# Can't scan AP with ral0 (ralink RT2561)



## krnlpk (Sep 9, 2010)

I've been trying in configuring FreeBSD 8-release as in handbook, but after creating wlan0, when I try to scan APs with

`ifconfig wlan0 up scan`

it just stalls without doing anything. Dmesg doesn't report any useful information.
What can I do? Maybe i've forgotten loading a module?


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## davidgurvich (Sep 9, 2010)

Have you tried the man page for ifconfig?  The syntax might be illuminating.
	
	



```
ifconfig wlan0 list scan
```


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## krnlpk (Sep 9, 2010)

it just doesn't return anything, despite being the antenna just 30 cm from the router (temporarily)


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## davidgurvich (Sep 9, 2010)

Post your /etc/rc.conf, /boot/loader.conf, uname -a.  Also, how are you trying to associate?  Do you create the wlan interface, associate with an access point, then attempt to get an ip address using dhclient?


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## krnlpk (Sep 9, 2010)

rc.conf:

```
# -- sysinstall generated deltas -- # Wed Sep  8 21:59:58 2010
# Created: Wed Sep  8 21:59:58 2010
# Enable network daemons for user convenience.
# Please make all changes to this file, not to /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
# This file now contains just the overrides from /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
defaultrouter="192.168.1.1"
font8x14="iso-8x14"
font8x16="iso-8x16"
font8x8="iso-8x8"
hostname="FreeBSD.kan.col"
ifconfig_ral0="inet 192.168.1.117  netmask 255.255.255.0"
ifconfig_rl0="inet 192.168.1.121  netmask 255.255.255.0"
keymap="it.iso"
moused_enable="NO"
moused_type="NO"
nfs_server_enable="YES"
ntpdate_enable="YES"
ntpdate_flags="it.pool.ntp.org"
rpcbind_enable="YES"
saver="blank"
scrnmap="NO"
sshd_enable="YES"
fusefs_enable="YES"
```
uname -a

```
FreeBSD FreeBSD.kan.col 8.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 8.1-RELEASE #0: Mon Jul 19 02:36:49 UTC 2010     [email]root@mason.cse.buffalo.edu[/email]:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  amd64
```

my loader.conf is empty, because I boot using grub2.
if_ral, wlan_tkip,wlan_ccmp and wlan_wep are loaded, but nothing happens.

(I've plugged a USB HDD and a storm of interrupt appeared in my dmesg (and on ttyv0), message is printed more times per second and says `interrupt storm detected on "irq23:"; throttling interrupt source`

my vmstat -i is 

```
root src $ vmstat -i
interrupt                          total       rate
irq1: atkbd0                        6694          0
irq14: ata0                          139          0
irq19: ohci0 ohci1+                 2993          0
irq21: rl0 acpi0                  106590          8
irq22: fwohci0+                   197942         15
irq23: ral0 atapci0            479430755      38180
cpu0: timer                     25111983       1999
cpu1: timer                     25111943       1999
Total                          529969039      42205
```
I can't understand why ral0 is also under irq23 section.


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## expl (Sep 9, 2010)

Your rc.conf is messed up.

First of all you no longer should work directly with ral0 interface (not going to explain why). First create wlan0 over ral0:


```
wlans_ral0="wlan0"
```

and remove any "ifconfig_ral0" entries.

Reboot or type `# /etc/rc.d/netif restart`
Now you can work with the wlan0 interface via ifconfig.


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## krnlpk (Sep 10, 2010)

expl said:
			
		

> Your rc.conf is messed up.
> 
> First of all you no longer should work directly with ral0 interface (not going to explain why). First create wlan0 over ral0:
> 
> ...


I removed anything with "ral0" in its name, I added "wlans_ral0="wlan0" " in rc.conf, but nothing, it still can't scan. I don't now what to do...


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## krnlpk (Sep 10, 2010)

After changing my router channel from 13 to 10, it started to list my ssid. 
I tried to authenticate and use wireless successfully (as I've already done on OpenBSD).
But, when I try to move my router in another room, quite far from BSD computer, it starts to lose signal completely. Any tentative to rescan for networks led to no way. Linux with RT2x00 driver can find the network (with a low -81 dBm strength). It seems that BSD ral driver is quite less performing that Linux one. Can I do anything except moving computer closer to the AP?


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