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 Subject :CAT 5 versus CAT 6 – signal – to – noise concern.. 2014-10-29- 07:17:34 
kw7b
Member
Joined: 2014-05-14- 09:40:25
Posts: 6
Location: South East Portland - Powell Blvd

Greetings everyone

Has anyone tested the difference between CAT 5 and CAT 6, relative to copying other node signals?

I have two Linksys WRT54G routers configured for Mesh; two Ubiquiti Nano's; and a Ubiquiti Air Grid high gain antenna and parabolic reflector assembly. While working with each one of these, one at a time, I find no hint of another mesh node to connect to – over the last four or five weeks wealth configuring these routers for myself, and my brother-in-law.

Currently I am using a CAT 5 crossover cable, and find no signals I could identify onany of the routers, at least no signals with the broadband-Hamnet SSID. I see no call signs either. I see plenty of signals / SSID's when I look at Wi-Fi scan, but no sign of anything I can connect to mesh wise. When I look at OLSR, I see on my own mesh nodes as being available.

I have CAT 6 STP and double shielded cable coming in a day or two and I will test the two. I wish I had a TDR available to check the signal-to-noise ratio as I change the cables…

Any opinions, or experience that I might glean from?

73

KW7B, Rick
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 Subject :Re:CAT 5 versus CAT 6 – signal – to – noise concern.. 2014-10-29- 08:28:53 
NG5V
Admin
Joined: 2010-01-18- 23:06:23
Posts: 43
Location: 
The network cable won't matter. The connection is digital and is either pass or fail. The spec for a single run is 100 meters or over 300'. This part DOES matter if you are remotely powering the mesh node. You might have to start with a higher voltage or power it locally for long runs. The issue is signals. You need to be on the same firmware family as the others near you. This is easy to spot by doing the WiFi scan. Your SSID should be the same as the one you try to attach to. If WiFi scan doesn't spot any mesh nodes, there are none to connect to with that antenna and that mesh node in that position. Change any one of the previous three factors and the answer may change. BTW, you can't just change the SSID. They are unique based on the content of the packets being passed and must remain the same for all users in that mesh. When we upgrade the firmware and the type of data changes, the SSID must change as well. At this time, any mesh node with the same major version number will work with any other in that major version. For example, 3.0.0 will mesh with 3.0.7 (which does not exist yet), but will not mesh with 2.0.1 even if you change the SSID.
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