Re: setting up a free hotspot

miso@xxxxxxxxx hath wroth:

A simple mom and pop store is looking into setting up WIFI for an RV
park (back of facility) and customers on two sides that would access
the wifi from outside the store. The wifi is to attract users to the
store rather than to set up a business.

Good plan. What's the budget (in dollars)?

Here is my guestimate of what would be required, though I'm looking for
good suggestions. Note that this should run without a PC present other
than to set it up.

Ok, so everything has to be inside the wireless router. No problem.
Various version of the WRT54G replacement firmware have built in
wireless hotspot software. I've been tinkering with DD-WRT which has
Chilispot hotspot software inside:
http://wrt-wiki.bsr-clan.de/index.php?title=Chillispot
http://www.chillispot.org
Most of the local wireless hotspots use EWRT.
http://www.portless.net/menu/ewrt/
There's also Sputnik firmware for the WRT54G.
http://www.sputnik.com/products/aps/linksys_wrt.html
In addition, there are some stand along products offered by DLink:
http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=2&sec=0
(scroll down to hot spot gateways at bottom).

Take the dsl and feed it to a router such as di-804hv. [I've had good
luck with both DLink and SMC gear, with DLink providing better
support.] Now I have 4 ports For each side of the building,connect a
high power wap like Senao NL-2611 CB3 Plus. I like the idea that they
are powered over the ethernet since they means only one walwart in the
system.

Lay off the high transmit power. You create an "alligator" which is a
system with a big mouth and small ears. Your overpowered transmitter
will be heard much farther than users can get into the system. The
high power access points don't hear any better than the low power
versions. The ideal is where the range in both directions is
symmetrical.

On each outside wall, a flat pannel antenna such as
<http://www.wlanparts.com/c=MmRUC0UWukuF059HF7R8OJrBy/product/PA24-13>

Time for some math. Those are 13dBi antennas with a -3dB beamwidth of
35 degrees (see data sheet and pattern). That means, to cover a 180
degree wall (back of building), you'll need 5 of these. To cover a
full 360 degrees, you'll need 10 of these antennas. Now, are you sure
you really want such high gain?

I'd like the user about 200ft away to access the system with a low
power wifi card.

Are you supplying the card? Are you supplying the card with an
external or attached antenna? Are you supplying anything?

Is the user in a window or trying to shoot through the aluminium wall
of the camper/trailer? They might have a chance at 200ft though the
window, but forget it going through the wall of the camper/trailer.
Think outside (rooftop) antenna.

Also, got any trees in the way? Every campground I've ever been in is
literally overgrown with trees (for privacy). 2.4GHz doesn't like to
go through trees or bushes.

I've done easily twice that distance using a 250mw
card and a homemade biquad, so I am assuming the reciprocal would be
true.

Maybe. It really depends on the topography, location, folliage, and
interference. Interference is critical and unfortunately
unpredictable. If you did your 200ft test on the ground, you probably
were not high enough to pickup much interference. However, put the
same system at rooftop level, and you'll hear the world.

One last thing...Is there a way to prevent users on one side of the
building from accessing their wap, going through the router, then
hacking a user on a different wap connected to the router. That is
other than the users making sure file sharing is turned off.

Yes. The WRT54G and many access points have a "client protection"
feature. Linksys misnames is "AP protection" but they're the same.
What happens is that all the clients can only direct traffic through
the router and on to the internet. No client can connect to or see
any other client. It's designed for exactly what you're thinking and
will prevent client to client connections, attacks, file sharing, and
local game networks.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
.

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