Hi, John, and group,
John Navas wrote:
> On 22 Aug 2006 10:34:47 -0700, "Skip - Working on the boat"
> <SkipGundlach@gmail.com> wrote in
> <1156268087.494170.138940@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>:
>
> >Ideally, it will let me scan the available AP sites available, and
> >whether through some configuration program (windows zero configuration,
> >Hawking configuration tool, their own?), point and click to the one I
> >want to associate. That's because, now, in the 2611, I have to type in
> >the SSID, and should there be more than one of the same name, hope it
> >will associate the proper one. Where I am "docked" now has more than 2
> >such sets (depending on conditions; I'll see at least 2 sets of at
> >least 2 with the same name, sometimes as many as 5), and typing in the
> >SSID (the 2611 doesn't let me specify the MAC) isn't necessarily
> >definitive.
>
> True, but the client bridge is designed to automatically pick the best
> access point for a given SSID, and unless you _really_ know what you are
> doing and _really_ need to specify a given access point, you'd be well
> advised to let the client bridge do its thing.
Well, I think I've proven adequately that I *don't* know what I'm
doing. However, in an area such as I'm currently aground, there are
several public free sites (some marginally) within range, some (a few)
unprotected presumed private sites, and several pay sites, one of them
a big-assed alligator. Oh, and let's not forget the AP which talks to
my wifi, sitting right next to the bridge.
Guess which one the bridge goes to on its own? Stumped (no, I presume
not - but for clarity...)? If left to its own devices it goes to the AP
which is supposed to pass its signal to me. If I turn that AP off, it
goes to the alligator, with whom I don't care to discourse.
So, as my only course of access, whether I was supposed to know what I
was doing or not, I learned to specify the SSID of one of the public
free sites. It's how I'm communicating, now, while Lydia's on the
VoIP. I'd *rather* specify a different public site, as it's a better
signal (closer - the others are downtown) but it's a 'g' only site. I
can see it with a 'g' enabled adapter - but not get VoIP as the adapter
isn't able to talk to the VoIP router.
Hm. Rereading what you've said, I *think* what you meant was being
able to discriminate among several like-named SSID, through a client
bridge which doesn't let you specify which of them you want to talk to.
I agree, I don't want to be doing that, as I don't know what I'm doing
in that case. However, I'm hopeful that paradox won't present itself
in my travels - and if it does, likely the density (no, not *me*, the
available stations) is such that others could be selected where the
conflict doesn't occur.
>
> >I'd also rather associate a known site, rather than a
> >potentially private one, but that's a bit easier, in that the private
> >ones likely will have some SSID which gives it away...
>
> Shouldn't be a problem given that legitimate public sites tend to have
> unique SSIDs. It's typically only illegitimate private sites that have
> non-unique default SSIDs (e.g., "linksys").
Agreed. However, I still have to specify what of the available sites I
am to address. If I were to take my laptop downtown, park myself on a
bench near the campus, and fire up windows zero configuration, I'd see
the public access points nearby, the campus signal (which I'd either
have to be a student, or know one of them's passcode, neither of which
is interesting to me, in order to use), several encrypted private
sites, and so on. I look at the available ones, choose the muni free
wifi, or the St. Pete City Docks freebie, or one of the others, click
the mouse, and off I go.
OTOH, if it's a bridge, rather than either a built-in or wired adapter,
it's going to want to lock onto the strongest signal. (Well, that's a
presumption - might well be wrong - based on the behavior of my current
bridge. Of course, I'd prefer the bridge I buy to be a point-and-click
variety, if they exist.) If it happened that one of the private sites
were the strongest signal, I'm stuck. If it were a pay site, and both
other weaker public sites were available, I'm stuck, too. So, I just
want to be able to aim at something, whether I have to type it in (less
preferable) or point-and-click, and proceed.
And, FWIW, among the pay sites, publicly available within earshot of my
location (without having to go downtown), there are (depending on the
time and weather) at least 3 and usually 6 with the same name. Point
and click resolves that, whereas typing an SSID doesn't. Of course, in
this case, they're all different flavors of the same ice cream, so it's
really not an issue. If I were a subscriber, the strongest site (in
that instance) would be fine. OTOH, in these cases (the different
flavors of the same ice cream), they also are considerably stronger
than the public access sites, so just letting the bridge do its thing
won't work for me.
I'm clueless, I agree. Worse, apparently, I'm a slow learner. Must be
the over-60 bit, cuz I used to be a quick learner. However, that
little point I have learned and can at least control partly (if I
wanted to go to a specific one of the pay sites, rather than just the
strongest, I'd be out of luck with my current gear) is how to make my
current gear go to a specific site.
>
> >Having a small power increase would also be useful (the Senao unit has
> >either 100 or 200mw, depending on the country), so that I can reach out
> >a bit further; my antenna lets me "hear" better.
>
> Probably not. Your antenna helps both sending and receiving, whereas
> more power only helps sending. Like the other issues you're
> (re)raising, we've had this discussion before:
>
> More power probably won't help. As Jeff Liebermann puts it, "This is
> commonly known as an alligator, which is an animal with a big mouth
> and small ears. The xmit amplified [radio] can be heard over a much
> larger area than it can hear the replies from the [other radios].
> Unless the [other] radios have a similar power amplifier, the system
> [becomes] asymmetrical, with more range in one direction than the
> other."
More of my cluelessness, I presume. I'd been under the impression
(quite possibly the mis-impression) that antennae dealt in dBi, having
to do with gain in receptivity, and that amplifiers dealt in dBm,
having to do with gain in transmit power.
What I think I understand you to say is that if I can hear it, it
doesn't matter what power with which I transmit, the other end will
hear me as well. Is that correct? If so, that should make my search
easier.
OTOH, I wonder why it is that Senao and others sell amplified bridges,
and even more providers sell amplifiers to go in line with an antenna,
amplifying whatever signal they're given. Remember, I'm clueless - I'm
not being argumentative - I'm trying to buy a clue.
>
> Thus I take it that you're going to again ignore advice and thrash about
> on your own. Forgive me for opting out of all that fun and just wishing
> you luck instead.
Heh. I need all the luck I can get.
>
> >Given that some
> >countries have more channels than the US, it might be useful to have an
> >international version such as the Senao is so that it could associate
> >on the transmitting channel, whatever it was, wherever *I* was.
>
> Most units can handle different standards, either with a config option
> or with a firmware load.
Cool. So I don't have to look for something specifically designed for
multi-cultural use; it's typical?
>
> >I'm still wrestling over whether to power it directly over 12V
> >(assuming it were that voltage) or use POE; the other components in my
> >system use 12V, which is very handy, since it's all being powered via a
> >12V system.
>
> PoE
>
> >I'll be putting it in a NEMA box, so being able to reduce whatever unit
> >it is to a board would be helpful, just to save space.
>
> Take whatever you get apart _after_ you get it working (if you ever do).
Of course. I'd assume the bridge's antenna connection would be the
same whether in its little plastic case or not. I haven't even hauled
what I have up in a bucket to simulate height advantages, yet, so
caution is my sore point, not being reckless :{))
> I've already recommended a unit,
My apologies - I don't spend much time in this group, and have a few
other things going on, so it likely slipped by me. I'll see if I can
find it.
> Troubled water indeed. ;)
Not Simon and Garfunkel, but it will do ;{))
L8R
Skip
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
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