Setting up a long distance wireless hotspot

I'm looking into setting up a wireless hotspot between 6 users with a
maximum distance between us being 1.5km, which is not exactly line of
sight. We are wanting to be able to connect with laptops and pda's so
directional antennas are out of the picture. So far we are thinking
along the lines of having a dedicated computer running Mikrotik router
OS, then connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
omnidirectional externally mounted antenna. What sort of coverage would
i expect to get from this equipment and are there any foreseeable
problems you could think of?

Thanks
Evan


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Evan1 wrote:
> connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
> omnidirectional externally mounted antenna. What sort of coverage would
> i expect to get from this equipment and are there any foreseeable
> problems you could think of?

I believe the fine from the FCC would be $5,000 a day.

Evan1 <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

>
> I'm looking into setting up a wireless hotspot between 6 users with a
> maximum distance between us being 1.5km, which is not exactly line of
> sight. We are wanting to be able to connect with laptops and pda's so
> directional antennas are out of the picture. So far we are thinking
> along the lines of having a dedicated computer running Mikrotik router
> OS, then connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
> omnidirectional externally mounted antenna. What sort of coverage would
> i expect to get from this equipment and are there any foreseeable
> problems you could think of?
>
> Thanks
> Evan

Legally, the highest gain antenna you can connect to a 1 watt device is
6db.

You gave virtually no information about geography, so no answer can be
forthcoming.

Evan1 wrote:

> I'm looking into setting up a wireless hotspot between 6 users with a
> maximum distance between us being 1.5km, which is not exactly line of
> sight. We are wanting to be able to connect with laptops and pda's so
> directional antennas are out of the picture. So far we are thinking
> along the lines of having a dedicated computer running Mikrotik router
> OS, then connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
> omnidirectional externally mounted antenna. What sort of coverage would
> i expect to get from this equipment and are there any foreseeable
> problems you could think of?
>
> Thanks
> Evan
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> View this thread: http://www.wirelessforums.org/showthread.php?t=31778
> http://www.wirelessforums.org
>

Without LOS, you don't have a chance. In fact, you need better than LOS;
for starters, see http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/F/Fresnel_Zone.html
--
Cheers, Bob

you are way over the legal limit........
"Evan1" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> I'm looking into setting up a wireless hotspot between 6 users with a
> maximum distance between us being 1.5km, which is not exactly line of
> sight. We are wanting to be able to connect with laptops and pda's so
> directional antennas are out of the picture. So far we are thinking
> along the lines of having a dedicated computer running Mikrotik router
> OS, then connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
> omnidirectional externally mounted antenna. What sort of coverage would
> i expect to get from this equipment and are there any foreseeable
> problems you could think of?
>
> Thanks
> Evan
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> View this thread: http://www.wirelessforums.org/showthread.php?t=31778
> http://www.wirelessforums.org
>

Evan1 wrote:
> I'm looking into setting up a wireless hotspot between 6 users with a
> maximum distance between us being 1.5km, which is not exactly line of
> sight. We are wanting to be able to connect with laptops and pda's so
> directional antennas are out of the picture.

Line of site is essential. An AP running 2 watts on a tewnty foot mast
can be easily seen from 800 feet away outside on a walk around laptop,
but walk twenty feet into the shadow of a house, and it becomes invisible.

> So far we are thinking
> along the lines of having a dedicated computer running Mikrotik router
> OS, then connecting that to a one watt amplifier and a 15 dBi
> omnidirectional externally mounted antenna.

Why do you want a Mikrotik unit? Just set the access point with WPA and
keep track of the users. Oh...sorry, you aren't using an access point.
Hmmm... That's gonna be a problem.

I'd go with at least TWO *commercial* grade access point, that's at
least $300 for starters. Prices have really come down from the $1,000
range in the last two years.

You could as well use couple of consumer grade APs and hope for the best.