Computer Help

[blueshed]

Can anyone offer a cost effective solution?

 

I have a laptop with wireless capabilities and a wireless router at home hooked to broadband.

 

The Challenge; I would like to be able to use my laptop with internet at the local airport, so as to get weather etc. Is there an aerial or something that will make my laptop work at the airport. Guess the airport is 2000m in direct line, possibly with a couple silo's in the way. Do I need more electronic boxes or just an aerial to connect to my wireless router? (Netgear WGR614)

 

Thanks Guy;)

 

 

[Admin]

Hi Guy

 

Unfortunately 2kms is to far for any wireless connection - sorry.

 

If you have the phone on at the airport then there are many cheap dial up providers and if it is just weather you are checking then that should be ok. Mobile phones can also facilitate the checking of weather and internet browsing as well.

 

Another option is a low cost wireless modem from Telstra, Optus etc - I have a Telstra 3g wireless modem that I take along with my laptop when I go on a trip so I can get the weather and browse these forums etc but that isn't very cheap though.

 

So in summary:

 

2kms is to far for a wireless connection

 

Dial up

 

Mobile Phone

 

Separate wireless internet provider

 

Unless anyone else can offer suggestions I think these are your only options.

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

Guy

 

While some people who are deeply involved with computers can make a standard house broadband wireless solution work at that range, they will not be a mobile wireless solution. In otherwords the antenna's needed are highly directional but still require line of sight. Highly directional antennas dont generally match well with mobile equipment due to the need to keep the antenna pointing within 2-5 degrees in azimuth and elevation of the home base.

 

Personally I think the only workable solution will be Telstra's NextG solution. Other 3G providers will have good east coast and oher capital city coverage but at Jamestown, only telstra will play the game.

 

Recent flights from Tully FNQ to Adelaide and from Adelaide to Grafton saw me using a small tablet PC (minilaptop) and a NextG phone (LG TU500) with coverage (Voice and SMS) and broadband available for well over 80% of the routes at cruise levels at or above 5kft. The only prob with NextG is the cost and for us that reflects lack of real competition in the area that we want coverage. There has bee much debate around CDMA vs Next G. as someone who had both, and used both for data, NextG does seem to be better, but as they say for you, and your location it may not do the job.

 

Andy

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Blueshed, you can see some good stuff here:

 

http://www.dlink.com.au/Default.aspx?Sec=2&Sub1=18

 

But as you will also note you need quite a bit of gear to do this job. Not cheap mate. At the end of the day you would be better off with the Next G network. I think 3 has it too (Disperse has that one he may be able to tell you), although I would not touch 3 ever again due to problems I had with them in the past. Also, keep right away from Dodo. They caused me nothing but grief when I tried to transfer onto their ADSL 2 service a few weeks ago so I just plugged my cable modem with Optus back in (the fastest service anyway unless you want to spend some serious cash) and I have not got any problems. Service has never been down, speed is excellent and 15gigs of downloads a month. What you will find with networks such as Next G etc now is because it is relatively 'new' to the market, the plans are a little on the expensive side right now. The more ISP's that come into the market, the cheaper it will all get. I believe Optus has a wireless solution but this is more at the expensive end of the scale. Try Vodafone too. One thing to watch is your download limits as they start to charge like wounded bulls by the meg when you go over your limit.Hope this helps.

 

 

[Guest disperse]

I have a nextG capable phone(press 3 buttons and the laptop is connected) on the 3 network. I get 1gb per month of good broadband speed for $29. you can get a usb modem from 3 (instead of the phone)

 

3 roams with telstra, so the broadband coverage is good "BUT" the 1gb per month is only when not roaming ie: when roaming on the telstra network, broadband will cost you $1.60 per mb (check coverage on thier site)

 

Telstra has just started a new ad campain, but for 1gb it's around $80. but they do have Time and speed limited offers that may suit.

 

but with your idea of linking to your router .... it can be done , "BUT" not only do you need a really good antena for your router. but the laptop still needs to be able to SEND to the router. I have looked around a little, and there are sites showing how to make antana's . usualy a usb dongle mounted in a dish.

