setting channel in ad-hoc and managed

[Martijn van Oosterhout]

On Sat, Feb 02, 2002 at 10:14:56AM +0100, Giulio Orsero wrote:
> ====== wvlan_cs.c:
> 
> // Set frequency/channel
>                 case SIOCSIWFREQ:
> ...
> ...
>   if (((local->port_type != 3) && (!local->allow_ibss))  <============
>                    || (wrq->u.freq.m > 1000) || (wrq->u.freq.e > 0))
>                                rc = -EOPNOTSUPP;
> =======
> Can you explain the meaning?
> 
> When trying to set channel to 1 in managed modem my values are:
> port_type: 1 , wrq->u.freq.m: 1, wrq->u.freq.e: 0, allow_ibss: 0
> 
> When I am allowed to set the channel?
> If I'm in ad-hoc mode, fine. If I'm in managed mode I need allow_ibss=1?
> When I load wvlan_cs with allow_ibss=1 I'm told my firmware (6.04) does not
> support it.

IBSS Adhoc mode is relativly new IIRC. It's not supported everywhere.

> I'm interested in the teorical reason for this limitation. Reading the
> driver I only find IBSS in the IBSS-Ad-hoc mode, so what has it to do with
> managed mode?

IBSS Adhoc is like managed mode but without the AP. A single node on the
network acts as AP for other nodes. Or something like that.

> Is it that if a wireless client is in managed mode then it cannot set the
> channel because it has to use whatever the AP is using? If there are 2 APs
> with 2 channels how I can use one or the other?

That's what the ESSID is for. Set the network name you want to join. If they
have the same network name, then they should be the same network and hence
it doesn't matter which it uses.

> My cards are buffalo/melco. If I want to update the firmware, can I use the
> one provided by orinoco/lucent, or should I only use one provided by melco?

Can't help you here.
-- 
Martijn van Oosterhout <kleptog at svana.org>
http://svana.org/kleptog/
> Terrorists can only take my life. Only my government can take my freedom.