[Zitax]

I want to set up a wireless thing for my self.
I already ordered an airport extrmeme base station and my TiBook has the card already.
But the thing is that I want like 3 miles covered, how is the most efective way also cheap to do it ?
If 3 miles is much, how much can I extend it ?
I will apreciate if you tell me like exact links and stuff as I'm not from the US I kind of need the exact points to get the stuff and send it here.
I have a building in fron of my window, maybe that help for an antena or is a bad thing.
The idea is to get range in the other side of the building that its infront my window.
I hope I explained well, if not please feel free to ask.

Thx in advice.

[Crusoe]

3 miles (I think) has been the maximum by some guy in San Francisco. He was using line of sight (nothing between AP and laptop) and a home built directional antenna. You have to be careful when building your antennas and amplifiers not to exceed regulated ratings. If you search google for max wireless range perhaps you'll find something.

I'd go bluetooth/cell phone or serial to cell phone if you don't need speed.

[Zitax]

Originally posted by Crusoe:
3 miles (I think) has been the maximum by some guy in San Francisco. He was using line of sight (nothing between AP and laptop) and a home built directional antenna. You have to be careful when building your antennas and amplifiers not to exceed regulated ratings. If you search google for max wireless range perhaps you'll find something.

I'd go bluetooth/cell phone or serial to cell phone if you don't need speed.

Cell phone is no go, starting for the cost, and also speed is needed, this will be like a home conection but in the streets, thats the idea, daily use outside many many hours, so bluetooth/cell is discarted.

Thx for your comments.

[slow moe]

Depending on your surroundings, I think 3 miles is pushing it without getting a phone call from the FCC, but if you're just looking to just extend the base station's range a bit, there are both external directional and omni-directional antennas you can buy.

[Phanguye]

yea... there is pretty much no way you are going to get coverage for 3 square miles with an apple basestation... if you are going to be using in at one point everyday... and that is in the line of site of your appt or whatever... then you might be able to do it

but neg on the 3 square miles

[Alpha-sphere]

EDIT: Did some research cause i want a wireless lan over approximately 500 meters with a friend of mine.

What i now know is that a 18 dBi directional antenna has a max range of 10 miles (!! wow)

This is what i got from Netgear (www.netgear.com)

Range estimation is based on two wireless nodes each with an ANT24D18 antenna attached, a NETGEAR 3 m low-loss antenna cable, 10 dBI link budget margin, associating wtih each other at 11 Mbps under ideal line-of-sight conditions.

but the directional antenna has to be connected to one of these 3 wireless accespoints. NETGEAR ME103, FVM318 and FWAG114 and the aint cheap. The FVM318 costs like €908,- and i haven't even looked at the price of the antenna. Maybe there are companies who sell those thing for less but i have to do some more research first.

I'll let you guys know when i find some more info

[Phanguye]

Originally posted by Alpha-sphere:
EDIT: Did some research cause i want a wireless lan over approximately 500 meters with a friend of mine.

What i now know is that a 18 dBi directional antenna has a max range of 10 miles (!! wow)

This is what i got from Netgear (www.netgear.com)


but the directional antenna has to be connected to one of these 3 wireless accespoints. NETGEAR ME103, FVM318 and FWAG114 and the aint cheap. The FVM318 costs like €908,- and i haven't even looked at the price of the antenna. Maybe there are companies who sell those thing for less but i have to do some more research first.

I'll let you guys know when i find some more info

you can make your own antennas for about 15 dollars that will be just as good as these... just do a search for "pringles can wireless antenna"

and they can be hooked up to anything

[djjava]

watch out for the FCC... do things right or beware

[m@]

You might want to read Robert X. Cringely web site he has some interesting things to say about getting access to an ISP in the middle of nowhere via 802.11 repeaters.

I, Cringley

look in Old Hat (previous weekley posts)

PS. Last I read coffee can antennea are better than Pringles (and a darn site easier to make!)

[Alpha-sphere]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
you can make your own antennas for about 15 dollars that will be just as good as these... just do a search for "pringles can wireless antenna"

and they can be hooked up to anything

Very very interesting
I just found a .mov in wich a guy explains a little bit how it works and how he made it. http://airshare.org/learn/articles/f.../pringles2.cfm

Right now i'm searching on google for a very clear guide on how to make the pringles antenna. I still have a question though. Will it work for 802.11G as well as 802.11B? There both 2,4 GHz so it should work for both righ?

