Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research -Will these replacement parts work?
Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research -Will these replacement parts work?. Discuss Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research -Will these replacement parts work?, on Wireless Forums.
Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research -Will these replacement parts work?
Note: Pictures included for clarifying detail!
Summary:
I need to replace my directional 2.4Ghz planar (panel?) rooftop antenna &
jury-rigged bridge (see pics); BUT I need advice from you guys (Jeff L.
perhaps?) on replacing the jury-rigged bridge tie wrapped inside the
rooftop enclosure.
Here is a picture of the mess INSIDE of the (now broken) rooftop antenna
after I dropped it trying to replace the POE cat5 cable! (ouch!) http://
bayimg.com/hAHEgAadk
Here is a picture of the crazy "bridge" jury-rigged by the ISP I found
inside the rooftop antenna housing: http://bayimg.com/haHEfAAdK
Here is a pictures of my (failed) attempt to connect directly to the
'bridge' inside the rooftop antenna housing: http://bayimg.com/HaHEeaaDK
Here is a picture of the outside of the rooftop antenna (indicating it's
a directional antenna): http://bayimg.com/haHEoAadk
ADVICE:
I mostly need advice because, after doing research, I'm confused about
what antenna & bridge will replace what I have with at least as good or
better equipment than the jury-rigged stuff the ISP previously installed.
Specifically I need advice on these three questions:
Q1: Can I use any store-bought 2.4Ghz 14 to 18 Dbi dish or panel outdoor
'antenna' to replace the existing 6-year-old planar antenna? (Does it
matter if it's a dish or a panel?)
Q2: Can I use "just any" store-bought POE outdoor 'router' to replace the
POE "bridge" inside the rooftop-antenna housing?
Q3: How would I match the MAC address of the existing Ethernet card?
DETAILS:
My connection is beamed to me by my ISP to my POE rooftop antenna (which
has a jury-rigged bridge inside the enclosure!). The previous owner paid
about $300 to the ISP to install this contraption 6 years ago but I never
knew the horror that was inside until this weekend (see pictures).
Basically, I dropped the assembly (trying to replace the cat5 wire) and
want to replace both the antenna & the bridge and need advice for
choosing BETTER components than which the ISP will install.
Of course, the ISP will come out, for another $300, and install another
'crummy' setup ... (see pictures to understand what I mean); but can't I
just buy QUALITY components for about the same amount of money if I just
do my homework and get the right advice?
WIRING:
There was an intermittent POE connection so I bought a new cat 5 cable &
in the process of replacing it on the roof end, I dropped the antenna
housing (containing a bridge tie-wrapped inside) to the ground.
One end of the 12 volt DC POE box attaches to the "Long range wireless
multi-client bridge" (see pic) inside the rooftop antenna housing and the
other end attaches to my WRT54G router inside my single-family home.
All my end point computer devices (me and the kids) are 801.11g (i.e.,
not N). Googling, based on the six-year old vintage of the rooftop
antenna, I presume the rooftop antenna was 2.4Ghz (and not 5 Ghz).
The ISP appears to validate my subscription by the MAC address on the
PCMCIA ethernet card inside the jury-rigged bridge inside the rooftop
antenna enclosure; so, I could just tell them the new MAC address or
better yet, just change the MAC address of the new setup to that of the
old.
HOMEWORK:
I was appalled at the jury rigging inside the enclosure (see pictures);
and would simply like to replace the setup with BETTER equipment (for
about the same cost that the ISP would charge me).
I don't know how much power I need, but, the ISP's antenna that feeds
mine is about a half a mile away, through some trees, on a mountain top.
I'm guessing the original (based on googling only) is about 18dBi.
PROPOSAL:
Researching, can I replace the old antenna with a $50 to $75 outdoor 2.4
Ghz directional dish antenna of about 14 dBi to 18 dBi from
wlanparts.com ?
My big question is how do I replace the 'bridge'? I know what a router
is, but, after reading what a bridge is, I'm confused. It seems like a
router to me.
Can I just replace the 'bridge' that was jury-rigged inside the antenna
enclosure with a Ubiquity.com outdoor 2.4 Ghz Bullet2 HP high-power POE
router?
I know how to change the MAC address on my Linksys WRT54G router; can I
just change the MAC address on that ubiquity outdoor router so that it
acts just like the ISP's original (jury rigged) setup?
Thanks in advance, and, I'm sorry if this is too much detail.
To summarize (before I buy the parts):
Q1: Can I replace my rooftop panel antenna with this store-bought dish
antenna?
* 2.4 GHz 19dBi Gain Grid parabolic Dish N-Female, by Laird
* http://www.wlanparts.com/product/GD2...dBi-Gain-Grid-
parabolic-Dish-N-Female.html
Q2: Can I replace the bridge the ISP tie wrapped to the antenna with this
store-bought 'router'? (Would getting an 802.11n be better than a 802.11g
for my use?)
* Ubiquiti BULLET-M2-HP Outdoor 802.11n 802.11g, by Ubiquiti
* http://www.wlanparts.com/product/BUL...-BULLET-M2-HP-
Outdoor-80211n-80211g.html
Q3: How can I change the MAC of the new router to that of the old PCMCIA
ethernet card currently jury-rigged inside the old (now broken) enclosure?
Repeating the questions with (non-truncated) tinyurl links:
Q1: Can I replace the ISP's old antenna with this newer better one?
* 2.4 GHz 19dBi Gain Grid parabolic Dish N-Female, by Laird
* http://tinyurl.com/3mnxaqu
Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"?
* * BULLET-M2-HP Outdoor 802.11n 802.11g, by Ubiquiti
* http://tinyurl.com/32yjmhh
Q3: Can I change the MAC address on this router to match the original
'bridge'? (Bear in mind, I'm still confused about the difference between
a router and a bridge; and that I have no problem changing the MAC on my
Linksys WRT54G router; but I could not connect to the ISP's bridge even
when I wired it directly to my laptop PC).
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:04:44 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:49:58 +0000, Sam Harrison wrote:
>
>Drat. I tried so hard to give you all the details but the URLs had line
>feeds inserted somehow so here are tinyurl urls.
