802.11 distance, quality questions.

Hi All

Have Proxim AP, looking to squirt about 3 miles with a directional
antenna. What am I looking at in terms of signal degradation with rain,
fog? AwYeh, I am in the Seattle area: Heavy Rain, Heavy Fog? 802.11a
better because of the higher bandwidth?

Thanks in advance.

--
Todd Hackett
WiFi Manager 425.259.1213

YesterdaysPC.com, Inc.
2507 Broadway
Everett, Wa 98201 www.yesterdayspc.com

WiFi Administrator wrote:

> Hi All
>
> Have Proxim AP, looking to squirt about 3 miles with a directional
> antenna. What am I looking at in terms of signal degradation with rain,
> fog? AwYeh, I am in the Seattle area: Heavy Rain, Heavy Fog? 802.11a
> better because of the higher bandwidth?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

No effect from rain or fog. 802.11a if any different would be worse
since approaching the size of the water droplet with the radio wave is
not a good thing. And sorry about you living the Seattle area.

The only weather effect I've had from a year and a half of quite a few
outdoor antennas is lightning, which you'll get very little of. And the
possibility of ice and snow degrading signal when it builds up on the
antenna, again something you won't have to worry much about.

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:28:43 -0700, WiFi Administrator
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Have Proxim AP, looking to squirt about 3 miles with a directional
>antenna. What am I looking at in terms of signal degradation with rain,
>fog? AwYeh, I am in the Seattle area: Heavy Rain, Heavy Fog? 802.11a
>better because of the higher bandwidth?

What model Proxim? Proxim makes a wide variety of devices of varying
suitability. Just having an access point doesn't give you a link.
What's on the other end? If it's another access point, it won't work.
You need a box with bridging or more properly "transparent bridge"
capeabilities.

A 3 mile path, with decent gain antennas and clear line of sight
(including the Fresnel zone clearances) is no problem. You will get
some effects from rain and fog but they will not be major.
Condensation inside the box and antenna will cause detuning and have a
far greater effect. Water in the coax is as good as a dead short.

However, if you're shooting across Seattle, you'll get LOTS of
interference on both 2.4 and 5.6GHz. It's so bad in San Francisco
that the locals have established a Wi-Fi coordination group:
http://www.wbanc.com
Locally, the serious WISP's have gone mostly to licenced and
coordinated 18Ghz and 36GHz links instead of doing battle in the 2.4
and 5.6Ghz bands.

Seattle is the home of SeattleWireless:
http://www.seattlewireless.net
which methinks can give you better advice as to local conditions and
weather effects.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558