Hay all.
Have just finished putting up our poles today, pored the concrete and so on. Will be installing the batters, AP, waveguide and solar panel tomorrow.
All is looking pretty dam good. But just wanted to know the best way to go about lining up the aerials! The problem that I see is, I’m running two routers (DI-614, DI-624) and an AP (AP900). Bother routers have 24dbi parabolic ants, and the AP is running the waveguide. (Soon to be upgraded). Is there any way to get some program like Netstumbler to run off a router or AP? Or get a strength meter up on the routers? Well, hopefully everything will go well tomorrow. Got to climb this bloody hill again. The access track is a bit muddy and covered with rocks. My wee front wheel drive Mazda doesn't like it much.
I've only ever seen it done with a laptop and netstumbler, basicly setup one pointing in the direction of the other, go to the other one, move around til you get the best signal, then move back to the first and try tweak it to see if you can get it any better
You could drop some serious coin on some alignment kit (~$1.4G for something halfway decent, or even more if you go the whole hog and get a spectral analyser/oscillo) but for that money you may as well get a lappie and netstumbler. Tune it once and then leave it the hell alone
You dont need a powerful lappie either... a second hand Toshiba Sattelite 2520CDT will cost you a hundy or two, can take a fair beating and will ask for more - it's almost standard kit for Telco guys, but they're all upgrading to the Falcon (useless) PDA at the moment.
I'm currently looking at picking up an ipaq and the pcmcia pack, that would definately be easier to use than a laptop when you're halfway up a ladder or sitting akwardly on a steep roof
I used a PCMCIA pack for my PDA for a while (borrowed it off trvln), have to say, it is useful, but there are tools that don't work on the PDA very well (can't think of which ones off the top of my head)
It is a lot easier than lugging a laptop around, but I'd rather use a laptop (if I had one)
Hay guys,
Got ourselves a small problem. Have got the link all set up, with the AP900 with the Waveguide connected (up the hill), and the DI-612 at our house connected to a 24dbi Parabolic, and I cant get a connection at all!! But after hanging a PC from the eaves 8O with a DSE wireless card in it, and connected the parabolic to it, I got a connection straight away! It was only at 20% 1mb, which is not enough really. :cry: Anyway, back on the topic of the router, when I took the covers off and put it inside a waterproof box, I noticed a small device (looked like it could be an aerial) coming out of on a length of coax! I have a feeling I have to disconnect this and terminate it some how. Can someone please advice. And if any one has any suggestions to how I would go about getting some more signal strength, that would be good to, :wink:
Thanx
Travis
the 900AP+ has a power firmware out and about.. search for it.. as for the errand device that you are concerned about, leave it be. it's just the internal antenna by the sounds of it. What you need to do is specify which antenna you want to use, you can find this information alongside the 900ap+ power firmware
If the router uses an AP function you will need to set it to client mode or both the AP and the Router to Bridge mode, if that is all the link will be for
I thought the 614 was a router? These I have a dlink router here, and theres no option on what mode the wireless works in at all, its only an AP - no client, no bridge, nothing.
then that would be a reason for the link not to work. try setting the AP to client mode then, something must be a clinet, APs cannot connect ot each other.
Well, I may have two D-Link Routers to sell!!! 1X DI-614 and 1X DI-624. When I got them I had a fair idea how all the aerials and things worked, what sort I deeded and how big. But not the AP's and Routers. Woops, what would you recommend to do the job?
Want something cheap to do the job! Will need at least two.
May have to get some DWL-AP2000s, they seem to be well priced and are able to connect to each other.
May have to get some DWL-AP2000s, they seem to be well priced and are able to connect to each other.
Errr, I suggest you pass on the dwl2000 - I have one inside as an AP, the laptop connects to it fine, but the one I have in teh shed connecting to it has issues.. On the latest firmware, broadcasts dont make it from the lan to the remote computer. so you cant pint it from the lan, because the arps never get to the remote computer. Pinging from it to the lan is fine, it also breaks the whole network neighbourhood thing too... have to access machines by IP address.
I have a 900AP+, was a dog to get working out of the box, but since then has been ok.
I recently replaced it with a Linksys WRT54G, instant coverage increase (approx 500 - 700m).
(Roof top setup with Borg 8+8 slot)
The DLink now sits in the office.
The good thing about the Dlink is its onboard log of connected clients.
I think the Linksys has this but have not figured out how to work it yet.
this is what we are planning to do http://ww3.lateral.net.nz/install.jpg
hopefully this will make it easier to understand
Thanks for advice on the ap's also
Cheers Travis
Hmmm, could be a bit hard to get a pic, mite have to ask Scarfies if he can come have a look! he mite be able to explain it a bit better.
Fresnel??? Do i really need to know?? lol. Will have a go at finding a desent camera
But it is line of sight, plenty of space either side of the antennas.
Just short of some AP's to do the job now. (hopefully)
Fresnel can be your best friend and your worsed enemy!
There are a couple of things you can play with that will give you an idea as to how it works.
1. Go into the kitchen and turn on the tap lightly so you get a small steady stream of water. Then take a knife and hold it close to the stream or water. You will notice the stream of water will bend.
Now imagine that as a radio signal. Great for the houses behind a larger object but your signal will fall short of its target.
The same thingapplies to anything either side of the signal path, this will essentially do the same thing on the horizontal plane.
2. Get a bag of marbles and drop them on the floor. they will all bounce up and down verticly. now do the same thing to a peice of corogated iron and they will go all over the place.
this is what we are planning to do http://ww3.lateral.net.nz/install.jpg
hopefully this will make it easier to understand
Thanks for advice on the ap's also
Cheers Travis
Can you post details of the gear you used for the Solor powered hilltop? i currently have a prime relay point with no power and need some ideas
Where do you want me to put it? i'll put it in hardware i think, new post! will do this in da next few days.
Thanx for ur help guys, much appreciated.
Robin
Lining up antennas 
Linear Mode
