I only want to go 500 feet (outdoors), but can't quite get to 150 feet.

I would appreciate some help understanding what I have done wrong here. I am
attempting to extend access out to a gazebo about 500-600 feet from my main
location.

My set-up consists of
DLink MI-514 Wireless Router
about 20' of LMR 400 antenna cable
A 8.5 dB Omnidirectional Antenna (no downtilt to the radiation pattern)
A Dell Laptop with a built-in True Mobile card.
Assorted pigtails, adapters, and lighting arrestor.

I mounted the antenna outside the main location about 3' from the ground,
and I have unobstructed LOS to the gazebo.

I thought that this would be a slam-dunk, as the advertised range of the
DI-514 is 300 feet indoors and 1300 feet outdoors (yes, I realize under
"ideal" conditions). I thought putting the antenna outside in direct LOS of
the gazebo would pretty much make the conditions as ideal as possible, as
well as increase the gain in the system.

I estimated the signal strength close to the antenna (accounting for cable
loss, antenna gain, and free space loss) at about
-13dBm.
OK, I ignored any losses in the assorted pigtails, etc..

Using the utilities shipped with my laptop, the received signal levels I
experience are as follows:

at 5 to 10 feet -27 dBm
at 50 feet -50 dBm
at 100 feet -61 dBm
at 150 feet -73 dBm

At each location, I am in full view of the antenna. Beyond 150 feet I can't
hold the signal long enough to get a good reading.

The annoying aspect is that for some reason I can also pick up another
wireless network at all locations, although not reliably. When I can get a
signal from the other network, it appears to be in the -60 dBm to -70 dBm
range. The signal strength is pretty independent of where I am along the
path to the gazebo. In other words, the signal strength from the other
network is stronger in some locations in others, but not clearly stronger at
one end or the other of the path to the gazebo. (I haven't determined which
neighbors signal I have yet, but suspect that a line to their location is
perpendicular to the path to the gazebo.)

Any thoughts??

Dave M

think 3' is awfully close to the grnd, might raise it up and see if things
improve .
fwiw
I've a di624 with both a 5.5db omni range extender and a 6db 80degree
directional panel attached and with a standard g pc card - at 150' signal
is around half strength on the little indicators.

I'm no antenna guru, but when I added a 8db yaggi directional flag antenna
to the laptops compex g pc.card it was a definite grin maker. It's 100%
signal most anywhere ,,, one bad area that was 26% is now 76% aimed through
I guess mortar over wire lath wall and two other wood/drywall type sidings.


"Dave M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I would appreciate some help understanding what I have done wrong here. I
am
> attempting to extend access out to a gazebo about 500-600 feet from my
main
> location.
>
> My set-up consists of
> DLink MI-514 Wireless Router
> about 20' of LMR 400 antenna cable
> A 8.5 dB Omnidirectional Antenna (no downtilt to the radiation pattern)
> A Dell Laptop with a built-in True Mobile card.
> Assorted pigtails, adapters, and lighting arrestor.
>
> I mounted the antenna outside the main location about 3' from the ground,
> and I have unobstructed LOS to the gazebo.
>
> I thought that this would be a slam-dunk, as the advertised range of the
> DI-514 is 300 feet indoors and 1300 feet outdoors (yes, I realize under
> "ideal" conditions). I thought putting the antenna outside in direct LOS
of
> the gazebo would pretty much make the conditions as ideal as possible, as
> well as increase the gain in the system.
>
> I estimated the signal strength close to the antenna (accounting for cable
> loss, antenna gain, and free space loss) at about
> -13dBm.
> OK, I ignored any losses in the assorted pigtails, etc..
>
> Using the utilities shipped with my laptop, the received signal levels I
> experience are as follows:
>
> at 5 to 10 feet -27 dBm
> at 50 feet -50 dBm
> at 100 feet -61 dBm
> at 150 feet -73 dBm
>
> At each location, I am in full view of the antenna. Beyond 150 feet I
can't
> hold the signal long enough to get a good reading.
>
> The annoying aspect is that for some reason I can also pick up another
> wireless network at all locations, although not reliably. When I can get
a
> signal from the other network, it appears to be in the -60 dBm to -70 dBm
> range. The signal strength is pretty independent of where I am along the
> path to the gazebo. In other words, the signal strength from the other
> network is stronger in some locations in others, but not clearly stronger
at
> one end or the other of the path to the gazebo. (I haven't determined
which
> neighbors signal I have yet, but suspect that a line to their location is
> perpendicular to the path to the gazebo.)
>
> Any thoughts??
>
> Dave M
>
>