If you could read the model numbers/names on the things, it
would help a lot
>
>Repeating the pics because the URLs had line feeds inserted in them.
>- ISP contraption = http://bayimg.com/hAHEgAadk
>- ISP bridge with PCMCIA card = http://bayimg.com/haHEfAAdK
>- My attempt to 'access' the PCMCIA card = http://bayimg.com/HaHEeaaDK
>- The planar? antenna I need to repladce = http://bayimg.com/haHEoAadk
>
>Repeating the questions with (non-truncated) tinyurl links:
>Q1: Can I replace the ISP's old antenna with this newer better one?
>* 2.4 GHz 19dBi Gain Grid parabolic Dish N-Female, by Laird
>* http://tinyurl.com/3mnxaqu
Yes, I presume it's a B or G wireless, if it's 6 years old.
>
>Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"?
>* * BULLET-M2-HP Outdoor 802.11n 802.11g, by Ubiquiti
>* http://tinyurl.com/32yjmhh
Maybe, just check if they use MAC identification or WEP/WPA,
or both. You will need to replicate that. If you have the password to
the "bridge"/AP you can see how it's configured
>
>Q3: Can I change the MAC address on this router to match the original
>'bridge'? (Bear in mind, I'm still confused about the difference between
>a router and a bridge; and that I have no problem changing the MAC on my
>Linksys WRT54G router; but I could not connect to the ISP's bridge even
>when I wired it directly to my laptop PC).
Could not connect because of the password, or because you
don't know what address/port gives you the setup ? Try nmap scanning
it to see what ports are open. Maybe even a simple traceroute will
give you an idea.
>TIA,for your advice!
Really, we need more data. Jeff will probably identify your
setup by the pics. I can't.
[]'s
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:04:44 +0000, Sam Harrison wrote:
> Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"? * *
You can't replace the isp antenna with your antenna because you have to
use the exact right combination provided by your isp
Only the isp can talk to their network because of software inside the
bridge
And you can't use the router either because the router works on the ip
layer but you need a bridge which only works on the mac layer
Call the isp and let them put new the antenna & bridge as you obviously
can't do it yourself if you ask such questions as what's the difference
hub ==> all data goes to all ports
bridge ==> a mac filter, one mac to another, all other macs rejected
switch ==> more than one bridge so it still filters one mac to another
router ==> one ip address to others
Apart from the fact it's a "B",and can use WEP I can't
understand anything else from the page. So yes, a normal parabolic
antenna would be fine.
[]'s
Google translate: (Ugghh ... Ukranian..)
Wireless bridge WLAN, NL/SL-2511CB3 - 200 mylyVatt standard
IEEE802.11b (Wi-Fi) Ethernet bridge Senao
Senao Nayluchshaya model from the total model row Senao
Obespechyvaet vsokuyu Productivity and hybkost when you install
23dBm(200mW) RF, 10 Multi-Client Bridge, Vhodnaya
capacity of up to 23dBm (200mW) RF, Radyus Actions nearly 10 times
higher than point to Multi-Client Bridge, Skorost data transmission
virtually two times higher than the figure second analohychnh Device
point-to-point, Point-to-multipoint , AP . Besprorvodnoe soedynenye
point-to-point, Point-to-multipoint, AP mode. SL2511CB3+ Deluxe,
NL-2511CB3 Plus, NL-2611CB3 Plus - SL2511CB3 + Deluxe, NL-2511CB3
Plus, NL-2611CB3 Plus-radio modem
/ technical characteristics /
Senao SL-2511CB3 Plus Deluxe /E(F200): fychy Senao SL-2511CB3 Plus
Deluxe / E (F200):
NL-2511CB3 23dBm(200mW) RF 9 Multi-Client Bridge
Vhodnaya capacity of NL-2511CB3 to 23dBm (200mW) RF Radyus Actions in
9 times higher than point to Multi-Client Bridge
11Mbps IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11 b Compatible with 11Mbps IEEE
802.11b Complete compatibility social standard IEEE 802.11 b
point-to-point, Point-to-multipoint Besprorvodnoe
soedynenye point-to-point, Point-to-multipoint Pozvolyaet DATA
conveyed by users between the two or the building of large numbers of
buildings
Plug and Play . Plug and Play ease soedynenyya Wireless Devices
with the broadcast. (Plug and Play). Not yspolzuet dopolnytelne
draver (Plug and Play).
Ethernet Power supply via Ethernet Hybkost in the location of
the value of preservation Devices
64 /128-bit WEP Encryption of data 64 / 128-bit WEP Moschnaya
Data Protection
SSID (AP Mode) , . The hidden SSID (AP Mode) prevents the
possibility of uses of frequencies nedopustymmy bar only by users that
the network uvelychyvaet Effectiveness.
DHCP Client DHCP Client Uproschennoe Administrative network
Web-based configuration web browser- Multi-Client Bridge.
Web-based configuration with the help of web browser-and perhaps
administrators osuschestvlyat dystantsyonnoe management of
Multi-Client Bridge.
MAC address (AP Mode) Filtering MAC address (AP Mode) Harantyruet
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:25:35 +0000 (UTC), Jeff Lanthum
<JeffLanthum95024@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:04:44 +0000, Sam Harrison wrote:
>> Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"? * *
>
>You can't replace the isp antenna with your antenna because you have to
>use the exact right combination provided by your isp
Why would a "IEEE802.11b (Wi-Fi) Ethernet bridge" need a
special antenna ?
[]'s
I can't figure out why the ISP went to so much expense to set
up a "B"/ WEP/MAC combo.
Senao is expensive, and that antenna looks really crummy. Why
not just a normal cheapo AP with an also cheapo directional parabolic
?
[]'s
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:18:30 -0300, Shadow wrote:
> If you could read the model numbers/names on the things, it
> would help a lot
Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
Here are better pictures of the model numbers.
