Point to Point Wifi-anybody know where to get info on parts

**riddle14** · 01-25-2006, 05:40 PM

I am in Iraq and I have a Satellite Internet connection. Which by the way is actually pretty good. Anyways I only have the connection at my Hangar and I would like to have it back in my room which is a mile away. I have no line of site issues between the two places. I have found some websites that sell Point to Point systems but they are anywhere from 500 dollars and up. Here is one that i have found(http://www.jackwireless.com/product_...products_id=28) that will work but the parts seem so simple that there has to be a place where i can get it for cheaper. So if anybody could help me out and point me in the right direction i would appreciate it. Especially with a list of parts that i would need. Thanks.

Also here is a list of parts that i already have:

Satelite Dish
Satelite iDirect Modem
24 port switch

If have to have these 3 at the Hangar.

Linksys wireless G router (extra)

**Wiredwrx** · 01-25-2006, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by riddle14

I am in Iraq and I have a Satellite Internet connection. Which by the way is actually pretty good. Anyways I only have the connection at my Hangar and I would like to have it back in my room which is a mile away. I have no line of site issues between the two places. I have found some websites that sell Point to Point systems but they are anywhere from 500 dollars and up. Here is one that i have found(http://www.jackwireless.com/product_...products_id=28) that will work but the parts seem so simple that there has to be a place where i can get it for cheaper. So if anybody could help me out and point me in the right direction i would appreciate it. Especially with a list of parts that i would need. Thanks.

Also here is a list of parts that i already have:

Satelite Dish
Satelite iDirect Modem
24 port switch

If have to have these 3 at the Hangar.

Linksys wireless G router (extra)

Sure, check out the "cantenna" You might be able to build it yourself, but you can definitely buy it. Then you will need some wireless cards capable of using the cantenna. if you can find the Orinoco Silver cards, that would be good. There are others.

The other issue will be getting the wireless system to interface with the Sat Link. Not sure how you can do that. You will probably need a computer or a router/ap.

If you use a router/ap, then you just set it up as any other Wifi System, but if you are using a computer at the Sat end, you can use an AD/HOC setup.

Michael

**will1384** · 01-25-2006, 06:12 PM

may not be a good idea - anything transmitted can be intercepted

How-To: Build a WiFi biquad dish antenna

Use a Surplus Primestar Dish as an IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networking Antenna

How To Build A Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna

USB adaptors & DIY antenna = "Poor Man's WiFi" ?

**riddle14** · 01-26-2006, 08:34 AM

thanks guys. as for the satellite system, all i would have to do is hook an "AP" into the 24 port switch. I can then configure the ip address's. No big deal there.

i have been to most of those sites that will1384 had listed. I was kind of trying to find a "lazy mans" method. As apposed to building it myself. I stay pretty busy here and wouldn't really have the time to build and test. I kind of just want to be able to hook it up, point the dishes or antennas, configure the network and be done. so i guess i might just have to shell out the 500 bucks to make it that easy. anybody else have any ideas?? thanks

**bad-at-this** · 01-26-2006, 10:06 AM

You could get a couple of wrt54g's and put them in their shared bridge mode (requires a firmware hack which should only take 5 minutes of your time). Then you would just have to use a set of antenna's on either end. The best part of that is that you "could" isolate that connection from your 24 port switch to put it in a DMZ with no direct connections to your other wired network. Either way with a line of sight you could probably do it with 2 $20 cantennas off ebay. All told I would not think more than $100 in parts (then you have ot get it shipped).

**riddle14** · 01-26-2006, 10:52 AM

the linksys router i have is a wrt54gs is it different than a wrt54g. The model i have has two antennas. I did some reading up on it a while ago and they said that i would have to put two antennas on it because of some reason. It had something to do with picking the better signal from one of the antennas. Basically you couldnt just use one. Do you think the power of these routers and a cantennas would go the mile distance?

**bad-at-this** · 01-26-2006, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by riddle14

the linksys router i have is a wrt54gs is it different than a wrt54g. The model i have has two antennas. I did some reading up on it a while ago and they said that i would have to put two antennas on it because of some reason. It had something to do with picking the better signal from one of the antennas. Basically you couldnt just use one. Do you think the power of these routers and a cantennas would go the mile distance?

First, the GS is just an upgraded G. It has the speed boast, more memory and better circuits. Everything I listed will work better with the GS with one catch. If you have the one with the "EASY Setup Button" on the front you are SOL. That one runs ?Windows CE? but either way you cant flash it the same. Now as for 2 cantennas...Yeah 2 will give you a better chance of getting a good signal in an omni mode, but what I do is leave one antenna the stock omni directional, and replace the other with the directed cantenna. If you are truelly worried about the cantenna not being up to par then spend the extra $100 and instead of 2 cantennas get 2 nice yaggi. As for the range...Once you flash the firmware you will actually be able to boost the signal strength of the wrt and the fact that you are in a very flat desert should help. Now if you dont want to chance all of this your last option is...Moonblink... http://www.moonblink.com/pd_super_range.cfm That thing is a BEAST. 400mw... Technically it is illegal to turn on in the US without a special licence.

**riddle14** · 01-26-2006, 11:35 AM

do you happen to know where to get that firmware for the wrt54gs? Luckily i dont have the one with the "Easy Setup Button". The Moonblink option, it is mini-pci. Now i know this might sound "noobish" but does mini-pci go in a regular PCI slot? If so, we wouldn't be able to use that. All we have are laptops.

**bad-at-this** · 01-26-2006, 11:50 AM

just google openwrt (that is the name of the firmware you should flash), as for the mini-pci yeah you wouldn't be able to use that in a laptop but that same sight has the pcmcia cards that are used to win the wifi-shootout, and I know that people have used yaggi and cantennas with those to get GREAT distnaces. You should good wifi-shootout and read about it, I think the current record is over a mile.

**DarquePervert** · 01-26-2006, 11:57 AM

Also, the linksys model you reference has two antennas to allow both 802.11b and 802.11g adapters to connect simultaneously. One is for 802.11b and the other is for 802.11g.