I would have to agree, 3' is awfully close to go that distance. The
other thing you might try is getting a stronger antenna and see if
that helps. Myabe buy it, try it, if it doesn't help take it
back...think Radio Shack, Circuit city, etc.
A somewhat trial and error thing to try is putting up a small(12"x12")
piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil to act as a reflector
behind your current antenna and see if the numbers get better. I have
seen this work indoors so a stainless metal panel would work outdoors.
Smooth out the foil as much as you can.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 23:58:43 GMT, "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>think 3' is awfully close to the grnd, might raise it up and see if things
>improve .
>fwiw
>I've a di624 with both a 5.5db omni range extender and a 6db 80degree
>directional panel attached and with a standard g pc card - at 150' signal
>is around half strength on the little indicators.
>
>I'm no antenna guru, but when I added a 8db yaggi directional flag antenna
>to the laptops compex g pc.card it was a definite grin maker. It's 100%
>signal most anywhere ,,, one bad area that was 26% is now 76% aimed through
>I guess mortar over wire lath wall and two other wood/drywall type sidings.
>
>
>"Dave M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I would appreciate some help understanding what I have done wrong here. I
>am
>> attempting to extend access out to a gazebo about 500-600 feet from my
>main
>> location.
>>
>> My set-up consists of
>> DLink MI-514 Wireless Router
>> about 20' of LMR 400 antenna cable
>> A 8.5 dB Omnidirectional Antenna (no downtilt to the radiation pattern)
>> A Dell Laptop with a built-in True Mobile card.
>> Assorted pigtails, adapters, and lighting arrestor.
>>
>> I mounted the antenna outside the main location about 3' from the ground,
>> and I have unobstructed LOS to the gazebo.
>>
>> I thought that this would be a slam-dunk, as the advertised range of the
>> DI-514 is 300 feet indoors and 1300 feet outdoors (yes, I realize under
>> "ideal" conditions). I thought putting the antenna outside in direct LOS
>of
>> the gazebo would pretty much make the conditions as ideal as possible, as
>> well as increase the gain in the system.
>>
>> I estimated the signal strength close to the antenna (accounting for cable
>> loss, antenna gain, and free space loss) at about
>> -13dBm.
>> OK, I ignored any losses in the assorted pigtails, etc..
>>
>> Using the utilities shipped with my laptop, the received signal levels I
>> experience are as follows:
>>
>> at 5 to 10 feet -27 dBm
>> at 50 feet -50 dBm
>> at 100 feet -61 dBm
>> at 150 feet -73 dBm
>>
>> At each location, I am in full view of the antenna. Beyond 150 feet I
>can't
>> hold the signal long enough to get a good reading.
>>
>> The annoying aspect is that for some reason I can also pick up another
>> wireless network at all locations, although not reliably. When I can get
>a
>> signal from the other network, it appears to be in the -60 dBm to -70 dBm
>> range. The signal strength is pretty independent of where I am along the
>> path to the gazebo. In other words, the signal strength from the other
>> network is stronger in some locations in others, but not clearly stronger
>at
>> one end or the other of the path to the gazebo. (I haven't determined
>which
>> neighbors signal I have yet, but suspect that a line to their location is
>> perpendicular to the path to the gazebo.)
>>
>> Any thoughts??
>>
>> Dave M
>>
>>
>