1. The antenna only says "R24-14" & "Vertical Polarity" & "0415H1891".
Here is a new picture showing that clearly: http://bayimg.com/eAhfhaadK
2. The bridge is jury rigged and tie wrapped by the ISP so that only the
bottom half exists (there was never a top half). All it says on the
bottom half is:
NL-2611CB3 PLUS (DELUXE) LONG RANGE WIRELESS MULTI-CLIENT BRIDGE
Made in Taiwan
3. The PCMCIA dual-antenna ethernet card only says:
NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2(F200)CY
Here is a pic that shows that: http://bayimg.com/fAhfGaADK
>>Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"?
> Maybe, just check if they use MAC identification or WEP/WPA,
> or both. You will need to replicate that.
I've had the system up for about a year and never once had to add an
encryption key and I've changed routers in the meantime. So, I think they
'only' use MAC filtering.
So I need to replicate the MAC address on whatever outdoor POE router I
buy.
I've never needed any password to connect to my ISP and certainly I've
reset my router many times and it doesn't need anything to connect. It
can be any MAC address.
I 'think' I only need to replicate the MAC address of the bridge (or call
the ISP and tell them the new MAC address of my new setup when I buy it).
> If you have the password to the "bridge"/AP you can see how it's
configured.
This is the part that confuses me. There is no password, that I know of.
It's my equipment (the ISP built it and installed it years ago). Since I
have the card in my hand, why can't I just power it up and connect to it
(I held down the the reset button with a paper clip while the bridge was
powered and things blinked a lot so I think I reset it successfully but I
don't think there was ever a password because I can connect to the ISP if
I change my computer MAC address but the antenna stinks so it's only a
non-usable connection ... i.e., google takes a few minutes to come up to
the home page!).
Here's what I tried to connect to the bridge directly to my ubuntu PC:
From my Ubuntu PC RJ45 port, I connected to the POE power supply data
port and from the POE P+DATA power supply port I went to the RJ45 on the
bridge (which was exactly how it was before except my home router was in
place of my PC). All the lights variously lit up on the bridge (red and
two greens and one green triangle on the PCMCIA card itself).
Here's my question:
Q: What command connects to a bridge in this configuration?
For example, for my Linksys WRT54G router, I simply bring up http://192.168.1.1 but for the bridge, what do I bring up?
Note: I pressed the reset button on the bridge but I don't know what
terminal command to ping the MAC address or the web browser command to
access the ethernet card. Do you?
> I could not connect to the ISP's bridge even
>>when I wired it directly to my laptop PC).
> Could not connect because of the password, or because you
> don't know what address/port gives you the setup
I pressed the reset button on the bridge. I just don't know how to
'connect' to a default bridge.
> Try nmap scanning it to see what ports are open.
OK. I'll look up nmap. Maybe that's what I'm missing! :)
> Maybe even a simple traceroute will give you an idea.
OK. I'll look up the Ubuntu traceroute command too!
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:18:30 -0300, Shadow wrote:
> If you could read the model numbers/names on the things, it
> would help a lot
The bridge is the crazy (see pic) jury-rigged part by the ISP!
The jury-rigged bridge was tie wrapped by the ISP into the antenna
enclosure with only the bottom half existing and with the single antenna
connection wire (on the bridge casing) cut off.
The antenna has a patch cable going from the center of the back plane to
one of the two tiny connections on the PCMCIA wifi card itself.
Googling the term below, the bridge appears to be "Senao Networks, Inc."
NL-2611CB3 PLUS (DELUXE) LONG RANGE WIRELESS MULTI-CLIENT BRIDGE
And here is, I think, the right datasheet: http://www.mondoplast.net/datasheets...B3+Deluxe.html
- Up to 23dBm(200mW) RF Output Power
- 11Mbps IEEE 802.11b Compliant
- Power-over-Ethernet
- 64 /128-bit WEP data encryption
- Hide SSID (AP Mode)
- DHCP Client
- Web-based configuration <=== this might be how I can get into it!
- MAC address filtering (AP Mode)
- Data Transfer Rate 11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps, Auto Fall-Back
- Frequency Band 2.400~2.484 GHz
- RF Output Power 23dBm(200mW)-FCC 20dBm(100mW)-CE
So, all I want to do is get as good (or better) an antenna and bridge as
what I had before I dropped it.
All advice will be read and welcome (I have to respond from a hotspot so
I may not be able to respond immediately!).
Thanks for any help - this is a learning experience and I want to LEARN
from you guys!
I don't recognize the device, but it doesn't seem mechanically broken
other than a cracked case. Any internal or board damage? Is there a
maker, model number, or first 6 digits of the MAC address to identify
it?
Your photos are marginal. No detail, mostly otto focus, too tiny, and
yucky GIF files. The answers you get are only going to be as detailed
as the info you supply. From the blurry image, I don't see anything
that looks incorrect. It should work. What exactly is broken or not
working?
That's a RooTenna by Pacific Wireless
<http://www.fab-corp.com/product.php?productid=2845&cat=255&page=1>
15dBi gain claimed. I'm also a fan of science fiction.
>Repeating the questions with (non-truncated) tinyurl links:
>Q1: Can I replace the ISP's old antenna with this newer better one?
>* 2.4 GHz 19dBi Gain Grid parabolic Dish N-Female, by Laird
>* http://tinyurl.com/3mnxaqu
Sure, no problem. You're only trying to connect to one remote bridge
or access point, so there won't be any issues with coverage area. More
gain is always better.
>Q2: Can I replace the ISP's jury-rigged "bridge" with this "router"?
>* * BULLET-M2-HP Outdoor 802.11n 802.11g, by Ubiquiti
>* http://tinyurl.com/32yjmhh
Maybe. However, it's not plug-n-play. The Bullet M2 HP is my current
favorite and should work electrically. However, there are some
unanswered questions that you'll need to investigate:
1. If authentication is by MAC address, you'll need to change the
registration with the wireless WISP.
2. If the ISP system is using WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption, you'll need to
get the password from the ISP.
3. If the ISP is setting the transmit power to avoid overload at the
central bridge or access point, you'll need to have them set it.
