Troubleshooting Help Needed

Hi People

We've just setup a wireless network (802.11b) in our little town but we are
having problems getting a signal.

The setup consists of an Omni aeriel (HGV-2410U) connected by pigtail to a
D-Link AP (DWL 900AP+). The AP is in a weatherproof box and they are all on
a mast (2 inch box steel) on top of a water tower approx 130ft high. Power
is run to the AP through telephone cable with the AP power cable cut in half
and soldered at each end (Phone cable red / black to AP power cable side
with the writing on it, blue / white to the other side). Multimetre tests
show 5 volts of current is getting to the AP and the AP has lights on. The
power comes from a building on the ground.

We have tried to get a signal with a notebook / wireless PCMCIA card running
Netstumbler. The unit picks up another AP on the tower (in a lower
location) but cannot pickup ours. We've also got a Hills Parabolic Grid
Antenna 25dBi setup at a house approx 1 - 2 km away which is connected to a
D-Link DWL-520+ adapter but it cannot find any AP's (with the normal driver
or with Netstumbler).

Before taking the stuff up the tower we connected the aeriel and AP together
at ground level and the notebook could find it without any problems.

Can I please have some suggestions as to what troubleshooting things we can
do.

Thxs in advance

"John Osmond" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote...
> Hi People
>
> We've just setup a wireless network (802.11b) in our little town but we
are
> having problems getting a signal.
>
> The setup consists of an Omni aeriel (HGV-2410U) connected by pigtail to a
> D-Link AP (DWL 900AP+). The AP is in a weatherproof box and they are all
on
> a mast (2 inch box steel) on top of a water tower approx 130ft high.
Power
> is run to the AP through telephone cable with the AP power cable cut in
half
> and soldered at each end (Phone cable red / black to AP power cable side
> with the writing on it, blue / white to the other side). Multimetre tests
> show 5 volts of current is getting to the AP and the AP has lights on.
The
> power comes from a building on the ground.
>
> We have tried to get a signal with a notebook / wireless PCMCIA card
running
> Netstumbler. The unit picks up another AP on the tower (in a lower
> location) but cannot pickup ours. We've also got a Hills Parabolic Grid
> Antenna 25dBi setup at a house approx 1 - 2 km away which is connected to
a
> D-Link DWL-520+ adapter but it cannot find any AP's (with the normal
driver
> or with Netstumbler).
>
> Before taking the stuff up the tower we connected the aeriel and AP
together
> at ground level and the notebook could find it without any problems.
>
> Can I please have some suggestions as to what troubleshooting things we
can
> do.
>
> Thxs in advance

1. You should be able to "see" the AP over the ethernet to verify that its
functioning. The MONITOR software can manage it if you have updated the
firmware in the AP. The output to a 900+AP is 5 volts DC, you may be
dropping too much voltage over that length of telephone wire when drawing a
current load. Simply have lights doesn't verify that its functioning. Either
use a much larger gauge wire or extend line power (115/220) to reach the
AP...

2. If the omni is on top, the water tower may be shielding you from being
able to see it. Some omni's have a flat output, ie. get more in line with
the antenna. Make sure the grid antenna's polarity is correct...

3. There are lots of settings to match up if you are running the "AP" in 1
of its 5 modes. Make sure that the SSID's are alike, WEP, MAC
authentication, etc. on the 520+..

John Osmond wrote:
> Hi People
>
> We've just setup a wireless network (802.11b) in our little town but we are
> having problems getting a signal.
>
> The setup consists of an Omni aeriel (HGV-2410U) connected by pigtail to a
> D-Link AP (DWL 900AP+). The AP is in a weatherproof box and they are all on
> a mast (2 inch box steel) on top of a water tower approx 130ft high. Power
> is run to the AP through telephone cable with the AP power cable cut in half
> and soldered at each end (Phone cable red / black to AP power cable side
> with the writing on it, blue / white to the other side). Multimetre tests
> show 5 volts of current is getting to the AP and the AP has lights on. The
> power comes from a building on the ground.
>
> We have tried to get a signal with a notebook / wireless PCMCIA card running
> Netstumbler. The unit picks up another AP on the tower (in a lower
> location) but cannot pickup ours. We've also got a Hills Parabolic Grid
> Antenna 25dBi setup at a house approx 1 - 2 km away which is connected to a
> D-Link DWL-520+ adapter but it cannot find any AP's (with the normal driver
> or with Netstumbler).
>
> Before taking the stuff up the tower we connected the aeriel and AP together
> at ground level and the notebook could find it without any problems.
>
> Can I please have some suggestions as to what troubleshooting things we can
> do.
>
> Thxs in advance

My first impression is that you have an extremely cobbled together
system. Is there a big reason why you aren't using something designed to
do what you are trying to do?

