Re: need guidance for a sparse wireless network

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:59:54 -0500, urbantiger
<urbantiger.33042o@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> wrote in
<urbantiger.33042o@no-mx.wirelessforums.org>:

>I don't have any significant experience in setting up wireless networks,
>so I may use the wrong terms in what follows.
>
>In a small religious community in rural Australia, most of the
>residents are scattered in small single person dwellings (studio's) up
>to 2Km from the main "house". The main house has a satellite internet
>link and a Netgear wireless router which serves the two residents who
>live in that house. Other residents either have their desktop computers
>located in the main house, carry their laptops to the main house or use
>dial up (slow and expensive).
>
>I have established that studio's with clear LOS to the house can
>receive a wireless signal (up to 48Mbps) to a laptop with a Netgear USB

Don't trust that speed if it's coming from Windows.
Your actual speed under load is probably way less than that.

>wireless adapter if I am outside of the studio, in some cases on its
>roof. Because the house is situated at the high point of a ridge some
>studios don't have LOS at ground level to the house.
>
>What I'm thinking of doing it put an external aerial at each location
>with an Ethernet-802.11b/g bridge (hopefully with PoE). At the main

The external antenna should be directional (and weatherproof of course)
and pointed at the main house, which will greatly improve signal over an
omni antenna.

>house the bridge would be Cat 5'd to the Netgear router (only one of its
>Cat5 ports is used), at the studio's the bridges would be Cat5'd to the
>residents computer.

I suggest you try good high-gain antennas at the studios before messing
with the main house.

>- Would this work?
>- Are there other approaches I should consider?
>- What sort of bridge should I use?

I use and recommend Buffalo high-power products.

>- What sort of aerials should I use?

Either panel or dish antennas, depending on how much gain you need.
Start by testing a panel at the worst studio, going up to the dish if
necessary. The wiki below has links to antenna manufacturers, although
it's oriented to the USA, so you might have to do your own hunting in
Australia.

>- Might I need to use multiple aerials at "the house" (omni
> directional for the closer studio's and a directional for each studio
> further away)?

Possibly, in which case you'll also need multiple access points, but a
medium-gain omni might be sufficient with high-gain antennas at the
studios. A high-gain omni might have too small a vertical pattern.

>- Should I put bridges in roof (hence PoE) to minimize aerial cable
> length.

Yes.

>- What about lightning arrestors, the area gets lots of storms ?

Not a bad idea.

>Cost is a significant issue, so if I can assemble bridges and aerials
>from parts etc then I would consider doing that - although because I
>live 200Km away I have to consider support.

With that kind of support distance I strongly recommend high-grade kit.

--
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