4. If the ISP is using 802.11b only, then you'll need to turn off
802.11g and 802.11n features.
5. If the ISP is using alternative firmware, such as DD-WRT, you'll
need get the correct version number, or have them do it.
Translation: It's not going to happen unless you first contact your
ISP.
>Q3: Can I change the MAC address on this router to match the original
>'bridge'? (Bear in mind, I'm still confused about the difference between
>a router and a bridge; and that I have no problem changing the MAC on my
>Linksys WRT54G router; but I could not connect to the ISP's bridge even
>when I wired it directly to my laptop PC).
I've never tried it, but this *MIGHT* work:
wlanconfig ath0 destroy
ifconfig wifi0 down
ifconfig wifi0 hw ether 11:22:33:44:55:66
ifconfig wifi0 up
wlanconfig ath0 create wlandev wifi0 wlanmode sta
ifconfig ath0 up
If it works, store this in
/etc/persistent/rc.poststart
Again, I haven't tried this, don't know if it works, don't consider
MAC address juggling to be ethically correct, and will not be
responsible if you trash your bridge, or your WISP kicks you off his
system for hacking.
>TIA,for your advice!
Why haven't you just called your WISP for help with repair or
replacement of the existing hardware? Presumably, it worked before it
was dropped and should be adequate for the purpose.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:07:48 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:18:30 -0300, Shadow wrote:
>> If you could read the model numbers/names on the things, it
>> would help a lot
>
>Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
>
>Here are better pictures of the model numbers.
>
>1. The antenna only says "R24-14" & "Vertical Polarity" & "0415H1891".
>Here is a new picture showing that clearly:
>http://bayimg.com/eAhfhaadK
I believe most parabolic antennas can be swiveled to give
vertical, or horizontal polarity. At least, both of mine can :)
Just check with the ISP what they use.
So the antenna is probably NOT a problem.
As to the rest, I thought only the antenna had fallen and was
damaged. If the bridge has been reset, I really don't think you can
recover the settings anymore.
Nmap will only find the admin port, and traceroute will not
work if your connection is not "up".
The default Senao IP is "192.168.1.1", username is "admin" and
there is no password, just press enter.
I would just phone the ISP, tell them what happened and ask
them if you could buy your own antenna/AP. Probably much cheaper.
You seem to be quite capable of putting these things together (and
tearing them apart)
:)
[]'s
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:49:58 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>My connection is beamed to me by my ISP to my POE rooftop antenna (which
>has a jury-rigged bridge inside the enclosure!).
For 6 years on the roof, it doesn't look that bad. No water damage,
no visible corossion, and no jungle rot. I would say the box was
doing its job.
Finding proper radios that will piggyback on panel or dish antennas is
not easy. Ubiquiti figured out that there was a market and has done
wonders in that area.
<http://www.digdice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ubiquiti-bullet-2-and-bullet-5.jpg>
<http://www.digdice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ubiquiti-bullet-2-and-bullet-5-back.jpg>
6 years ago, WISP's were still dealing with router boards, with PCMCIA
cards crammed into slots, and mounted in creative manners. I've seen
(and done) much worse.
>The previous owner paid
>about $300 to the ISP to install this contraption 6 years ago but I never
>knew the horror that was inside until this weekend (see pictures).
The antenna is worth about $50, the box about $40, and the 2611 bridge
another $75. Add $60 more for PoE, misc parts, and fabrication labor.
The former owner apparently got the hardware at cost, and the
installation labor for free.
>There was an intermittent POE connection so I bought a new cat 5 cable &
>in the process of replacing it on the roof end, I dropped the antenna
>housing (containing a bridge tie-wrapped inside) to the ground.
Did you try it after you dropped it? The Rootenna has a 35 degree
beamwidth, so aiming should not be a problem.
>All my end point computer devices (me and the kids) are 801.11g (i.e.,
>not N). Googling, based on the six-year old vintage of the rooftop
>antenna, I presume the rooftop antenna was 2.4Ghz (and not 5 Ghz).
Look at the PCMCIA wireless card or label on the antenna to be sure.
>The ISP appears to validate my subscription by the MAC address on the
>PCMCIA ethernet card inside the jury-rigged bridge inside the rooftop
>antenna enclosure; so, I could just tell them the new MAC address or
>better yet, just change the MAC address of the new setup to that of the
>old.
There might be more than that going on. See my other posting in this
thread.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:40:14 -0300, Shadow wrote:
> the antenna is probably NOT a problem.
I agree. The antenna is the easiest part of the equation. I spent hours
today trying to get a variety of 'routers' from Fryes working. Not one
worked even with Linksys tech support. Apparently very few people deal
with 'bridges' and the Linksys tech guys said the routers I bought don't
function as bridges. (Funny, I thought all routers could be bridges.)
> I thought only the antenna had fallen and was damaged.
Actually, the 'antenna' itself is not damaged.
What's damaged is:
- The antenna enclosure is toast
- The 'pigtail' from the antenna to the bridge broke
- The bridge is probably OK (the lights light up)
I drove to to Frys and Radio Shack and they don't even know what an
antenna pigtail is! :(
Where DO you get a simple male-to-male MC to SMA pigtail in the Silicon
Valley anyway (the MC goes to the PCMCIA ethernet card in the bridge &
the SMA goes to the antenna).
> If the bridge has been reset, I really don't think you can
> recover the settings anymore.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think there 'are' settings in the bridge
(other than the MAC address is hard coded into the ISP's MAC filtering).
I may be wrong, because I really don't (fully) understand what the bridge
was doing in the first place.
As far as I can tell, the bridge was just bridging the two networks (mine
and the ISP's) together. So why I can't find a bridge in the local store
is beyond me but I never looked for a bridge before.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:38:04 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> That's a RooTenna by Pacific Wireless
> <http://www.fab-corp.com/product.php?productid=2845&cat=255&page=1>
> 15dBi gain claimed. I'm also a fan of science fiction.
Hi Jeff,
I was hoping you'd help out. That's EXACTLY the antenna (from the looks
of the picture). Thanks for finding that! The web site you noted says I
can buy a new one for 50 bucks if I just want to replace the broken
enclosure.
