Web interface
The throughput test can be performed with the "Performance Tests" tool built into the web interface, in the section "Device status" → "Link statistics for the rf5.0 interface". This tool generates test traffic between the devices and it allows to obtain data about the real link throughput both in one direction and in a two-way manner. The throughput evaluation is performed using traffic with the specified priority without taking into account the service traffic required to maintain the link operational. To exclude the influence of the data traffic on the test's result, it is recommended to set the highest priority for the test traffic (at least 15). When the MINT testing mode is enabled (the "use MINT" checkbox), performance tests are always performed on the highest modulation, otherwise testing will be performed on each modulation available. The detailed description of the parameters and the performance test settings are available in the "Device Status menu" article.
Command line interface
When using the command line interface to manage the device, it is possible to test the radio link via the "ltest" command.
Web interface
To evaluate the quality of the wireless connection with the neighboring device, use the color indication in the "Status" column of the "Link statistics on rf5.0" subsection:
The following symbols indicate problems:
At the wireless connection uptime column:
F - the local device has a newer software version than the remote device.
E - the Ethernet port of the remote device is flapping.
Make sure the "TX Power" and "Bitrate" parameters match with the values of the planning phase. In the "Link statistics on rf5.0" of the "Device status" section, pay attention to the wireless connection parameters. The main parameters are the retries number and the bitrate. It is not recommended to use the link with a retries number exceeding 5%. The actual bitrate (modulation level) depends on the SNR parameter - the signal-to-noise ratio. The highest modulations are available at SNR values of 27-50 dB.
For detailed description of the link parameters proceed to the "Device Status menu" article.
Command line interface
To display information about the wireless link status via the command line interface, use the "mint rf5.0 map detail" command.
Pay attention to the indicators in the "Options" column. The following values are possible:
A question mark in front of the remote's device name indicates that it has no password.
Pay attention to the "*" symbol, which can represent the following:
Web interface
In case of a high retries level, use the built-in statistics tools. The "General statistics" section contains information about media loading, queue overflow, etc..
Pay attention to the following indicators:
Command line interface
To display statistics via the command line interface, use the ""rfconfig stat" command.
Web interface
The "QoS statistics" section provides information about the transmitted and dropped packets in each priority queue configured on the device. Drops present in the traffic processing queues indicate that the throughput threshold has been exceeded. Losses in queue q00 (P16) are acceptable because this queue contains performance test data.
Command line interface
To display statistic via the command line interface, use the "rfconfig rf5.0 stat qos" command. The number of dropped packets for each configured queue can be displayed by the "qm stat" command.
If the link has deteriorated during operation, having the initial parameters corresponding to the calculated ones, it is necessary to find out when the problem has begun. Use the "Statistics graphs" tool to determine when or how often the problem occurs by changing the display options.
Pay attention to the CPU and memory usage indicators in the "Device status" section. Excessive processes running on a device can overflow the volatile memory and overload the CPU (over 95% usage), leading to a deterioration in the wireless link's quality. The CPU load can be displayed using the "system cpu" command, and information about the device memory state can be shown using the "mem" command.
Disruptions in the wireless link may be caused by the device reboot. In the "Maintenance" section or in the "system uptime" command output pay attention to the last device reboot reason. The following values are possible:
Proceed to the System Log tool in the "Device status" section or by using the "system log" command. Using the log entries, check if the link degradation was caused by a configuration change ("system reconfiguration" message). Restore the previous version of the configuration if necessary. Detailed information about saving and uploading the configuration is available in the "General Purpose Command Set" article.
Pay attention to the following messages:
|
Frequent changes in the status of the Ethernet interface ("Up" and "Down") may indicate problems with the Ethernet interface, the cable connected to it, with the power supply, or with the switch.
Web interface
The link degradation can be caused by misalignment or the obstacles appearance in the signal propagation path. Use the built-in "Antenna Alignment Tool". Recommended parameters are in the table below. If the parameters differ significantly from the calculated ones, check the alignment accuracy of the devices on both link sides.
|
If the RSSI parameter value remains high while the CINR value is lowered, it may indicate high interference level near one of the devices. Both RSSI and CINR parameters deterioration can indicate the device misalignment. A detailed description of the "Antenna Alignment" tool is available in the "Device status menu" article.
Command line interface
When using the command line to manage the device, fine antenna alignment can be performed by the "ltest rf5.0 MAC ADDRESS -align" command. The command output will show the average CINR for the local and remote devices.
Web interface
To assess the radio environment state proceed to the "Radio Scanner" tool. The tool has the following purposes:
Use the "Spectrum Analyzer" tool to select a frequency free from interference or use the automatic frequency selection mechanisms. For more information about the dynamic frequency selection algorithms proceed to the "Dynamic Frequency Selection" article.
Command line interface
Detailed information about the radio environment state is available via the "muffer" command. Thus "muffer rf5.0 scan" command allows to perform intension radio environment analysis for the presence of radio signal sources at all available frequencies.
The "muffer rf5.0 scan" command can take a long time and disrupt the normal radio module operation. |