So here is first thread from a newbi for you Expert guys
I am setting an ultra small WISP in my housing society to provide internet connectivity to clients (laptops and smartphones, NO CPE ! ). My primary objective is to provide direct connectivity to client devices with whatever possible range.
Have a look on my site (Click on it to view then click ‘back’ to come back to forum)
As shown in diagram
There are 5-8 stories (50-80 Feet high) buildings located very close to each other
My AP will be on top of the centrally located building.
I need range of 1KM radius but it would be better if more is possible, the farther the better
After recalling antenna concepts from my engineering days and searching on forums, I decided to go with Mikrotik RBMetal2SHPn http://routerboard.com/RBMetal2SHPn for its massive 1600mW Tx power and robust industrial design.
What is your opinion about this device as AP for my site ?
For Antenna I have short listed Omnidirectional TP-Link TL-ANT2415D http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-ANT2415D#spec for its 15dBi gain and its available for low price here in New Delhi, India.
2) My concern is due to its narrow beamwidth (9 deg Vertical) will this antenna reach to clients at lower heights (ground floor) and clients very close to it say in radius of 100 Meters ?
For my tight budget (100-200 $) Should I go with any other antenna arrangement say 4 -5 directional antennas?
Please provide your valuable comments on best possible wireless design under budget for my site and feel free to ask any further detail, I am new in this field but very obsessed to become a WISP
it’s not going to work…
don’t always look at the AP tx power, you must consider both end…
is just like i talk to you with HIFI |(Metal 2SHPn), sure 1 KM far you can hear me, but what i am talking to with with my mouth (laptop or phone), definitely you not able to hear without HIFI amplified my voice…
Thanks for your reply angboontiong
I got the point as its two way communication Laptops/Smartphones Tx power is limiting factor here.
What I need is no CPE, so what about making a home router as CPE !
Some home routers come with 5dBi antenna and WDS feature. I can change bundled antenna with 8dbi omni with very less budget in these cases what ranges are possible ? keeping in mind low Tx power of home routers.
According to this tp-link wireless distance calculator tool the above link is possible selecting TL-WA5210G as transmitter with 12dbi omni antenna (TL-ANT2412D) along with typical home router (TL-WR741ND).
But these are LOS ideal type calculations, will it be possible in reality ?
Hey pal, i’m wondering much of the same thing, planning to build a small wisp in my neighborhood.
Just as you i would mount the ap on top of my building, i live on the last floor. I was planning to get http://routerboard.com/RBGrooveA2Hn or the newer and better http://routerboard.com/RBGrooveA-52HPn (not found at my retailer) and a 10dbi omni (23 deg vertical aperture).
As for your question about ground level signal, the lower the dbi the higher the vertical aperture (a 2dbi would be seen from any angle H or V), have a read here http://www.liveport.com/wireless-antenna-properties
I understand that a mesh network is more suitable for this kind of projects, but it’s also more expensive.
Tell us how it goes
I suspect many people just roll there eyes at your question and move on. And the other person’s comment about Tx power not being much of a factor in this case but rather the Tx power of the devices that you want to connect to your network.
For example I run a 33 mile link at 450mw radios on 2.4mhz 10mhz channel. From a 12Dbi Omni to a 19Dbi panel and have a -77 Dbi connection that rarely drops.
Lets first examine that your placing an Omni on top of a building it talks in a 360 arc horizontal from that point but what about people that are in the building directly under the antenna? There will be no service there.
With your Omni and the tx power of the groove you mention you can reach quite a few miles out if the right CPE was on the other side. Also be aware that more Tx power in my opinion can also just create more noise.
Bottom line is, your issue is a design and signal penetration question. And you probably won’t like what I suggest.
If I would design the network I would pick your focal point (the building you have the omni on for example). Then make a triangle around it. And at each point place a sectoral antenna that points down at about 20-30 degree’s. You can use 400-600mw cards.
There are several ways to link the three wireless networks together or keep them separate. That’s a different topic.
I already have setup this kind of network. My hotspot service is located at apartment building with antenna at first floor.
In short range you can use your laptop wireless antenna to receive and send signal but going further you will need to ask your client to use external antenna to send/receive well.
Yes, I use TP-Link TL-WA5210G for backhaul connection located 2km away. But laptop cannot connect directly to base station. So i think you will need point to point connection on each building you want to give access to. I tried before. Your system won’t work well. hehe…
No need to change anything.
The station will scan all available channels.
Just make sure that you are using the same setting for country in ap and stations. I don’t see it in your export which could mean it is set to ‘no_country_set’