The bigger 'problem' is whether the 'bridge' is still working. I see
lights when I power it under POE but I don't have any way of 'testing' it
until I can find a male MC to male SMA pigtail in San Jose. DO you think
in Santa Cruz, where you are, that I can find a pigtail at a local store?
> If authentication is by MAC address, you'll need to change the
> registration with the wireless WISP.
If that's what it takes, I'll buy the equipment and tell them the new MAC
address. I was hoping to just change the MAC address on the router; but
again, if that's what it takes (and if the ISP will let me), I'll just
tell them. It's a local mountain ISP so who knows what they'll do.
> 5. If the ISP is ...
Wow. Lots of stuff I didn't know I needed to consider!
> It's not going to happen unless you first contact your ISP.
OK. I didn't realize that. I've been on the phone with them over the bad
cat5 cable to the roof; but I didn't realize I'd have to do so much with
them. I'll ask them if they let me buy my own 'bridge'.
> Why haven't you just called your WISP for help with repair or
> replacement of the existing hardware? Presumably, it worked before it
> was dropped and should be adequate for the purpose.
Simple. They put in (what appears to be) crappy equipment. For example,
the bridge is 200Mw (apparently) whereas I can put in a watt (e.g.,
Bullet 2 HP) for for what they're charging ($300 or $400 for a new setup).
Fundamentally, by thinking this out, I was hoping to put in better
equipment than they do for the same price (a few hundred bucks) that they
would charge me.
I see your other post so I'll read that next (am at a Starbucks as I
don't have any connection at home yet despite trying everything I could
buy at Fryes).
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:55:43 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>There was an intermittent POE connection so I bought a new cat 5 cable &
>>in the process of replacing it on the roof end, I dropped the antenna
>>housing (containing a bridge tie-wrapped inside) to the ground.
>
> Did you try it after you dropped it? The Rootenna has a 35 degree
> beamwidth, so aiming should not be a problem.
The pigtail broke. I drove all over San Jose looking for a male SMA (for
the antenna) to male MC (for the Ethernet card) pigtail; but I'm
unfamiliar with stores that sell them. So, I don't know how to test
without that pigtail first! :(
I could drive to Santa Cruz tomorrow, if I knew where they sell 'em.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research- Will these replacement parts work?
On 19/04/2011 3:31 PM, Sam Harrison wrote:
> On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:55:43 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>>> There was an intermittent POE connection so I bought a new cat 5 cable&
>>> in the process of replacing it on the roof end, I dropped the antenna
>>> housing (containing a bridge tie-wrapped inside) to the ground.
>>
>> Did you try it after you dropped it? The Rootenna has a 35 degree
>> beamwidth, so aiming should not be a problem.
>
> The pigtail broke. I drove all over San Jose looking for a male SMA (for
> the antenna) to male MC (for the Ethernet card) pigtail; but I'm
> unfamiliar with stores that sell them. So, I don't know how to test
> without that pigtail first! :(
>
> I could drive to Santa Cruz tomorrow, if I knew where they sell 'em.
>
Sorta catch 22 plenty on evilbay , or perhaps a call or two to your
local It and cabling companies
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:35:17 +1000, atec77 wrote:
> local It and cabling companies
I guess that's my homework as offhand, I can't even think of an "it"
company or "cabling" company in the local area ...
But, I was hoping, instead of 'fixing' the broken antenna housing &
pigtail (and perhaps the broken bridge) ... I was hoping to put a whole
net (improved) setup in place.
I'll need to call the WISP and find out if that's feasible, given Jeff's
information that there may be more to that bridge than just the MAC
address filtering.
BTW, it's so hard to find a bridge that I wonder ... where DO people go
to get their bridges anyway?
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:02:43 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:40:14 -0300, Shadow wrote:
>> the antenna is probably NOT a problem.
>
>I agree. The antenna is the easiest part of the equation. I spent hours
>today trying to get a variety of 'routers' from Fryes working. Not one
>worked even with Linksys tech support. Apparently very few people deal
>with 'bridges' and the Linksys tech guys said the routers I bought don't
>function as bridges. (Funny, I thought all routers could be bridges.)
I'm still using a bunch of Linksys WRT54GL's (with dd-wrt firmware) as
bridges, although none are doing the exact duty that you require.
Still, dd-wrt allows you to set the MAC addresses as you wish, I
believe, so that might be an option.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research- Will these replacement parts work?
On 19/04/2011 3:55 PM, Sam Harrison wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:35:17 +1000, atec77 wrote:
>> local It and cabling companies
>
> I guess that's my homework as offhand, I can't even think of an "it"
> company or "cabling" company in the local area ...
>
> But, I was hoping, instead of 'fixing' the broken antenna housing&
> pigtail (and perhaps the broken bridge) ... I was hoping to put a whole
> net (improved) setup in place.
>
> I'll need to call the WISP and find out if that's feasible, given Jeff's
> information that there may be more to that bridge than just the MAC
> address filtering.
>
> BTW, it's so hard to find a bridge that I wonder ... where DO people go
> to get their bridges anyway?
>
I suggest you speak to your isp and discover the operating parameters ,
certain equipment will be required and I don't know your market area so
am unable to be concise although jeff maybe assist when you know , until
then it's supposition and guess work , posting the requirements will help
I often use Ubiquity , BreezeCom or Aironet or even powernoc
sometimes a cheap Asus with wrt will do if it's not in the direct weather
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:22:07 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>The bigger 'problem' is whether the 'bridge' is still working. I see
>lights when I power it under POE but I don't have any way of 'testing' it
>until I can find a male MC to male SMA pigtail in San Jose. DO you think
>in Santa Cruz, where you are, that I can find a pigtail at a local store?
