For some background see this thread
http://empeg.comms.net/php/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=offtopic&Number=212813&page=&view=&sb=&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

The T1 is up and running. It is assigning 192.168.x.x ip addresses.

We want to plug an access point into the switch.
We want an access point at my house which is 1km exactly and in clear line of sight to the location of the T1.
We also want another access point at my friends house which is visible from my house and about 1.5 kms away.

What do we need to buy? So far we have been told we need 4 access points (LinkSys WAP11s??). One at the T1, one at my house to get the signal from the T1, one more at my house to send the signal to my buddy, one at his house to receive the signal from me. Also, will we need 4 directional antennas to do this or just directional for the second and fourth access points above?

Thanks!

I've always wanted to setup my own long range wireless LAN, but have never had the need (and before you ask boxer you are too far away to share my ADSL ) Sounds like a very interesting project!

You may want to do a Google search, I found this in a few minutes, there is loads of info out there.

I'm sure that 4 AP's would do the trick, but how much cooler is a MESH wireless lan shared out to your mates. I think tfabris houses some gear for one of these networks, Tony ???

I do run a mini version of what you are trying to do. I have 2 D-Link DWL-1500 Wireless Bridges, this extends my network into the kitchen to feed my Rio Reciever and acts as a repeater to extend the range for my laptop (it says in the manual this souldn't work, but it does???). You do need directional antennas at each point of the connection, so you will need 4.

The danger in using WAP's is that you are extending the schools network out into the community, you need to consider what security you are going to set up, a firewall at the school end would be cool.

Also, would there be much of a lag for your mate at 2.5km from the T1???

Mmm, really wish I had a project like this to have a stab at!!!

Cheers, goodluck, keep us posted on your progress.

Cris.

Yeah, I've got some long-distance wireless gear on my roof. It's not mine, though, so I know very little about it.

The antennas simply connect into the antenna jack on the Lucent PCMCIA cards and everything else is just like a regular Wireless connection. They're wire dish antennas, I don't know who makes them or what.

The trick is that the cable running from the roof antenna down to the box with the PCMCIA card in it has to be a special kind of beefy low-loss antenna cable, with a special kind of pigtail connector to fit the card.

I've also (back in the days before 802.11b) set up a building-to-building wireless connection of about 1/2 mile. Things I learned from that:

- Antenna pointing is important (and tricky).
- Do not store the wireless routing gear in the hot attic or it will die at 2pm every day starting in the spring months.

You might want to take a look at O'Reilly's Wireless Hacks. That book goes into a lot of detail about long distance wireless setups. They even get into how to build your own antennae and they also address specifics on securing your wireless setup. They also have a nice step-by-step how to on hacking into practically any b network - but you can experiment with that at your own leisure.

What you get depends a good deal on your budget. I linked two buildings approx 1/4 mile apart with 802.11g wirless bridges from Buffalo Tech, and apart from a clunky web interface, they've been flawless through the New England winter (they went live in October and haven't been touched or rebooted since). I was worried about the brand, but it's been great. The whole kit, including wires, antennae, bridges and power over Cat5 kit was $900 total for both ends. (not counting install labor & masts)

Bridge
Antennae
Power over Ethernet
Coax Cable (the shorter the better)

You'll need masts too, but you can get those at Radio Shack.

The shorter the Coax the better, signal losses accrue with length. That's why the Power over Ethernet - my routers are up in the rafters and I didn't want to pay electricians to put outlets up there. The POE modules are plugged into the UPS at my patch panels/hubs at each end.

Oh yeah, laser pens are handy for aiming as are a pair of FRS radios (Motorola Talkabouts etc...).

You'd probably also want a grounded sheild someplace between the two antennae at the 'elbow' to prevent sideband radiation from one antenna interfering with the other.

My result was 1.2MByte/second throughput in either direction. The data is encrypted at the bridges and they only answer to eachother. I don't remember the encryption details...I'm sure they're on the BuffaloTech website someplace.

YMMV, of course! Good luck.

-Zeke

(and before you ask boxer you are too far away to share my ADSL )

I believe you, remember I'm the guy who can't get a wireless network to talk to a Rio-Receiver in the next room!

Oh yea I forgot about your bomb proof house!

It's a shame we don't live a little closer together, I would have been up for giving that a try. It could still be an option for you, do you know anyone who lives down in Wetherby who wouldn't mind having a load of WiFi gear on their roof???

Or how about setting up a MESH network in the village, I'm sure you'd get loads of interest. Although BT has started trials of BroadBand at 10km, so maybe it's not so far away from you after all.

Cheers

Cris.

Although BT has started trials of BroadBand at 10km, so maybe it's not so far away from you after all.

Yea, it'll be 30kms. and they'll still be telling me, fine for everybody, but not for you!
On the other hand, as a respected product tester, although Sony seem to have lost my address, maybe BT would like me for a beta tester on the 10km. service!

Lol, good try. BT are doing the trials in Milton Keynes at the moment.

We only need an extension of say 0.5-1km to get you on. It would work now, but with the current DSL cards and filters it wouldn't work very well. They have made some changes to the filtering at both ends to get DSL to work at these lengths, I think at the moment the people on the trial can't use it for internet access yet, it's just there to see if it stays in sync, don't wrry though as soon as I get wind I'll let you know.

Cheers

Cris.

BT are doing the trials in Milton Keynes at the moment

Why would concrete cows need broadband?

To download moovies of course.

-Zeke

*groan* That one is just terrible!

Thank you. I try.

-Zeke