EDIT: Well i found another video on the pringles can antenna
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/h...406172,00.html check the right side of the page for the videos

EDIT 2: Well just watched the 2 video's and they say the coffee can is more efficient too and from what i've seen it's very very easy to build. Just need to find out how to connect the antenna to a Acces Point (AP) in stead of a wifi card. Maybe a AP has one of those pig tail connector thingies which the've been showing us in those movies.

The search goes on..

[Zitax]

Originally posted by slow moe:
Depending on your surroundings, I think 3 miles is pushing it without getting a phone call from the FCC, but if you're just looking to just extend the base station's range a bit, there are both external directional and omni-directional antennas you can buy.

Like which ones and where ? do you know the range ? and more info ?

Thx

[slow moe]

Originally posted by Zitax:
Like which ones and where ? do you know the range ? and more info ?

Thx

These are Apple certified,

Dr. Bott ExtendAIR Direct Antenna - 500ft. max with a 70ft. wide beam

Dr. Bott ExtendAIR Omni Antenna - 250ft. max in all directions

Your mileage, no pun intended, will vary.

(Both links direct you to the Online Apple Store.)

[Zitax]

Originally posted by slow moe:
These are Apple certified,

Dr. Bott ExtendAIR Direct Antenna - 500ft. max with a 70ft. wide beam

Dr. Bott ExtendAIR Omni Antenna - 250ft. max in all directions

Your mileage, no pun intended, will vary.

(Both links direct you to the Online Apple Store.)

Thx.

Anyone know something like that but with more range ??
Or I'm stuck there ?

[Phanguye]

Originally posted by Zitax:
Thx.

Anyone know something like that but with more range ??
Or I'm stuck there ?

there is no chance at all... without bridgeing airports that you will get a 3 mile omni directional spread... your best bet would be to either get a cisco aeronet card or some generic card and hook a directional antenea to it... then have an omni back at you house... if you are an engineer you might be able to make a parabolic dish that will spin and track you wherever you go (gps) but that will be a custom thing

[Alpha-sphere]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
there is no chance at all... without bridgeing airports that you will get a 3 mile omni directional spread... your best bet would be to either get a cisco aeronet card or some generic card and hook a directional antenea to it... then have an omni back at you house... if you are an engineer you might be able to make a parabolic dish that will spin and track you wherever you go (gps) but that will be a custom thing

Omni directional antenna? plus 3 miles..... i found one from 3com wich can do 2.6 miles and it aint that expensive. But the question is on what kind of devices can you mount it.
http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?c...1&amp;asource= <--- omni antenna

[Phanguye]

Originally posted by Alpha-sphere:
Omni directional antenna? plus 3 miles..... i found one from 3com wich can do 2.6 miles and it aint that expensive. But the question is on what kind of devices can you mount it.
http://www.expansys.us/product.asp?c...1&amp;asource= <--- omni antenna

yea it can do 2.6 miles transmiting to another antenea that size on a wireless bridge not a wireless card

[Zitax]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
yea it can do 2.6 miles transmiting to another antenea that size on a wireless bridge not a wireless card

Can you explain me how the set up need to be done or how it works ?

the idea is to hang the antena on the building that is on the street I want the coverage, its a long street.
How does the antena / bridge thing work ?
Base station at home window, long cable to building roof and antena there ?
And bridge where ?

If someone can explain me a bit I will apreciate it.

Thx.

[Phanguye]

what you will need is a router and this bridge... you will have your internet pluged into the router then into this bridge... then you will have a cable running to the antenna (anything more then 6ft will start to degrade the signal quality resulting is less range) then depending on the length of the cable running to the antenna and the conditions/enviornment you will get at most 3 miles coverage... so it would probably be with an internal airport card... 1.5 miles maybe more if you are lucky but probably less

[DevNine]

Using good directional antennas (not omni directional) and line of sight 3 miles is easy.There have been lots of links 10miles , 20miles even.

[Phanguye]

Originally posted by DevNine:
Using good directional antennas (not omni directional) and line of sight 3 miles is easy.There have been lots of links 10miles , 20miles even.

he wants 3 square miles... read the entire thread