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NEED HELP! WISP is using all 3 major channels is preventing me from using my AP

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:47 pm
by stevieg
Hello:

I've got a WISP who just happens to have a tower 5 blocks direct LOS from me who is using channels 2, 6, and 11 (effectively using all 3 channels) Now my Dlink 650+ card in my laptop which is about 3 feet from my Linksys wireless router has a terrible time connecting.

Basically my process everytime i fire up my laptop
1. start Netstumbler, and monitor the 3 ap's and determine which one has the lowest strength at that time
2. change my AP channel to whatever that lowest signal is
3. wait anywhere from 3-30minutes for my card to finally connect to my AP

This was kind of OK before when the WISP used to only have 2 AP's on that tower but now he has added a third and it is getting very annoying to not be able to use my own AP which isnt 2 feet away cause my card is getting blasted with the radio comm's from this bloody WISP.

I've talked to the guy and he swears that all his equipment is running within the regulated output spec's.

Is there anything you guys can suggest except putting a wire mesh across the front of my house :-)

Steve

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:03 pm
by Chris
There must be a reason that you don't do the obvious, which would be to set your AP to use channel 1,3,4,5 or 7-10?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:07 pm
by julesinalbans
802.11a.....

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:45 pm
by stevieg
I dont move into the mid channels because in wifi 101 it teaches that there is only 3 main channels:1, 6, and 11, because of spill over into the other channels before and after.


Steve

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:48 pm
by stevieg
The other thing is I dont wanna have to go out and buy all new wireless gear under a different frequency just cause this WISP decided to cheap out and not use some actual commercial stuff like the motorola canopy system. That and I am SURE that if i am having this problem there is others in my area who are as well but just dont have the knowledge to figure out whats wrong.


Steve

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 2:54 pm
by Chris
Originally posted by stevieg
I dont move into the mid channels because in wifi 101 it teaches that there is only 3 main channels:1, 6, and 11, because of spill over into the other channels before and after.


Steve


Gee, thanks for the WiFi 101 primer. It must be Wifi 102 that teaches, if your signal sucks, try a different channel.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:01 pm
by stevieg
Actually I have tried all the channels just for curiosity sake, tried moving the antenna's on my AP, moving my AP etc etc

I wouldnt mind it if i could find a channel and be able to keep it there but depending on time of day/weather conditions i keep having to change.

This has been an ongoing battle for about 7 months already and my patience for this WISP is getting a bit thin :-)

Anybody know if there is any legal recourse that can be done? or know of any obscure bylaws in some city that says if it encroaches on my personal property than it can be considered a nuisance or something like that?


Steve

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:17 pm
by NightShade737
Originally posted by stevieg
Actually I have tried all the channels just for curiosity sake, tried moving the antenna's on my AP, moving my AP etc etc

I wouldnt mind it if i could find a channel and be able to keep it there but depending on time of day/weather conditions i keep having to change.

This has been an ongoing battle for about 7 months already and my patience for this WISP is getting a bit thin :-)

Anybody know if there is any legal recourse that can be done? or know of any obscure bylaws in some city that says if it encroaches on my personal property than it can be considered a nuisance or something like that?


Steve


Crack his WEP key and use his network instead :rolleyes:

Only joking. Baseball bat is probably an easier solution.

NS

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:19 pm
by Madhadder
Originally posted by stevieg
Anybody know if there is any legal recourse that can be done? or know of any obscure bylaws in some city that says if it encroaches on my personal property than it can be considered a nuisance or something like that?



No Chance....

As long as the Equip. is in Spec. and is Part 15 Compliant, which
it sounds like it is.. You gotta put-up with it.. Or find a way around
it.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:28 pm
by Mr.White
What makes you think you have more rights to a channel than anybody else does? You can use any of the other channels.

Maybe you are causing just as much trouble for them. Have you even tried contacting them? Any lawyer could see that it would be cheaper and easier for you to use different equipment than it would for the ISP to change their entire network and all their client adapters to suit you.

Call them. Tell them what's going on. They may be able to work something out with you. They may even switch channels around if it solves any problems they may be having. I know if I got a call about my equipment barking over other people's gear, I would try to resolve the issue. This isn't really the place to bitch about it.

BTW, just because they aren't using Motorola's canopy doesn't make them cheap. It makes them smart. $500 dollars for client equipment and $3000 for an AP setup is friggin ridiculous when you can use SmartBridge or Orinoco equipment for a fraction of the Canopy cost and still get 3 times the range. Equipment cost is always passed on to the customer. I would have maybe 1/4 of the customers I have if I were using Motorola's gear.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:29 pm
by Chris
Well, it's probably more work that it is worth and would end up costing you more money than you want to spend, but if they are causing harmful interference to LICENSED operators they have to fix it. You don't need a license for your AP, but you do for things likeamateur TV.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2001/02/15/2/?nc=1

Get a license, note the interference then complain. Personally I would see if a better card didn't fix your problems before I went to all of that trouble. Do you have a friend with an Orinoco Gold (The Lucent or "Classic" Version) that you could have over to see if you run into the same problem with it? Just a thought.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:29 pm
by NightShade737
Originally posted by Madhadder
You gotta put-up with it.. Or find a way around
it.


You could try to fight fire with fire by mounting a 50ft satalite dish on your roof, pointing it directly at his network and then using the same channels but doing nothing on the network other than sending out a shoutcast server 24/7 playing non-stop Simon & Garfunkal.

Sorry, trying to squeese some ammusement out of a bad situation.

NS

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:53 pm
by Chris
Originally posted by NightShade737
sending out a shoutcast server 24/7 playing non-stop Simon & Garfunkal.



Like A Wireless Bridge Over Troubled Water?

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen...I'll be here all week, make sure to tip your waitresses.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 4:36 pm
by NightShade737
Originally posted by Chris
Like A Wireless Bridge Over Troubled Water?

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen...I'll be here all week, make sure to tip your waitresses.


Or how about "Call me Hal"?

:rolleyes:
NS

PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 4:41 pm
by renderman
Originally posted by Chris
Like A Wireless Bridge Over Troubled Water?

Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen...I'll be here all week, make sure to tip your waitresses.


Try the Veal, It's Excellent!

Back to the topic at hand, Madhadder is right, you have no LEGAL recourse. However, a 'concerned citizen' approach might get you more milage (or a free account) if you talk to them. These are the things that happen in unlicensed bands.

You might want to look into the fiesability of some RF shielding between your AP and the WISP's. I've not sat down and calculated it, but Wire window screen might be effective enough to lower thier signal. Longshot, but experimentation is half the fun.