I guess it does seem that way. We approached this by talking to a wireless
group as local as we could find and this was the setup they recommended.


"Rôgêr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> My first impression is that you have an extremely cobbled together
> system. Is there a big reason why you aren't using something designed to
> do what you are trying to do?
>

a small town wanna be engineer.... "5 volts of current".

Phone cable for power ?

Henry

"John Osmond" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi People
>
> We've just setup a wireless network (802.11b) in our little town but we
are
> having problems getting a signal.
>
> The setup consists of an Omni aeriel (HGV-2410U) connected by pigtail to a
> D-Link AP (DWL 900AP+). The AP is in a weatherproof box and they are all
on
> a mast (2 inch box steel) on top of a water tower approx 130ft high.
Power
> is run to the AP through telephone cable with the AP power cable cut in
half
> and soldered at each end (Phone cable red / black to AP power cable side
> with the writing on it, blue / white to the other side). Multimetre tests
> show 5 volts of current is getting to the AP and the AP has lights on.
The
> power comes from a building on the ground.
>
> We have tried to get a signal with a notebook / wireless PCMCIA card
running
> Netstumbler. The unit picks up another AP on the tower (in a lower
> location) but cannot pickup ours. We've also got a Hills Parabolic Grid
> Antenna 25dBi setup at a house approx 1 - 2 km away which is connected to
a
> D-Link DWL-520+ adapter but it cannot find any AP's (with the normal
driver
> or with Netstumbler).
>
> Before taking the stuff up the tower we connected the aeriel and AP
together
> at ground level and the notebook could find it without any problems.
>
> Can I please have some suggestions as to what troubleshooting things we
can
> do.
>
> Thxs in advance
>
>

"John Osmond" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

>> > snip
>> > Before taking the stuff up the tower we connected the aeriel and AP
>> together
>> > at ground level and the notebook could find it without any
>> > problems.
>> >
>> > Can I please have some suggestions as to what troubleshooting
>> > things we can do.
>> >
>> > Thxs in advance
>> >
>> >

/\/\/\/\/\
John,
I saw something about "if you needed a crossover cable" etc. If the
ethernet connection you are using is satisfactory then you will be able
to access the unit for administration (via the IP address you set up on
the 900AP+). You should also be able to ping it.

If you can access the box's administration screens then you may benefit
from being able to see the status log entries (plus prove your ethernet
hookup is satisfactory).

In addition ... I am pretty sure there is an AP900+ issue with the
connection of an external antenna (at least with some firmware versions)
that requires you to reverse the connector you use (ie: do not use the
antenna connector nearest the power jack as recommended but use the
other instead).

Check out the DLink forum at ...

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/dlink

IMHO as always ...
campbell

> In addition ... I am pretty sure there is an AP900+ issue with the
> connection of an external antenna (at least with some firmware versions)
> that requires you to reverse the connector you use (ie: do not use the
> antenna connector nearest the power jack as recommended but use the
> other instead).

There is only one external connector so he might need to go into the
config and change the diversity mode to switch antenna choice.

David.

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

>> In addition ... I am pretty sure there is an AP900+ issue with the
>> connection of an external antenna (at least with some firmware
>> versions) that requires you to reverse the connector you use (ie: do
>> not use the antenna connector nearest the power jack as recommended
>> but use the other instead).
>
> There is only one external connector so he might need to go into the
> config and change the diversity mode to switch antenna choice.
>
> David.
>

/\/\/\/\
David,
Yes of course you are correct .. (and I even have a AP900+ ... whew).

With the appearance of later software (2.57 or so) the "performance"
screen then allows you to select transmit power as well as left, right
or diversity antenna. The second antenna on the AP900+ is internal and
if I remember correct it was the left/right external/internal antenna
relationship that was screwed up.

I am sure I have seen posts over at the Dlink forum in regard to this
.... (people adding "big" antennas with no apparent change in signal
etc).
campbell

> I am sure I have seen posts over at the Dlink forum in regard to this
> ... (people adding "big" antennas with no apparent change in signal

Pretty similar to the Netgear ME102 and the Linksys WAP11 1.x where the
same config can be made but they are opposite ways round again.

David.