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ordered a WSB24 and BEFW11S4 today

PostPosted: Sat Dec 21, 2002 3:56 pm
by stevieg
Ordered a Linksys WSB24 and BEFW11S4 today, both should be here by end of next week, adding to that my Pacific Wireless 12db omni. Hoping to get my P2MP network running, this will be the base unit and i have two Dlink DWL-900AP+ for the other ends.

Distance covered is going to be about ~1km, I have LOS meaning no buildings between me and them, only hitch is there are a few evergreen trees in the way, i'm hoping on brute forcing the signal through the tree's, think its possible?

got a quick question if i put omni's on all three units in a P2MP scenario, the client AP's will still be able to function as AP's right? meaning that the other people will be able to use a wireless card as well as wired right?

PS sorry for the newbie question in there

Steve

PostPosted: Sat Dec 21, 2002 4:39 pm
by Mr.White
There is no chance of shooting through pine trees. They eat up the signal MORE than decid..ou..s...er...uh...regular trees. You will have to go over or around them.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 11:40 am
by Thorn
Yeah, pine trees are a LOT worse. Your average pine tree comes equiped with about a half-million 2.4GHz water-filled 1/2-wave antennae. Xmas tree marketers cleverly call them "pine needles," but we know what they really are.

They'll kill a signal quicker than you can say "wireless."

PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:30 pm
by agentgrn
Originally posted by Thorn
Yeah, pine trees are a LOT worse. Your average pine tree comes equiped with about a half-million 2.4GHz water-filled 1/2-wave antennae. Xmas tree marketers cleverly call them "pine needles," but we know what they really are.

They'll kill a signal quicker than you can say "wireless."
Well, if my holiday tree were in line with my AP, I'd know what my problem is...though I'm going to get me one of these amps when the budget allows for it so I can sit in my living room (30' or so away) and still use the signal.

Must be something in the sheetrock here, but my indoor signal totally goes to pot after a very short distance.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:42 pm
by Thorn
Lots of things can be a problem. Sheetrock can be a problem. In new construction, there is also foil covered insulation. In old, there's expanded steel in the lathe.

Just a couple of things off the top of my head.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 6:01 pm
by agentgrn
Originally posted by Thorn
Lots of things can be a problem. Sheetrock can be a problem. In new construction, there is also foil covered insulation. In old, there's expanded steel in the lathe.
The place was built in the late 1980s, so it's not all that old, but the foil insulation may be part of it, since the place does seem to be heavily insulated, particularly since it's very quiet here. If the support beams are steel, then it would make sense why I can't go far inside.

I think that it's more noise-related with everyone else's cordless phones and baby monitors and all that other stuff that runs in dense population areas. I can say with a little certainty that other wireless networks are not the problem since my section of the city I'm in doesn't have digital cable (yet). There are a handful of IDSLers here, though.

I'd really need to get my mits on a spectrum analyzer to be sure though. Maybe someday when I have some spare change...

PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 9:40 pm
by HAiRYANiMAL
where did you buy your Linksys WSB24 from?!?!?!

Thanks,
HAiRY

Outpost.com has them

PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 6:28 pm
by makarov
I just got one from Outpost. I am not impressed. I hope mine is broken, and I am returning it to see if a different one works better/at all.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:20 pm
by HAiRYANiMAL
tell me how the new one is! i want to know!

RMA on the way

PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2003 3:04 pm
by makarov
I have requested a cross shipped RMA. I should have it by Monday/Tuesday. I am hoping that the product in general works.

New booster has arrived... oh well

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2003 8:42 pm
by makarov
I just got my new WSB24 and got it installed. It is working, but I am not convinced it was the best way to spend $100. For the same money a could have bought a dlink bridge and moved my signal out.

I set both laptops on the coffee table (20ft through a wall) because I noticed the signal was very sensitive to the angle. One card was a dl-650 and the other was a dl-650+. The + was almost 100% signal before and the dl-650 was about 40% signal strength. With the booster attached the 650+ was unchanged and the dl-650 was boosted to about 60%.

I took the 650 outside and across the street and the signal was basically unchanged @ 16%-20%, but with the booster, I found one sweet spot that was about 40%. The laptop had to be at the right angle and if I moved 2ft either way it dropped down.

The next step needs to be better anten-eye. That may have been the best starting point.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 8:48 pm
by Wanderer
Try getting different client cards first. Everyone that I know that has complained about range on their BEFW11S4 has been using a D-Link card. I'm almost starting to think that there was a significant number of them that are not quite right.

See if someone you know can loan you an Orinoco card and see if it does any better.

If that doesn't work. you might try one of the patch antenna kits off fab-corp.com.. They're selling a 10 db antenna with a 4 foot cable for $60.