Long-Distance WiFi Device

[Dave852]

Spoke to soon, figured it out

[happyendings]

I've been following this thread for quite awhile and would like suggestions for improving my long-range wi-fi capabilities. Heretofore I have been using an Alfa AWUS036H and have been very satisfied--so satisfied, in fact, that I ordered 5 AWUS036NH 2-watt units for myself and to take back to my friends in the NW Caribbean/Rio Dulce area. But now,as Emeril says, I'd like to kick it up a notch and install a hard wired, hot-spot system aboard my 43' cat. The boat has a working FollowMe TV antenna which I'm not using at present so I am thinking that a directional set-up will be optimal, especially given the fact that I already have a way to keep the antenna properly aimed. Any ideas are welcome but keep in mind that I am a electronically-competent and motivated cheapskate so no pre-packaged, high-dollar solutions please . I realize that I am trying to shortcut a lot of info already contained herein so please fell free to respond off-forum directly to my mailbox. Thanks.

[sinbad7]

Happyendings...

As this thread already contains almost 800 postings on the subject of Long-Distance WiFi devices,I would suggest reading through it as you are unlikely to receive better info.

Tore

[off-the-grid]

Is anyone using the Alfa Wi-fi on OSX?

I have a friend with a Macbook Pro Duo Core, running 10.6.4. Every time she tries to connect, the laptop crashes and has to be restarted.

[hellosailor]

happy-
If this is old news to you, please ignore it. But since you are taking the equipment "home" you might want to check the laws back home for power limits on WiFi installations. Often the limits for transmitter power, and effective transmitter power (including the antenna gain) are not as high as they are in the US, and the legal channel assignments may differ as well. Make sure your installation will be within legal limits "at home" because even here in the US, it is a fast $10,000 fine for breaking the limits.
That caution applies to all international "radio" use, everywhere. For instance, Motorola (US) cell phones can be illegal to use in France, because the WiFi component exceeds French limits. Not something the ordinary piurchaser gives much thought to.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by happyendings

I've been following this thread for quite awhile and would like suggestions for improving my long-range wi-fi capabilities.

I was and am reasonably content with my Alfa. I recently installed a Bullet2HP with Air802 antenna feeding a network switch and a Linksys WRT54GL. It all just works and the number of APs I can see is 10x what I saw on the Alfa.

The Alfa is now in my travel bag and the local hot spot is fantastic. It's great to watch streaming Netflix on my iPhone laying in my bunk.

[thatboatguy]

We still find that sometimes the Bullet M2HP and the cantenna work better and sometimes the 2hp with high gain omni at masthead work better. Frequently it's an either/or proposition. It's anecdotal but so far it would seem that in places like Marsh Harbor where there is a *lot* of high power wifi going on with two local outfits pounding every square inch of airspace the cantenna is the only way to zero in on the few open wifi signals still available. But when we are even a mile or two away from Marsh the masthead antenna can be used with a few open wifi stations as distant as 5 miles.

George

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I was and am reasonably content with my Alfa. I recently installed a Bullet2HP with Air802 antenna feeding a network switch and a Linksys WRT54GL. It all just works and the number of APs I can see is 10x what I saw on the Alfa.

Thank you for posting your experience! It's stories like yours that will have to make others realize that the Ubiquity hardware really is that much better

ciao!
Nick.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Thank you for posting your experience!

You're welcome. I should add that I have read a lot of the anecdotal reports and also looked at the gain patterns of the various antenna. I also called around the Chesapeake and (last year) a bunch of places in the Bahamas to see where the APs are mounted. Then--all on the Chesapeake--I did some testing of performance of my 12dBi antenna at the pushpit, on the radar pole, and high in the rigging. What I found was that low down worked better over all (not always, but overall) than too high up. The difference between the pushpit (4 or 5 feet off the water) and the radar pole (15 or 16 feet off the water) was not consistent so I mounted it on the pole out of the way.

In busy areas I pull out the Alfa and use it to reduce co-channel interference.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

You're welcome. I should add that I have read a lot of the anecdotal reports and also looked at the gain patterns of the various antenna. I also called around the Chesapeake and (last year) a bunch of places in the Bahamas to see where the APs are mounted. Then--all on the Chesapeake--I did some testing of performance of my 12dBi antenna at the pushpit, on the radar pole, and high in the rigging. What I found was that low down worked better over all (not always, but overall) than too high up. The difference between the pushpit (4 or 5 feet off the water) and the radar pole (15 or 16 feet off the water) was not consistent so I mounted it on the pole out of the way.

In busy areas I pull out the Alfa and use it to reduce co-channel interference.

Can you share how you mounted the antenna and which antenna you chose? IIRC you mentioned this one:

2.4 GHz WiFi Professional 12dBi Yagi Antenna - Air802 LLC


Im also wondering about POE injectors. I would prefer to use a 12v DC on if possible because Im not sure if I will have enough load to turn on my 3kw inverter unless Im running other stuff.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by SV Escape Plan

Can you share how you mounted the antenna and which antenna you chose? IIRC you mentioned this one:

2.4 GHz WiFi Professional 12dBi Yagi Antenna - Air802 LLC

Im also wondering about POE injectors. I would prefer to use a 12v DC on if possible because Im not sure if I will have enough load to turn on my 3kw inverter unless Im running other stuff.

My antenna is this one: Marine or RV WiFi Omni Directional Antenna, 1"-14 Thread Mount, 12 dBi Gain - Air802 LLC

It's attached to a Kato antenna arm on a factory radar pole with a fairly standard 1" mount u-bolted to the arm. I see that Air802 now has a 1"-14 screw on mount that is interesting, but I don't know if the Bullet will fit inside it.

I have a generic POE injector that runs directly of 12V very happily. There is no useful labeling on it. Ubiquiti ( ubnt.com ) sells POE's on their web site but I didn't get one of those. As I read the Bullet spec it is happy from 11V to 24V.

[off-the-grid]

What are you Mac users, using aboard for WiFi?

I've been using the Alfa with Windows 7 for a while, and been pretty happy with it. I have a friend whose running OS X 10.6 I think, and I couldn't get the Alfa to work on her Macbook Pro.

So, looking for other solutions for Mac, that just work, and are easy to set up.

[svpattyd]

My alfa works with mac osx 10.5. Go to the alfa page and download the new driver for mac. I put it on a thumb drive and it loaded with no problems.

[off-the-grid]

Already tried that, the antenna doesn't even show up in Network Settings. Works fine on my PC, though. Thought maybe it was a bad USB port, but my optical mouse runs fine on her Macbook.

[wstu]

My Alfa works with my Mac also, sounds like a install error