pig tail - linksys wap54g

I've just got my hands on a WAP54G AP, and i'm planning on using it to make an access point - but I dont have a pig tail for the thing.

I understand that the connector, rp-tnc, is rather proprietory, and not a lot of manufacturers use it.

I had a look at shop.borg.co.nz, but cant find any pigtails. Will I have to make my own, or will I just have to get one from overseas?

Also, a couple of questions...
How perfectly will my 19dbi grid have to be aligned to an onmi about 1km away to get a reasonable link? Is aligning it just a matter of getting up there with a laptop and positioning it with my hand?

I also read about fresnel zones - how much of an effect is this going to have on my link? There is possibly a building sort of in the way, but I should still get LOS.

Has anyone else here had experience with the WAP54G in regards to transmit power and firmware? I heard there was a firmware upgrade for the WAP11 to increase transmit power, is there anything like that for the G version yet, or am I being a little hasty?

Another question rain has a rather nasty effect on sky digital - is there such a thing as rainfade for 2.4GHz links?

1km is piss all, you dont need to align to an omni coz of the fact its an *onmidirectional* (afaik)

from what ive read it doesnt make much difference, its like less than 1db

ok, thanks...

I have a couple more questions regarding the topology of the said link:

at both ends, are wired networks(obviously), and this is supposed to be a link between them.

I understand how a simple wireless system works - you can have an AP at one end, and a client card at the other end - like any normal wireless network...

but what about having an AP at both ends? will that configuration still work sweet? That would effectivly bridge two wired networks using a wireless link.

A question regarding ad-hoc wireless mode - I understand that most pci cards cannot act as an AP, so if a node is connected to the wireless network, and the wired network, another wireless node cannot access the wired network through that computer?

I know these may sound like stupid questions, but i'm just trying to get the topology worked out in my head, before I go and buy anything else :wink:

either use AP bridge mode (dlink 900AP's do this) or use one AP as an access point and the other in client mode (900ap's also do this)

With the linksyses being linux based there are heaps of interesting hacks floating around for them.

The router looks more promising as its basically a linux box with 2 ethernets and a wireless, the default config isnt much use but can be made into your border router with the wireless running as a bridge back to the central AP.

If only I had more time to play with these things...

i didnt know they were linux based

I've found a firmware hack which basically increases the output power to 84mW, but thats about all...

There dont seem to be many resources on the access point at this stage, just one site in german or something http://www.wirelessnederland.nl/ i think, theres a big thread on it, and thats where the firmware hack is.

I notice in the web based admin that it says to use it in bridge mode, im going to have to use it with another linksys access point... does that necessarily mean I have to go with another linksys, or will any AP work in bridge mode with it?

On another note, a problem(not really a problem, more of an issue I wanted to solve) which I encountered while fiddling with my Dlink cards, (cardbus and pci) is that with windows xp(or 2000) you can set up a software bridge, so that in ad-hoc mode, the pci card can act as an access point for the laptop. I know that ad-hoc is somewhat differently structured to an infrastructure based wireless network, but it still provides pretty much the same functionality for those who dont have an actual access point, and want to bridge wireless with wired.

http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/WAP54G
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/LinksysWrt54g

The router seems to be the target of most peoples attention since its cheaper and has more functionality.

contact shadowx ie borg to see what kind of pigtail he can make for you.
discuss with him the length of run to you antenna. What connectors do you want on your cable ie what is on your antenna? borg waveguides use N female. jj