Are you sure it's an MC connector? Double check here:
<http://www.air802.com/connector-identification-chart.html>
Maybe in SCZ at:
<http://www.santacruzelectronics.com>
No clue on San Jose. Frys? I don't buy such things retail. You're
also going to have a problem finding one. There are plenty of SMA to
MC adapters on eBay, but almost all of them have an RP (reverse
polarized) male SMA connector. Try this search on eBay:
mc to sma male -RP pigtail
Incidentally, the Chinese vendors have a strange idea of which SMA
connector is male or female, so try it both ways. I found two
pigtails that qualify.
<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380324784996>
Usually, the MC to SMA pigtail has a bulkhead mounted RP-SMA feed-thru
connector, so that it can be mounted inside a waterproof box. Then an
SMA Male to RP-SMA Male pigtail is used between the box and the
antenna. You may need to find an adapter. I can probably build you a
cable if really desperate but your ISP probably has them laying
around.
>> If authentication is by MAC address, you'll need to change the
>> registration with the wireless WISP.
>
>If that's what it takes, I'll buy the equipment and tell them the new MAC
>address. I was hoping to just change the MAC address on the router; but
>again, if that's what it takes (and if the ISP will let me), I'll just
>tell them. It's a local mountain ISP so who knows what they'll do.
Well, it's not the one I'm thinking of because SurfnetC is running a
mesh network with mostly Mikrotik hardware. Etheric is using Ubiquiti
on 5.7GHz. So, who else is doing a WISP in my back yard?
>Wow. Lots of stuff I didn't know I needed to consider!
>> It's not going to happen unless you first contact your ISP.
Yep. There are plenty of other details that are unknown. Long range
wireless requires tweaking some timing in the bridge. They might be
doing remote management and monitoring, which will require a static IP
address for the bridge. If they're using an exotic protocol, there
might be a license involved. On the other hand, it might just be a
throw it together and hope for the best arrangement. Difficult to
tell from here. However, you may have already made a fatal mistake.
You punched the reset button. I don't know if that clears the
settings on the 2611, but if it does, you have nothing to work with.
>Simple. They put in (what appears to be) crappy equipment. For example,
>the bridge is 200Mw (apparently) whereas I can put in a watt (e.g.,
>Bullet 2 HP) for for what they're charging ($300 or $400 for a new setup).
Major mistake. You want to belch as little power as needed to get a
decent SNR at the receiving end. Anything more just produces
interference. It's the alligator effect. An alligator is an animal
with a big mouth and small ears. If you can transmit farther than you
can hear, then the excess range simply translates into interference.
It's ok to install a higher gain antenna because it increases both
receive and transmit range. However, increasing transmit power only
creates an alligator.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:22:07 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>Simple. They put in (what appears to be) crappy equipment. For example,
>the bridge is 200Mw (apparently) whereas I can put in a watt (e.g.,
>Bullet 2 HP) for for what they're charging ($300 or $400 for a new setup).
I forgot to mumble that Engenius sells what might be the same 2611
board as a wireless client bridge, but with a built in antenna as the
EOC-2611P. It also belches 600mw xmit (Grrrr....)
<http://www.engeniustech.com/index.php/business-networking/outdoor-access-points-client-bridges/3350-80211g-outdoor-high-power-600mw-bridge-access-point-with-dual-antenna-polarity-and-dual-antennas>
It might be simpler to just replace the whole mess with a proper
package. They later models which might offer a few more features, but
the price is right on this one. The internal antenna allegedly has
10dBi gain, which is close enough.
<http://www.engeniustech.com/index.php/networking/productsdatacom/business-networking/outdoor-access-points-client-bridges>
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:50:45 -0700
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:22:07 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
> <samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> >Simple. They put in (what appears to be) crappy equipment. For
> >example, the bridge is 200Mw (apparently) whereas I can put in a
> >watt (e.g., Bullet 2 HP) for for what they're charging ($300 or $400
> >for a new setup).
>
> I forgot to mumble that Engenius sells what might be the same 2611
> board as a wireless client bridge, but with a built in antenna as the
> EOC-2611P. It also belches 600mw xmit (Grrrr....)
-----Had to cut your links for aioe
> It might be simpler to just replace the whole mess with a proper
> package. They later models which might offer a few more features, but
> the price is right on this one. The internal antenna allegedly has
> 10dBi gain, which is close enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833168071
Five star review and an offer if bundled with a Linksys
WRT54GL 802.11b/g compatible with Open Source DD-WRT
Looks like a bargain to me
Sometimes I wish I lived in the USA.
[]'s
>
>
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:40:55 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Are you sure it's an MC connector? Double check here:
> <http://www.air802.com/connector-identification-chart.html>
Sorry it's taking me so long to respond - but I only have hotspot
connectivity.
It's whatever goes on PCMCIA cards that have external antennas. :)
I brought the pigtail to Halted (HSC Electronics) today on Lawrence
Expressway in Sunnyvale; but they didn't have the SMC male to MC male
pigtail needed to test the existing bridge.
Am still driving around ... so will connect from the next hotspot.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:36:15 +1000, atec77 wrote:
> I suggest you speak to your isp and discover the operating parameters ,
> certain equipment will be required and I don't know your market area so
> am unable to be concise although jeff maybe assist when you know
Jeff is in the area (within a couple of miles).
I called the WISP who said I can use anything that works. I just have to
give them the new MAC address.
So I never needed to 'clone' the MAC address of the bridge (that makes
things easier).
The antenna is the easy part ...
I'm not sure what equipment to buy for the 'bridge' part because I don't
really know enough about whether the "Ubiquity Bullet 2 HP" can do the
job.
Calling the WISP, they didn't know anything about the "Bullet 2 HP" but
they suggested this "RB411" (RouterBOARD 411 with Atheros 300Mhz CPU,
32MB RAM, one LAN, one MiniPCI, NAND Storage with RouterOS Level 3 CPE
support). http://routerboard.com/pricelist.php?showProduct=38
So, now, I'm pretty much trying to figure out HOW to select the right
antenna and the right bridge.
For the antenna, I think that's an easy choice (more dBi is better); but
for the bridge, I am not sure what's the criteria of import.
Looking at the specs for the RB411 suggested by the WISP, I can only
understand ONE that matters to me (which is the capability for POE
because I don't want a power supply on the roof).
