How do i confirm if minstrel is enabled on my ubuntu PC and where can i find it.

[bigbillz]

I am reaally new to ubuntu, i simulated 3 radios using mac80211_hwsim and now I am trying to investigate the rate control algorithm in the system. So far i have done a ping test between the radios and i have seen the rc_stats file for one of the stations. Now i want to be show it was generated by minstrel and I want to check out the minstrel file and make adjustments to it if possible. I attached a snapshot of rc_stats file My rc_stat and it looks different from the one explained in this link Minstrel .Then again whats the difference between minstrel and minstrel_ht

[chili555]

It is installed by default. Please see /usr/src/linux-headers-5.4.0-29-generic/include/config/mac80211/rc/default/minstrel.h Please substitute your kernel version, if not 5.4.0-29.

However, many wireless drivers use a different algorithm; for instance, iwlwifi says:

dmesg | grep ieee80211
ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'iwl-mvm-rs'

Some Realtek drivers use:

ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'rtl_rc'

Most Ralink devices say:

ieee80211 phy0: Selected rate control algorithm 'minstrel_ht'

There is a mechanism to specify a different algorithm in the driver mac80211:

parm: ieee80211_default_rc_algo:Default rate control algorithm for mac80211 to use (charp)

If you have an Intel wireless device that uses iwl-mvm-rs and try to force minstrel_ht with a driver parameter, for instance:

options mac80211 ieee80211_default_rc_algo=minstrel_ht

I am not sure what the result would be; my suspicion is that you probably wouldn't connect at all as the driver code was written with iwl-mvm-rc in mind.

One of the wonderful things about Linux and Ubuntu is that you can try it and revert it pretty easily if not successful and you can report your success here, if you have it, so that we may all benefit.

[bigbillz]

Thank you very much found the file but its empty.
is that an issue?
whats the difference between minstrel_ht and minstrel?

[chili555]

What does this report?

lsb_release -a
sudo apt install --reinstall mlocate
sudo updatedb
locate minstrel

Minstrel_ht provides, as the name suggests, high throughput and very high throughput; that is, HT20/HT40 and multiple streams. I assume that includes 802.11n, ac and ax.

What does your own machine report?

dmesg | grep ieee

[bigbillz]

https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/m2HkQZ5y9Z/

There is the output, thanks in advance!!!

[chili555]

/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-148-generic/include/config/mac80211/rc/default/minstrel.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-148-generic/include/config/mac80211/rc/minstrel/ht.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.4.0-148-generic/include/config/mac80211/rc/minstrel/vht.h

There you go! Minstrel, ht and vht.

Since hwsim uses simulated devices, I assume, but don't know for sure, that you can use any algorithm you choose.

sudo modprobe -r mac80211
sudo modprobe mac80211 ieee80211_default_rc_algo=minstrel_ht

I haven't, since Linus Torvalds and I both had no grey hairs, seen minstrel alone. Since 802.11ac and ax are somewaht new, I haven't yet seen any minstrel_vht.

[bigbillz]

Thanks