't connect from my home at all. And the issue at my Sierra node makes absolutely no sense to me, as that dish is on top of a 40' tower, and you'd have to be blind not to see Pleasants from there.
I'm stumped!
Sierra is linked back to my QTH via a tunnel connection over an AirOS link between the two.
Ensure that the location (longitude and latitude) of both ends of the links are accurate.
However, the apparent issue is that KE6BXT does not hear either of your 2 nodes.
I see 5% and 0% neighbor link quality at KE6BXT to your nodes.
Does KE6BXT hiltop antenna have downtilt (physical and/or electrical?).
Does your uplink end have/need any uptilt?
I like https://heywhatsthat.com/profiler.html
I would need the lat/long of the 3 nodes and antenna elevation a.g.l.
to check the path.
73, Chuck
I am not understanding the 'p2p' in your node names.
If KE6BXT is running the default ad hoc settings, then
the network is now 'mesh topology'.
ki6goa-corona-p2p-pleasantspk, and ki6goa-sierrapk-p2p-plesantspk
make up one network using 'mesh topology', not P2P topology.
k9lmr-riverside-pleasantspeak, ki6goa-corona-p2p-pleasantspk, and ki6goa-sierrapk-p2p-plesantspk
are likely hidden nodes.
KE6BXT-PleasantsPk-M5R-NE is likely an exposed node.
If a node thinks the channel is busy it does not transmit.
If a node thinks the channel is clear, it may transmit.
Since the 3 uplink nodes cannot hear each other, they might transmit anytime KE6BXT is not.
Collisions are likely.
KE6BXT will not transmit anytime the 3 uplink nodes are transmitting.
KE6BXT may have heard any/all of the 3 uplink nodes transmissions and
is simply waiting for the channel to clear to send acknowledgements.
The 3 uplink nodes hear nothing from KE6BXT
while either of the other two are transmitting, then
thinking their data was not heard, do a retransmission.
Often KE6BXT is likely hearing collisions.
A fix for this is in the new firmware, but PtMP must be configured in all 4 nodes.
This feature in not new to 802.11, it is just new to AREDN firmware.
I hope this helps,
Chuck
Is your "ki6goa-sierrapk-pnl-ne" radio also on Channel 170?
David