Re: FOSS-friendly Wireless Access Point (WAP) for SOHO network?

Hi there,

On Tue, 6 Jun 2017, David Christensen wrote:

> Does anyone have any advice, warnings, recommendations, etc.?

Well at least you did mention IPCop. :)

Be aware that the regulations governing the use of WiFi etc. devices
differ from country to country.  You need to make sure that you have
a device which is appropriate for your jurisdiction.  The antenna is
an important part of the equipment, because it can provide gain.  If
if you aren't careful, you can break the law just by changing from a
dipole to a Yagi.  I've seen people buying 200mW devices from abroad
when 32mW (+15dBm) is the maximum which can legally be used here.

The availability and use of wireless devices has mushroomed in recent
years, and this can cause interference problems.  When I first used a
wireless link to provide a fast Internet connection to my business in
2003, the wireless devices were the only ones on the industrial park.
There was never any problem with interference.  I could pick channels
more or less at random, and forget about them.  Now that a high-speed
Internet connection is available from our telephone providers, the AP
on the 30m high mast that I built in 2003 was re-tasked, and provides
a backup data link between sites.  Depending on our neighbours' whims
the AP now sees between 15 and 20 other stations.  More than half are
on channel 6, and I guess several are operating without the knowledge
of their owners.  Many are security cameras.  Over the years I've had
to install increasingly directional antennas to avoid being swamped.

I'm still using the Netgear MA311G PCI WiFi devices that I bought 15
years ago.  I doubt they'll be readily available now, but search the
archives of this list from the early part of the century :) for more
information.  They've interoperated with any other WiFi devices that
I've needed to connect to them (laptops, tablets etc.), no troubles.

Despite many lightning storms, none of the WiFi devices, even the one
on top of the 30m mast at the back of the warehouse, has ever failed.
I did install lightning arrestors up there of course.  I tried to use
a very-low-loss feeder cable so that the AP could be at ground level,
but even spending a fortune on the cable you can't beat using a short
length of (even cheap) cable to connect the AP to the antenna.

Although the wireless devices have been reliable I can't say the same
for cheap Chinese-made 'wart' power supplies.  I've had to climb that
bloomin' mast four times to replace a failed power supply even though
at a glance you'd say that it was more than twice the capacity needed
to power the AP.

If you think security might be an issue look hard at the encryption.
Running short of time now. :(

-- 

73,
Ged.

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