Why do I only get 5 GHz networks?

Tip / Sign in to post questions, reply, level up, and achieve exciting badges. Know more

cross mob
JBl_4798731
Level 1
Level 1
Welcome!

Hello,

I am using the `wiced_wifi_scan_networks` call to scan networks (obviously) but if I am in a place with 20+ networks around I only ever get 5GHz networks in the scan results callback. If there are only a handful of networks it seems to work just fine but when there are several I only get 5GHz networks. It seems like a bug with the WICED API. I see in the logs that it scans other networks but they are never passed to the callback.

I see dozzens of logs that look like this

3120034: Event (interface, type, status, reason): WWD_STA_INTERFACE WLC_E_ESCAN_RESULT WLC_E_STATUS_PARTIAL WLC_E_REASON_INITIAL_ASSOC

Scan result: channel=0 signal=-58 ssid=backup-XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX bssid=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX

and my callback gets hit a few times but never for that backup-XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX ap.

Thank you for your help!

0 Likes
1 Solution
Murali_R
Moderator
Moderator
Moderator
250 sign-ins 250 replies posted 100 solutions authored

JBl_4798731 There's no standard guidelines as such on setting the dwell time. You need to figure out the dwell time based on the time you want the scan to complete and the number of results needed. Also as vipr_513046 said increasing the Buffer of the scan results may also help.

View solution in original post

5 Replies
Murali_R
Moderator
Moderator
Moderator
250 sign-ins 250 replies posted 100 solutions authored

Hello jabl_4798731

Are you using the default snip.scan application or do you have a custom application where you are facing this issue? If its a custom app, can you share it? Which is the chip that you are using? Are you using WICED? If so what version?  Also what is the Network Stack-OS combination?

Can you try increasing the Channel Dwell time and check if you are able to get all the networks?

Thanks

0 Likes

Thank you for your response.

Are you using the default snip.scan application or do you have a custom application where you are facing this issue? If its a custom app, can you share it?

I am using a custom app that I am not able to share.

Which is the chip that you are using?

CYW43907

Are you using WICED? If so what version?

Yes, WICED SDK 3.4.0.

Also, what is the Network Stack-OS combination?

We are using the Thread-X OS

Can you try increasing the Channel Dwell time and check if you are able to get all the networks?

Increasing the Channel Dwell time does increase the number of networks I get in the callback and it does include both 5 and 2.4 GHz networks. What is a reasonable value for that to be though? Do I just need to do some guess and checking or are there some guidelines and/or starting times? Right now I am at 500 ms for each option.

extParams.number_of_probes_per_channel                                       = 6;

extParams.scan_active_dwell_time_per_channel_ms                        = 500;

extParams.scan_passive_dwell_time_per_channel_ms                      = 500;

extParams.scan_home_channel_dwell_time_between_channels_ms = 500;

0 Likes

I suspect there's a fixed size scan result buffer (20) on the WICED host or your custom app. Since 5G channels are scanned first, if you run out of buffer space, then any incoming 2G scan results will be dropped.

0 Likes
Murali_R
Moderator
Moderator
Moderator
250 sign-ins 250 replies posted 100 solutions authored

JBl_4798731 There's no standard guidelines as such on setting the dwell time. You need to figure out the dwell time based on the time you want the scan to complete and the number of results needed. Also as vipr_513046 said increasing the Buffer of the scan results may also help.

JBl_4798731
Level 1
Level 1
Welcome!

Thank you both so much for the responses. If I increase the dwell time i do get back around 22-25 results (there are 26 that I counted) so I beleive the buffer is greater than 20 but my last question is the scan results have a `next` field that never points to anything. It looks like it is a linked list of 1 always. Is there a way I can increase that?

0 Likes