All the rest of the specs don't seem to matter. The funny thing is there
is no POWER spec at that web page. The old bridge was 200Mw; the desired
"Ubiquity Bullet2 HP" is one watt.
This RB411 doesn't seem to mention the power.
What wattage would you look for? (The WISP source antenna is 1/2 mile
away, line of sight).
RB411:
CPU speed = 300MHz <== I would think this doesn't matter much
RAM = 32MB <== I can't see why this would matter all that much
Architecture = MIPS-BE <== I'm not sure why I would care about this
LAN ports = 1 <== That's all I need I would think
MiniPCI = 1 <== I'll have to look up what this is?
Integrated Wireless = 0 <== I guess the "bridge" can have an antenna?
USB = 0 <== I'm not sure why I'd need USB anyway
Memory Cards = 0 <== I'm not sure why I'd need a memory card anyway
Power Jack = 10-28V <== I'm going to use POE so this won't matter much
802.3af support = No <== I don't even know what this is
PoE = 10-28V <== this is important 'cuz the antenna is on the roof
Voltage Monitor = No <== don't know what this is
Temperature range = -30℃ to +60℃ <== that's ok for California
RouterOS License = Level3 <== I'm not sure why I'd care about this
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:55:43 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Finding proper radios that will piggyback on panel or dish antennas is
> not easy. Ubiquiti figured out that there was a market and has done
> wonders in that area.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for digging up these Ubiquiti outdoor routers that tie to antennas!
As you suggested, I called the WISP today who said I can use anything
that works and all I have to do is give them my MAC address.
The only confusion I have now is how to select what's important among the
choice of routers (for example, the spec sheet for that RB411 router
doesn't even state the wattage).
May I ask you (and the usenet newsgroup in general) ...
QUESTION: What are the most important specs for choosing between two of
these routers?
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:30:46 +0000, Sam Harrison wrote:
> QUESTION: What are the most important specs for choosing between two of
> these routers?
You guys are great!
It seems, from what all you guys said, the following are the MOST
important issues for selecting WISP receivers:
WISP antennas ==> dBi & beam width (which are inversely related)
WISP radios ==> power & compatibility with the ISP
Interestingly, in my area of the Santa Cruz mountains, neither of the two
local WISP (line-of-sight) providers needs much to connect. One wants
only the MAC address while the other doesn't even need that. There is no
other setup, amazingly (no password, no encryption, no nothing).
Both prefer you buy the equipment from them but neither is supplying
greater than 15 dBi antennas nor, more importantly, anything greater than
200mW radios (i.e., they call the 'router' a 'radio' when I talk to them).
One charges $300 for that crummy equipment and you own it and maintain
it; while the other charges $400 and keeps ownership of the lousy
equipment.
So, realistically, 15 dBi 35° beam width antennas will work with 200mW
802.11g/n radios out here in the boonies of Silicon Valley.
I've learned so much from you guys! I'm looking forward to the fun of
playing with these radios & antennas, picking up as much as I can from
the surrounds.
Anyway, I'll try to keep you informed because today I have to mailorder
the antenna & router. My problem now is selecting the best one of the
money and application. It's hard to do that with only intermittent
(hotspot) connectivity. (My wife told me this morning "Life without
Internet isn't worth living!")
I'm trying to be compatible with BOTH WISP providers, so that I leave all
my options open.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:07:44 +0000, Sam Harrison wrote:
Just to keep you updated, the first two line-of-sight WISP providers were
only 1 Mb/sec download speeds (for the $50/month fee); but, in my search,
I found a third line-of-sight WISP (with an antenna over by Alice's
Restaurant) who is "up to 9 Mbit/sec" for the same $50/month charge.
Only this WISP is not 'normal' wifi; it's what they called "Motorola
Canvas" wifi. :(
Problem is, the entire antenna/radio setup is different than "normal"
WiFi! :(
So, for the $300 connect fee, you get the antenna & radio which remains
their property ... (no fun to play with) ... but 9x faster speeds for the
same monthy fee ... :)
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:50:45 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> I forgot to mumble that Engenius sells what might be the same 2611 board
> as a wireless client bridge, but with a built in antenna as the
> EOC-2611P. It also belches 600mw xmit (Grrrr....)
That $75 EOC-2611P seems interesting as a complete package:
- 10dBi panel antenna (Vertical -3dB Bandwidth: 35°)
- 600mW 802.11g router (24 volt POE)
- Signal strength indicator LEDs
The antenna is a bit low on gain but the rest looks nice.
> The internal antenna allegedly has 10dBi gain, which is close enough.
Precisely! :)
Thanks for the pointer as that's the kind of head start I need so that I
expend the energy in the right direction!
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Didresearch - Will these replacement parts work?
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:40:55 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Are you sure it's an MC connector? Double check here:
> <http://www.air802.com/connector-identification-chart.html>
Yes. It's MC. They're apparently designed to be the smallest 2.4 Ghz RF
connector out there in common use so that it will connect to a PCMCIA
card.
I visited SCZ yesterday for the SMA to MC male-to-male pigtail; nice
place. Unfortunately, they didn't carry any MC pigtails; nor do they have
outdoor equipment ... but they are a nice place to know in the future.
> No clue on San Jose. Frys?
Frys is a great superstore (http://www.frys.com) but they don't have any
MC pigtails nor any decent outdoor antenna/radio equipment either. I
tried them first - and picked up tons of stuff - none of which worked so
I have to return it all.
> You're also going to have a problem finding one.
I know that now!
> There are plenty of SMA to MC adapters on eBay, but almost
> all of them have an RP (reverse polarized) male SMA connector.
I need male to male, SMA to MC ... but I don't have a clue as to the
polarity of the two wires! :(
> Try this search on eBay: "mc to sma male -RP pigtail"
Yup. That's the connector. I have no idea the "polarity" of the two wires
inside, but for sure I have a male to male "SMA male straight to MC-Card
right angle Pigtail cable" - just as it shows in that picture: http://tinyurl.com/3tdm7ma
> I found two pigtails that qualify.
