wireless networking help

[BustaCap]

Can anyone offer me some info on wireless networking hardware and the longest ranges obtained.

To be quite frank, a couple of friends and I would like to share a T1 line, all of us chipping in on the cost. We all live about a mile or less from each other, would their be anything that could obtain that range and still be legal. Is their any other info I should know about?

[ZANEY123]

i dont think no matter how far it is it would illegal?!! i just read a article on that to. i forget where i saw it though

[Confused]

http://www.vicomsoft.com/knowledge/r...wireless1.html
Chas

[Tuf]

If you do a search on for wireless antennaes you will find some articles on building some that will work for up to 20 miles line of site. I don't think it's very practical as only one of you will be able to take advantage of all the T1 benefits. But if you can see each other from where the antennaes would be mounted you can do it.

[glc]

T1's are designed for networking - most providers give you at least 5 IP addresses and don't care *how* you network. You can probably do a mile or less with a standard consumer grade WAP and some directional antennas as long as you have decent line of sight between the WAP and each client. It's not going to be particularly cheap though.

[ZANEY123]

is that a legal setup? just curious

[BustaCap]

ok, I found a company called Telex that manufactures a bunch of 2.4 GHz antennas. Their 2.4 GHz page is http://www.telexwireless.com/24ghzantennas.htm , some of those like the 2443AA model, are good for 12 miles line-of-site but have a 125 degree beamwidth, so that means if they are in about the same direction from me (I'm the one with antenna apparently) it should work,125 degrees is rather forgiving.

What about mounting and terain? I live in Kansas so the ground is flatter than hell, but there are a few tree lines and mobile homes to go over, if I mounted it on a pole on my roof (2 story house) it should clear most of the trees, but not EVERYTHING, their shouldn't be any wide obstacles to go around, do you think it would work? Is it completly line-of-sight?

Now on their end, what do they need to recieve the signal?

Are their details/issues I'm forgeting?
Thanks for all the help!

[BustaCap]

or would the 2439AA model omni-directional antenna work better?

[glc]

You need the omni antenna on the house that has the T1, and directionals on all the other places. We have dealt with www.hyperlinktech.com for this kind of equipment.

Zaney - it is TOTALLY legal.

[BustaCap]

ooohhhh... I see. is their anything you could point out for me at hyperlink? Would I need an amplified antenna on my end, and unamplified antennas on their end? And should I just call them and see what they have to say. What would you recomend, a 15, 10, or 8 dBi antenna?

[Tuf]

A lot of Office Complex's/Plants that have multiple buildings with physical barriers such as roads are using setups like this.

[glc]

If you call Hyperlinktech, you only get voice mail unless you tell the menu that you are a reseller. They would prefer that end users communicate by e-mail. I don't really care for companies that deal this way, but they do have kits for most popular WAP's.

[BustaCap]

yeah, that is annoying. They seem to have ok prices though. I'll email them, but what about cableing? Can I just use coax and crimp my own ends? If so, where do I get the ends and the crimper, I have a crimper but I believe it will only crimp RG6, will that work?

This should be my last question!! Thanks again for all your help.

[Tuf]

I think it is pretty interesting. If you go ahead with this project keep us informed.

[BustaCap]

I will.

[glc]

The kits come with premade cable and lightning arrestors, I think it's a lot thicker than RG6.

[Great_One]

I work with an isp that provides 802.11b wireless access for some of its customers.

A couple of thoughts.

1. First do so calculation to determine the height needed for your antenna. here is an article that will get you started

http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/197

basically, if you can see the location you are trying to reach, either visually or with binoculars, then you should be able to reach them.

2. locate the access point as close to the antenna as possible.
the longer the cable run, the more the line loss. Antenna cable is expensive, ethernet cable is cheap. Alot of access points make a power injector that allow you to run the power throught the ethernet cable, saving you the hassle of pulling power to the access point. Dont try and make your antenna cables, they are not RG6, they are alot thicker w/ different ends. Hyperlink is a good place to get your wireless stuff from.

3. You may have to put an amplfier on at least the omin-directional antenna. you can legally run up to 4 watts of
an omin-directional antenna. Boost is asymetrical though, boosting mainly the transmit side. Limit the allowed speeds on the access point as well. if you internet connection is a T-1, set the access point to a maximum allow connect speed of 2Mb

4. of course wep and mac address security are necessities