"Dave M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I would appreciate some help understanding what I have done wrong here. I
am
> attempting to extend access out to a gazebo about 500-600 feet from my
main
> location.
>
> My set-up consists of
> DLink MI-514 Wireless Router
> about 20' of LMR 400 antenna cable
> A 8.5 dB Omnidirectional Antenna (no downtilt to the radiation pattern)
> A Dell Laptop with a built-in True Mobile card.
> Assorted pigtails, adapters, and lighting arrestor.
>
> I mounted the antenna outside the main location about 3' from the ground,
> and I have unobstructed LOS to the gazebo.
>
> I thought that this would be a slam-dunk, as the advertised range of the
> DI-514 is 300 feet indoors and 1300 feet outdoors (yes, I realize under
> "ideal" conditions). I thought putting the antenna outside in direct LOS
of
> the gazebo would pretty much make the conditions as ideal as possible, as
> well as increase the gain in the system.
>
> I estimated the signal strength close to the antenna (accounting for cable
> loss, antenna gain, and free space loss) at about
> -13dBm.
> OK, I ignored any losses in the assorted pigtails, etc..
>
> Using the utilities shipped with my laptop, the received signal levels I
> experience are as follows:
>
> at 5 to 10 feet -27 dBm
> at 50 feet -50 dBm
> at 100 feet -61 dBm
> at 150 feet -73 dBm
>
> At each location, I am in full view of the antenna. Beyond 150 feet I
can't
> hold the signal long enough to get a good reading.
>
> The annoying aspect is that for some reason I can also pick up another
> wireless network at all locations, although not reliably. When I can get
a
> signal from the other network, it appears to be in the -60 dBm to -70 dBm
> range. The signal strength is pretty independent of where I am along the
> path to the gazebo. In other words, the signal strength from the other
> network is stronger in some locations in others, but not clearly stronger
at
> one end or the other of the path to the gazebo. (I haven't determined
which
> neighbors signal I have yet, but suspect that a line to their location is
> perpendicular to the path to the gazebo.)
>
> Any thoughts??
>
> Dave M

Do you know what channels your neighbors' signals are using? Try to find a
channel away from theirs.

Ron Bandes, CCNP, CTT+, etc.

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 23:58:43 GMT, "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:


>I'm no antenna guru, but when I added a 8db yaggi directional flag antenna
>to the laptops compex g pc.card it was a definite grin maker. It's 100%
>signal most anywhere ,,, one bad area that was 26% is now 76% aimed through
>I guess mortar over wire lath wall and two other wood/drywall type sidings.
>
What specific antenna did you add?

"Dave M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> Any thoughts??

Buy a larger Antenna.

--
Lucas Tam ((E-Mail Removed))
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

yeah - those published numbers are always interesting -
I've wanted to take my WAP11 Access Point and do a test in a local soccer
field -

Take my UPS and a couple of laptops - for a small network setup -
Setup the WAP11 and a laptop connected via hub - with the UPS for power
Then take another laptop and do a walk around site survey -
It would be real interesting to see some results from this kind of test...
Wonder if anyone has done this - and posted it to the web ?
Phil

Phil Schuman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> It would be real interesting to see some results from this kind of test...
> Wonder if anyone has done this - and posted it to the web ?

http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...4&loc=101&sp=1
if link doesn't work, search
mc antenna
made by telex - others make them too.


<brian-s-jones-at-comcast.net> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 23:58:43 GMT, "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
>
> >I'm no antenna guru, but when I added a 8db yaggi directional flag
antenna
> >to the laptops compex g pc.card it was a definite grin maker. It's 100%
> >signal most anywhere ,,, one bad area that was 26% is now 76% aimed
through
> >I guess mortar over wire lath wall and two other wood/drywall type
sidings.
> >
> What specific antenna did you add?
>

On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 12:16:47 -0400, "Dave M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> A Dell Laptop with a built-in True Mobile card.