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* Where can I get the equipment? [1]
* How do I get started? [2]
* Can I use my Apple Macintosh and/or Airport hardware or not? [3]
* How long can 802.11b wireless links go? [4]
* What\'s the closest node to my house/office/mountain hut? [5]
* When creating a node, how can you get the latitude and longitude
required for locfinder from the Melway street directory? [6]
* Is there a standard format for ESSID\'s on Melbourne Wireless ?
[7]
* What is line of sight / LoS [8] ?
* How can I verify line of sight? [9]
* How do I plot a node on a Melway map using longitude and latitude
from locfinder? [10]
* How do I use a magnetic compass to determine the bearing to a
node? [11]
* What GPS format is required in the Create New Node Form? My GPS
has several "Standard Formats" [12]
* What is a Fresnel Zone? [13]
-------------------------
WHERE CAN I GET THE EQUIPMENT?
Why not start by looking at the TheIncredibleBulk [14]
Otherwise if your neigbour has an unused galaxy grid antenna on their
roof see if they'll let you have it, even at a small cost. There are
many pages on modifying these antenna's to work with Wireless.
-------------------------
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
One of the best ways to get started is just to register your interest
on LocFinder [15]. Then other people in the area will know you exist
* How clear your line of sight is (How clearly can you see the other
end)
* The quality of your equipment (Relating to receive sensitivity
mainly)
* Your antenna configuration (Directional Antenna gain mainly)
There are nodes already active on Melbourne wireless with stable 35
km+ Links across Melbourne with the acheived upper limit being in the
50 km area.
Be aware that once you go over around 20 km on 802.11b timing issues
in the protocol start to limit the bandwidth acheivable down toward
1mbs.
If you are going to try to establish a long link for the melbourne
wireless network and are new to wireless - email some of the nodes
on LocFinder [17] that already have long links for tips - it may save
you a lot of headaches!
-------------------------
WHAT\'S THE CLOSEST NODE TO MY HOUSE/OFFICE/MOUNTAIN HUT?
Take a look at LocFinder [18]
-------------------------
WHEN CREATING A NODE, HOW CAN YOU GET THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
REQUIRED FOR LOCFINDER FROM THE MELWAY STREET DIRECTORY?
-------------------------
IS THERE A STANDARD FORMAT FOR ESSID\'S ON MELBOURNE WIRELESS ?
ESSIDs on the MW network generally take the form of
XXX.wireless.org.au or nodeXXX.wireless.org.au where XXX is a the 3
letter node identifier eg. GIR
-------------------------
WHAT IS LINE OF SIGHT / LOS [19] ?
Line of site is basically 'how well can you see the node your trying
to connect to'. Wireless networking runs on a very high frequency and
one of the characteristics of this frequency (2.4Ghz) is that it's
easily blocked by trees, buildings, hills and other obstructions in
the path.
Some tips for working out your possible line of site are;
* Use a strong torch at night taped to a pole and see if you can see
it at the other end.
* Borrow a GPS or get someone to visit with a GPS to find out your
elevation above sea level in Meters.
* Get to know the nodes in your area & see if someone can come over
& do a site survey with a directional antenna.
The idea is to get above as many obsticals as possible with a mast,
or even make arrangements to get space for an antenna on a local tower
/ tall building for you & other local nodes to uplink to and on
connect into the MW Network.
You may be surprised if you ask, thats how Mt Dandenong Evolved!
A clear line of site is ideal , but rarely possible. Strong reliable
links can still be possible if the node is close enough.
-------------------------
HOW CAN I VERIFY LINE OF SIGHT?
Get up on your roof and use a telescope. It really is the ONLY way,
as trees etc. just can't be known about. A small area around the
direct line of sight must also be clear. See Fresnel Zone.
-------------------------
HOW DO I PLOT A NODE ON A MELWAY MAP USING LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE FROM
LOCFINDER?
-------------------------
HOW DO I USE A MAGNETIC COMPASS TO DETERMINE THE BEARING TO A NODE?
The easiest way is to do a node comparison on LocFinder [20] and get
the bearing from north to a node from you. Then use your compass to
estabish what direction that is from you. (North is 0 Deg, East is 90
deg, South is 180 Deg, West is 270 Deg)
-------------------------
WHAT GPS FORMAT IS REQUIRED IN THE CREATE NEW NODE FORM? MY GPS HAS
SEVERAL "STANDARD FORMATS"
The coordinates are in decimal degrees to 5 digits with the WGS84 map
datum.
-------------------------
WHAT IS A FRESNEL ZONE?
The Fresnel Zone is the area where the elctromagnetic energy travels.
This is a football shapped area between the antennas. Wifi requires
that about 40% of the Fresnel zone be clear. On a 10 km link, the
Fresnel Zone is about 40 m in diameter in the middle of the link.
-------------------------
Back to TheEvolvingFAQ [21]
Links:
------
[1] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#where_can_i_get_the_equipment_
[2] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#how_do_i_get_started_
[3]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#can_i_use_my_apple_macintosh_and_or_airport_hardware_or_not_
[4]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#how_long_can_802_11b_wireless_links_go_
[5]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#what_s_the_closest_node_to_my_house_office_mountain_hut_
[6]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#when_creating_a_node__how_can_you_get_the_latitude_and_longitude_required_for_locfinder_from_the_melway_street_directory_
[7]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#is_there_a_standard_format_for_essid_s_on_melbourne_wireless__
[8] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#what_is_line_of_sight_los
[9] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#how_can_i_verify_line_of_sight_
[10]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#how_do_i_plot_a_node_on_a_melway_map_using_longitude_and_latitude_from_locfinder_
[11]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#how_do_i_use_a_magnetic_compass_to_determine_the_bearing_to_a_node_
[12]
http://melbournewireless.org.au/#what_gps_format_is_required_in_the_create_new_node_formmy_gps_has_severalstandard_formats_
[13] http://melbournewireless.org.au/#what_is_a_fresnel_zone_
[14] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?TheIncredibleBulk
[15] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?LocFinder
[16] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?AppleHelp
[17] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?LocFinder
[18] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?LocFinder
[19] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?LOS
[20] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?LocFinder
[21] http://melbournewireless.org.au/?TheEvolvingFAQ
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