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380324784996>
This is perfect. I ordered one, just in case I'm going to resurrect the
old 15dBi rootenna and 200mW router.
> Usually, the MC to SMA pigtail has a bulkhead mounted RP-SMA feed-thru
> connector, so that it can be mounted inside a waterproof box. Then an
> SMA Male to RP-SMA Male pigtail is used between the box and the antenna.
If I understand you correctly, that's EXACTLY what I have. There is a
female SMC mounted to the backplane of the original antenna with a female
MC on the PCMCIA ethernet card inside the antenna enclosure.
> I can probably build you a cable if
> really desperate but your ISP probably has them lying around.
Thanks Jeff. I don't need you to do the building (but it would be nice,
some day, to learn from you by employing you somehow in doing a setup!).
> If authentication is by MAC address, you'll need to change the
> registration with the wireless WISP.
The WISP told me they only need me to give them the new MAC address.
Another local WISP told me they don't even need that!
So it turns out that setup "should" be trivial!
> Well, it's not the one I'm thinking of because SurfnetC is running a
> mesh network with mostly Mikrotik hardware. Etheric is using Ubiquiti
> on 5.7GHz. So, who else is doing a WISP in my back yard?
Surfnet is the WISP who only needs the MAC address.
Hilltop needs nothing whatsoever; any antenna will pick them up.
Skyline Broadband Service uses the Motorola Canvas technology.
I didn't know about Etheric. They have a Loma Prieta tower which, they
say, has an "FCC licensed private link" to their Etheric datacenter
which, they say, loses 2 packets per hour as opposed to 200,000 packets
per hour on an unlicensed link.
They will not let me install my own equipment though - and their service
is a (they say) guaranteed 1Mb/sec for $85/month with, they say, 2ms
latency (compared to ten times that for the other local WISP providers).
> Major mistake. You want to belch as little power as needed to get a
> decent SNR at the receiving end. Anything more just produces
> interference. It's the alligator effect.
I don't really understand that (because it's non intuitive). I'll check
it out as what you're saying is that I don't need a 1 Watt radio. Hmmm...
but, can't the router automatically lower the transmit/receive power if
it doesn't need it?
> It's ok to install a higher gain antenna because it increases both
> receive and transmit range. However, increasing transmit power only
> creates an alligator.
This is non intuitive. I don't doubt what you're saying (you know more
than I do); but I'll have to figure out then HOW MUCH power I really want
then, if it's so delicate a balance.
Re: Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research - Will these replacement parts work?
On Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:33:08 +0000 (UTC), Sam Harrison
<samiamharrison@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>I visited SCZ yesterday for the SMA to MC male-to-male pigtail
You could have phoned me. My number is on their wall of business
cards and in my message signature. My office is near the intersection
of Hwy 1 and Hwy 17. However, all my RF stuff is at home in Ben
Lomond, so that's not going to work. Oh well.
>So it turns out that setup "should" be trivial!
Assumption, the mother of all screwups. I hope you're correct.
>> Well, it's not the one I'm thinking of because SurfnetC is running a
>> mesh network with mostly Mikrotik hardware. Etheric is using Ubiquiti
>> on 5.7GHz. So, who else is doing a WISP in my back yard?
>
>Surfnet is the WISP who only needs the MAC address.
>Hilltop needs nothing whatsoever; any antenna will pick them up.
>Skyline Broadband Service uses the Motorola Canvas technology.
Surfnet likes Mikrotik hardware. I have a Routerboard 133c you can
have. However, two problems. One is that I can't find where I hid
it. The other is that I had to clear the password protected settings,
which also cleared the firmware. Without a pricey license from
Mikrotik, it's useless. Stick with the Ubiquiti radios. They work.
>I didn't know about Etheric. They have a Loma Prieta tower which, they
>say, has an "FCC licensed private link" to their Etheric datacenter
>which, they say, loses 2 packets per hour as opposed to 200,000 packets
>per hour on an unlicensed link.
Yep. It does go down in storms, lightning hits, fiber cuts, and long
term electrical failures. I have several customers on Etheric. Good
stuff and works well. Here's Visio diagram of one:
<http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/RDL-network/RDL%20Network.htm>
>They will not let me install my own equipment though - and their service
>is a (they say) guaranteed 1Mb/sec for $85/month with, they say, 2ms
>latency (compared to ten times that for the other local WISP providers).
I dived into the settings on their ubiquiti Rocket M5. It's a fairly
complex setup and I would not expect you to be able to get it right.
The also don't want to try doing installs over the phone, which tends
to take forever after the first mistake. Better to have them do it
right the first time.
>can't the router automatically lower the transmit/receive power if
>it doesn't need it?
Nope. That's a major problem with wi-fi and the FCC rules. There's
no provision for automagic power control. Almost every other service
type that's been available since about 1985 has had automagic power
control, but not wi-fi. There are some wi-fi devices that claim to do
this, but I don't recall which ones.
>> It's ok to install a higher gain antenna because it increases both
>> receive and transmit range. However, increasing transmit power only
>> creates an alligator.
>
>This is non intuitive. I don't doubt what you're saying (you know more
>than I do); but I'll have to figure out then HOW MUCH power I really want
>then, if it's so delicate a balance.
It's not a delicate balance. It's just a bad idea. Two examples.
Wireless mesh network was running single radio (store and forward)
outdoor poletop radios maximum power (1 watt into 6dBi antenna).
Packet loss was very high. Users would connect, move a little, and
instantly disconnect. After much politics and little technology, I
convinced them to lower their poletop transmit power to about 50-100
mw. Things magically improved. They were causing most of their own
interference.
Local abuser was running an open access point with a 5 watt amp into
an 8dBi panel antenna on a tall downtown building. You could see his
SSID all over town, but it was almost impossible to connect. While
his transmit range was many miles, he could only hear the typical
20-50 mw laptop perhaps a few hundred feet.
Oops. I dropped my ISP's jury-rigged rooftop antenna - Did research -Will these replacement parts work? 
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