Re: Re: BARWN (antenna choice)

(sorry for the incomplete attributions.  squirrelmail design flaw.)

Quoth Rich Morin:
> At 11:36 AM -0700 7/24/03, Tim Pozar wrote:
>>You may be able to hit it.  I have a coverage map for the site at:
>>
>>	http://www.barwn.org/docs/Bruno_Coverage.jpg
>>
>>The dark blue will likely mean you won't be able to connect.  Grean and
>> light blue you should be able to.
>
> Thanks for the interpretation; my location is light blue on your map,
> but I wasn't sure what the implications of the different colors were.
>
> I have an (original) Airport hub which seems like it might work as a
> node.  I'm thinking of attaching an external antenna to it and using it
> to talk to the BARWN site.
>
> The most obvious approach would be to keep the Airport inside and run a
> (20') cable to the antenna.  If that is likely to be a problem, I could
> mount the Airport in some sort of weatherproof enclosure and put it
> right next to the antenna.
>
> Given that I'm 4.6 miles away, can you tell me how fancy an antenna I'd
> need?  Small and cheap is good, so I'd like to use either the
> PAWIN24-10 (in a weatherproof enclosure) or the PAWOD24 (both from
> Pasadena Networks; http://www.pasadena.net/shop/).  Suggestions?
>
> -r

After adding the price of the 20 foot cable (you'll always
need more) to the antenna you're at about the same price
as for doing it right, but with some 15dB less link margin.

I'd recommend the 19 dBi grid for $50 with the AP client
in a box right below it.  Hyperlink Technologies carries
what looks like the same antenna for the same price.  Send
power up the extra leads of the cat5.

Align the antenna by eye, then fire up a signal strength
test on a box with a software display magnifier.  Get the
screen positioned so you can see the signal strength meter
with your hands near the antenna and fine-tweak.

Less negative is mo-betta.

While you can see the AP, you probably can not see the other
clients.  In this configuration and in the absence of another
layer-2 protocol (campus-PRC, whatever) I prefer to run Wifi
with RTS/CTS enabled on all clients.

Hrm.  I ramble.