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Wireless alignment ?

  • 04-04-2003 4:10pm
    #1
    Gaz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,590 ✭✭✭


    Just looking into the possiblity of setting up a WLAN between our companys two sites.

    My question is , what sort of equipment is needed in order to align your antennae ? If you use an omni-directional antennae is alignment even a factor ? Whats the range using omni directional ?

    If using a something semi/highly directional like parabolic dish i assume you would need a signal gauge of some kind , anyone know what sort , for 802.11a and b ?

    cheers


Comments

  • #2
    Rew
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    802.11a is illegle (without a licence) ooutdoors in Ireland...

    What distance appart are the 2 sites?
    Have u got LOS?

    Most WLAN software has a signal gauge built in to it so you would use that and a decent pair of binoculars. Distance is achived with power/gain of the antena. irishwan.org is the best place to get techie advice about antena's...


  • #3
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,367 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    cf. www.irishwan.org - trawl through the fourms - do searches etc.

    (2.4GHZ) 802.11b is legal (provided you stay within the power limits) and a hell of a lot cheaper - also 802.11a is only faster over very short links.
    7

    All good WiFi gear comes with software that monitors the signal. Alignment is like TV or satellite - first you do point them as accutately as you can till you get the link. Then you move left 'till the signal starts to drop off sharply - the right to find to other drop - and if you have clear line of sight the centre will be the mid point. Repeat for the other end and for up/down.

    Distance depends on a lot of things like terrain covered and inteference - but you can get up to 4/5 miles at 5.5Mb on 802.11b on a good day.

    For gear check www.vbnets.com
    eg: http://www.vbnets.com/products/page.php?id=93

    AFAIK you can't get 802.11a (~5GHz) here yet with external connectors - check www.comreg.ie for info on how to register your external point to point link...


  • #4
    Gavin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,676 ✭✭✭Gavin


    ignore me


  • #5
    quozl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,308 ✭✭✭quozl


    802.11a is legal for outdoor use, you just have to register all nodes with comreg. A simple email will do I believe.

    Most drivers have a signal to noise ratio value given, so you just adjust the antenna's until you get the highest snr. Antennas generally have side lobes, so a local maximum may not be the biggest maximum, so do watch out for that,

    You don't want to be doing long distance links with omni's if you can avoid it. You'll pick up lots of noise, and the beams are generally down tilted and narrow vertically, so there is still a matter of aiming if you're at different elevations.

    Greg


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