Re: Wireless -- MIDRANGE-L

Bryan,

No tools for troubleshooting that I know of. I'm just a programmer! Iusually hear about it first thing in the morning (around 0600) andsimply reboot the access point and/or disconnect/reconnect the laptop tothe network. Sometimes have to reboot the laptop.

By the time we (IS) hear about the drop, the cause (whatever it was) isusually no more so troubleshooting would, probably, be out of the question.

Like I said, our wireless is on a laptop, not a handheld. The only oddthing I've noticed so far is that we have two [2] such laptops (eachwith its own access point device in the ceiling), and only one seems tohave recurring problems. Personally, I think it's the bats flying inthe "line of sight".

        * Jerry C. Adams
*iSeries Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
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        615.995.7024
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        615.995.1201
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        jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Bryan_Burns@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Jerry,

I hear you on that. I spend a good portion of my time on wireless devicesupport. Do you use any special tools to troubleshooting? I need tofind a better approach to user complaints than the reactive method ofwalking around with a handheld LXE, Symbol or PSC and measuring signal andstrength.What's your WLAN like? We have an 802.11b network with 12 access pointsfiltered by MAC addresses. I'd like to be much more proactive regardingthe WLAN and suggestions for tools?



Bryan Burns
System Operator
ECHO, Incorporated

Please note my new e-mail address:bryan_burns@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Jerry Adams <jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx

02/14/2006 11:56 AM
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Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


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Subject
Re: dummy terminal addresses

The only thing worse than (or at least equal to) twinax is wireless.Our wireless drops in our warehouse if someone sneezes.


                * Jerry C. Adams
*iSeries Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
voice
                615.995.7024
fax
                615.995.1201
email
                jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Mike.Crump@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Sounds like you might have found the source for your problem - not sure

if

the power outage is related in anyway but until you fix that all other
discussions might be moot.  Regarding the controller I was just wondering
about whether it acts like a remote controller or a local controller.  If
it acts like a remote controller the type of IBM controller it emulates

might be important. However, based on your description sounds like it

you

are dealing with a local controller (CTLxx, etc.).
Twinax is definitely risky as far as one problem causing the whole port

to

go wrong.  With the cursor in the upper right you know that the SA is
probably not working.  To help get an understanding of what you have it
would help to know the addresses of each terminal. Although I think

fixing

your one end will go a long way to fixing your problem.  Unfortunately I
haven't dealt with TWX cable for more years than I care to admit....

So, I'd say, get that end fix and see what happens.




midrange-l-bounces+mike.crump=saint-gobain.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on
02/14/2006 11:32:49 AM:

Mike and Mike (yeah, THATS not confusing!),

answers

<snip>
1.) What type of controller are you attached to....<snip>

a 2x4 connection controller wired right into the back of my system,
not sure of what it is called.  It is not a Perle box or anything.
Just a standard hard connection.

<snip>2.) What type of wiring is in use - twinax, twisted pair,
twisted pair with
a hub, etc.  In the twinax world it is possible to have the daisy chain
affect.....twisted pair world less likely.<snip>

Twinax

<snip>3.) With the terminals how are they acting?  I'm not that familiar

with

3197's but you need to look for a System Availability (SA) indicator and
also make sure you know where the cursor is (upper right, or upper
left).<snip>

not sure if SA indicator is on (bottom left on the operating status
line is where it is supposed to be *see below).  cursor is upper right.

<snip>The controller will use a hex addressing scheme that will
correspond to a
port number and a address number.  Starting with 00 (port 0, address 0)

and

moving down the port...01, 02, 03, 04, etc.<snip>

One of my first actions was to try to check the terminals to make
sure they did not lose their addresses when the power blipped.   I
can view on the system how the defined devices are addressed.  My
problem is that i have 15 defined, only 4 machines.  I cannot tell
by looking at the terminal itself which port it is defined for.

<snip>It is possible that you have a problem with the port

itself.....rare but

I've had them get zapped on occasion.<snip>

If daisy chained and the port for the first machine is bad, that
would make the rest go down?  how do i test a port?

<snip>Sounds like the workstation controller may need re-setting.
Do a WRKCFGSTS *CTL CTL*
(assumes standard naming convention !) & see if any need
Vary-off then Vary-on..<snip>

have done this several times, nothing.

i just got back from the warehouse, i was going down to fiddle with
the tester i have.  I started at the point where the wires first
come out of the wall to the first Workstation(the one they removed).
Im assuming that green is good, but i did not get a green light from
the cable marked inbound (or outbound, just to say i tested that
too).  Do i need to have both ends of the tester connected?  i have
no idea what it is testing... a connection to the 400?  or just a
complete circuit tester?  tester does nothing at all on setting 1 or
2, but i got 2 amber lights on all tests on setting 0.

As i was pulling the tester off, i noticed that one of the two pins
was pushed in on the line marked inbound.  removing the screw casing
revealed the pins soldering had worn and they fell to the ground.
Problem is, im not sure if i did this while testing??? ugh, so im
going to repair the connector.