 

next problem is SPEED the weaker the connection the slower the speed. and it dosen't take much for your broadband to turn into dial up.

 

I absolutly LOVE having a laptop . . . and with my phone sitting on the boot of my car, and bluetoothed to the laptop. I get broadband speed sitting on the couch at the Oaks. and just getting phone calls there can be tricky.

 

But mrs sperse still cracks the s^^ts about the $29

 

 

[Guest disperse]

Or from a tent in Narromine .... On our wonderfull forums OF COURSE

 

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Cigarette comes free...;)

 

 

[blueshed]

Hi Guy's

 

Thanks for all the info, baffled not sure which way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Will be over on the east coast around xmas, probably only in a car though!

 

Might catch up, will mainly be in the southern highlands.

 

Cheers Guy

 

 

[lbarnes]

I have recently set up a Near Line of Sight radio link between my two work premises. I used a pair of Tranzeo 900MHz radios on short poles on the roofs of each building. The radios were very easy to set up and transfer speeds are usually in the 48 - 54 Mb/s. The radios enable us to have a WAN at no other cost than the initial setup.

 

They came from Comnet Solutions - http://store.comnet.com.au/details/763164.html

 

 

[Guest sypkens]

I have recently set up a Near Line of Sight radio link between my two work premises. I used a pair of Tranzeo 900MHz radios on short poles on the roofs of each building. The radios were very easy to set up and transfer speeds are usually in the 48 - 54 Mb/s. The radios enable us to have a WAN at no other cost than the initial setup.They came from Comnet Solutions - http://store.comnet.com.au/details/763164.html

Hi,

 

What sort of distance does it cover between your offices? or alternatively what distances are the antennas rated at?

 

Regards,

 

Jan

 

 

[lbarnes]

Distance between clubs is 700m NLOS (through trees) with the power turned way down. ie 29db max power down to 10db with no losses.

 

These radios are directional and are entirely contained in the plastic antenna head. Power is supplied over ethernet.

 

The suppliers reckon the low gain ones (8db) i installed are good for about 10km.

 

Luke

 

 

[Guest sypkens]

Thats amazing distance considering cost.

 

 

[lbarnes]

I was amazed that i had to turn the power down so much. The signal strength meters on the back of each radio shows full strength even at the low power. In fact when i was setting them up i had one mounted on one roof and the other plugged in the back of the laptop inside the other building vaguely pointed out a window an still had signal.

 

We use them to stream security video and point of sale information between venues.

 

An amazing product.

 

Luke

 

 

[blueshed]

Hi Luke

 

the link you posted, is that all that is required? are there two radios and all that is needed for instalation or do you have to buy two of these etc?

 

As you can tell I am not to much up to speed on this!

 

Cheers Guy

 

 

[lbarnes]

Guy,

 

Yes you need two radios, one at each end and unfortunately your laptop can't pick up 900mhz.

 

The way I have set it up at my work is as follows starting from the master site:

 

Internet - Cat5 - Router - cat5 - power injector - cat5 - 900mhz radio ......NLOS between sites...... 900mhz radio - cat5 - power injector - cat5 - router.

 

The router you set up in your hangar could be a radio router that your laptop could connect to. It would be an always on connection and would allow you to use your home broadband connection from the remote site. With the addition of some IP cameras you would be able to monitor your aircraft from home real time and if you tacked on a VOIP phone you could make cheap phone calls from your hangar using your home internet connection as well.

 

The guys from Comnet were very good and held my hand during our installation. They also recommended the appropriate radio setup. I suspect they would recommend the TR-902-11 radios with the 11db antennas.

 

I google earthed Jamestown and note that it is very flat which is apparently a good thing with these NLOS radios.

 

Luke

 

 

[Guest disperse]

if you want to save some $$$ have a quick look at home made directionals. But Im sure you wont get 10ks out of them.....very impressive Heres one, and Another. The second one looks easier and is directional , Just a usb dongle and mums pasta strainer:laugh:

 

 

[lbarnes]

Check pic 84 on Disperse's second lot of DIY WIFI antennas. Certainly worth a try for a fraction of the cost of the 900mhz gear.

 

Luke