Does having multiple RJ45 jacks degrade the Internet signal a lot?

In alt.internet.wireless Char Jackson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> In some of my installations there's a use for 5 LAN ports rather than
> the usual 4, so I assign the WAN port to the LAN switch. (dd-wrt)
> No need to enable remote admin when you're coming in on the LAN side.

Just stock here (except for the SamKnows special. No DD-WRT.
I think I have a little tiny GigE 100BaseT switch in the garage somewhere.
The Netgear was easier to find, and put WiFi two feet from the Nintendo,
instead of 50 feet.

--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

In alt.internet.wireless Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I suggest you use a different SSID from your Linksys wireless router
> so that the kids can choose which one to connect. Also, select a
> different RF channel (1, 6, and 11) so that there's no mutual
> interference.

http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/ is a handy Windows tool for
watching for interference from neighbors.

My neighbors apparently turn off their routers when they aren't using them
(leftover habit from dialup days?), since I see them sometimes and not
others.

--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

On Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:01:06 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>In alt.internet.wireless (E-Mail Removed)zz <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> I found AES negotiation faster on my ThinkPad. Unfortunately it won't
>> connect to my cell phone at all (well, it did twice). :-(
>
>Need a new cell phone, apparently.

It *is* a new cell phone (Moto Droid Razr).

>My Thinkpad W510 (Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6200 AGN) will only
>connect to my Netgear WNR3500L WPA2-PSK [AES] at 54MBps.
>It connects to other routers at up to 240Mbps, and other devices connect to
>the Netgear at 65Mbps, none higher.

It is *not* a new ThinkPad (T61P).

On Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:29:04 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Most of the antennas out there that are installed on a metal pole in the
> ground probably rely on the above. If the pole goes 4 ft into
> reasonable soil that's probably good enough.

UPDATE:
Last night was a 'storm' (in California terms, which isn't much of a
'real' storm after all) ... but nonetheless, I heard a crashing shaking
the roof and thought it was thunder. Turns out a roof tile fell down from
one roofline to another!

In addition, the antenna, which is just stuck into the ground into an abs
plastic 2"-to-3" bushing reducer, twisted a bit in the storm - so my
reception dropped from -64dBm to -88dBm. Yuck.

I twisted it back into place (about a half inch of twist) but now I know
I need to better secure the antenna base so it doesn't twist (we get
>100mph gusts at times).

I watched the antenna in the wind & rain last night, and it didn't 'bend'
the 2" thick water pipe at all. I don't think I need guy wires at all as
it's pretty sturdy. The only problem is that it's a 2" pipe stuck three
feet into a 3.5" hole!

Here's a picture this morning (in the early morning light) of the antenna.
- http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7393289.gif

Notice the oak tree probably twisted it more so than the wind did:
- http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7393293.gif

And, here's a picture of the 2" mast stuck three feet in a 3" hole with a
2"-to-3" abs plastic reducer at the top attempting to keep it from
twisting in the wind.
- http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7393299.gif

I'm surprised that flimsy bushing works at all given how heavy the mast
is. So, the only engineering problem left is to prevent the mast from
twisting in the wind from the wind or more likely the trees.

BTW, do you think this slight sidewise tilt of the planar antenna matters?
- http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7393319.gif

On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I twisted it back into place (about a half inch of twist) but now I know
>I need to better secure the antenna base so it doesn't twist (we get
> >100mph gusts at times).

Attach some kind of radial arm to the base of the pipe that is long
enough to clear the concrete base. Unistrut and several hose clamps
will suffice. Pound a spike into the ground at the end of the radial
arm. How much good that will do against the force of the oak tree
branches hitting the panel antenna is dubious. Having the pipe twist
when the oak branches hit the antenna probably saved your antenna from
destruction (as seems evident by the antenna tilt). If the pipe were
secured in place, I'm fairly sure that the sheet metal mounting
contrivance on the back of the panel antenna would now be twisted into
a pretzel.

Incidentally, I would NOT pound a wooden wedge into the base bushing
as it's like to split or deform the bushing.

>I'm surprised that flimsy bushing works at all given how heavy the mast
>is. So, the only engineering problem left is to prevent the mast from
>twisting in the wind from the wind or more likely the trees.

Trim the trees.

>BTW, do you think this slight sidewise tilt of the planar antenna matters?
>- http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7393319.gif

Nope. It's fine (but ugly). The loss caused by polarization mismatch
is fairly minor until you approach 90 degrees.
Polarization Mismatch Loss in dB = 20 log (cos angle)
For a 15 degree tilt, that's only 0.3dB. Even 45 degrees will only
cause a 3dB drop.

<http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/7393299/img/7393299.gif>
Ummm... is that the Home Despot CAT5 on the ground? What happened to
the waterproof direct burial CAT5? It will probably last through the
winter, but all it takes is for you to walk on the cable, or some
critter to chew on it, and water will get in. After that, it's just a
matter of time before the copper corrodes into an intermittent.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000, Chuck Banshee wrote:

> Turns out a roof tile fell down from one roofline to another!

I forgot to post the picture I took in the morning of the broken roof!
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7394088.gif

Now I have yet another repair item to learn how to fix!

On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:24:03 +0000 (UTC), Chuck Banshee
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:23:00 +0000, Chuck Banshee wrote:
>
>> Turns out a roof tile fell down from one roofline to another!
>
>I forgot to post the picture I took in the morning of the broken roof!
> http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...mg/7394088.gif
>
>Now I have yet another repair item to learn how to fix!

The trick is not to slip off the roof. Walking on tile is also a
problem. You'll need some plywood or boards to distribute your mass.
I've helped with a tile roof repair, but that was 30 years ago.

<http://www.practicalpressure.com/How_to_Repair_a_Tile_Roof.htm>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgajyIO2sKA>
<http://www.realtor.com/home-garden/do-it-yourself/roofing/repairing-clay-tile.aspx>
etc. Plenty more found with Google.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:54:59 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Trim the trees.

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the suggestions! You're a kind heart.

Since the antenna is 16 feet high, I need to research the cost/
versatility of having either a 20 foot (or so) orchard ladder versus a 20
foot (or so) chainsaw-on-a-pole for tree trimming overall.

I would think the home-repair guys would know which is best, from a cost/
utility standpoint since many of them probably have one or the other (or
both). I can't afford both so I'll have to choose one of the two, always
planning more for general use than for the specific one-time application.

> Polarization Mismatch Loss in dB = 20 log (cos angle)
> For a 15 degree tilt, that's only 0.3dB.

Now that's very interesting! Yes, this tilt is minor, so, all it does,
based on your calculation result, is look ugly! Thanks for the
edification!

> What happened to the waterproof direct burial CAT5?

I made a big mistake when I first spec'd out this job.

I bought 500 feet of uv-outdoor cat5e from Home Depot for $75. Turns out
I 'should' have bought about 100 feet of waterproof, and then another 100
feet of interior cat5e. That would have been cheaper, better, and easier!

If only I knew then what (you've taught me) I know now!