The main advantage of the mesh node firmware mesh_ap mode is it is there in an emergency if you need it but otherwise I think the Linksys software will have more features on it and will be better set to handle users (such as encryption, access control, etc) than the mesh software.

I think a dedicated AP is the better choice for a designed go-kit but he downside to this is you've taken a device that could maybe run on the mesh (though with Linksys going EoS this is less of a concern) and dedicating it and making it so itndoesnt run mesh compatible firmware so it is a trade off between field flexibility for users or for mesh deployment.   

Of course using a dedicated AP is a great use for devices that otherwise don't currently run the mesh firmware.

I am having good success using a Linksys wifi router connected to a Linksys mesh router, as was suggested here. Using Linphone software.

What would be the advantages of replacing the Linksys wifi router with a Linksys mesh router using its

access point mode?

Thanks!

Bob W8ERD

Gentlemen, thank you very much for your help.  You are teaching an old dog new tricks :)  Your posts were very helpful to me.

I did read the book a year or so ago, and will be back into it.  The first pass was like being in a Cabelas catalogue where the items remembered were from the current hunting season.  With a bit more background and focus, I'm sure that a second read will help.  

Thanks again - What a MESH we have here. :)

Ok on the difficulty.  I wasn't sure how much of that code was bbhn and how much was olsr. There might be a hack to get around it based on manual entries... but probably doomed. In any case, I'll learn more about the guts of this beast.

On the tt://  url. Te port numbers are not the port numbers the program listens on. They are the port arguments of the server it should connect to. In fact, the request is sent to TeamTalk by whatever url/application mapping mechanism the OS supports. In my case, MacOS, TeamTalk actually launches, but can't automatically make the connection to the server because the url doesn't parse (because of the :port).

No huge problem... But, as people start extending more services over the mesh, we will probably run into problems like this again.

BTW, I just realized my spell "checker" changed inefficiency to efficiency in the Subject. Not quite what I intended.

Richard

I have found what may be a bug, or a design efficiency in the way services urls are input and stored.

The issue:

The input form  (www.cgi-bin/ports) assumes that there will always be a port number attached for the url. This may be true when the protocol is http/https. But it is not the case for all protocols.

Suggestion. The form handler should accept an empty port field, and when the port field is empty, it should also delete the ";". This would not break http/https urls that use port 80 as the default.

Further, the code that reads /etc/config/services and creates /var/run/services_olsr also appears to not like missing port numbers. If the port number is not present, it does not copy the service entry.  And, lastly, the code in /www/cgi-bin/mesh will not add a url from /var/run/services_olsr if it does not contain a port.

The specific use case here is the entry of urls for TeamTalk4, which are of the form:

tt://tt4us.bearware.dk?tcpport=10333&udpport=10333&username=guest&password=guest

This isn't an easy question to answer.  There are tools available, such as Radio Mobile (recommend the online version at http://www.cplus.org/rmw/rmonline.html), which will help you determine path feasibility, the power/antenna gain you'll need to make the distance, etc.  Many of us have successful links of 10 miles and some even 20 miles or more... but the devil is in the details.  I suspect you will not get 10 miles with a 10 dBi omni antenna and .4 watts unless the other end a dish with 20-30 dBi of gain range.  Rather, consider one or more sector antennas.  UBNT makes several of these as well.  Above all, the paths and their Fresnel Zones will need to be clear of vegetation.  You mention the area is forested.  This will kill 2.4 GHz and above.  You may want to consider 900 MHz if you have no choice but to shoot through vegetation.  But at 900 MHz you'll need to constrain the bandwidth to 5 MHz to respect other users and be careful to coordinate your channel with other local uses for the band.

So, as you can see, it's a complex question.  If you haven't already done so, I recommend to you and anyone planning a deployment to download and read Wireless Networking in the Developing World (http://wndw.net/). It'll give you all the background you'll need to successfully implement a mesh.

To answer the comparison question:

• The Rocket TX power is 28 dBm and the vertical is 10 dBi for a total of 38 dB.
• The NanoStation power is 28 dBm and the integrated antenna is 11 dBi for a total of 39 dB.

So they are equivalent within their antenna radiation patterns, but the Nanostation only has a 55 degree radiation pattern.

Remember that signal loss over distance follows the inverse-square law, so doubling the distance between nodes requires an additional 6 dB of power or antenna gain.  Achieving that 6 dB through antenna gain improves the link in both directions.  Achieving it with additional transmitter power only helps in that one direction.

Andre, K6AH

Trying to put light on some of the Presidents faces in my wallet - they kind of like the dark, but may be . . . . Need some help/opinion with antenna / equipment metrics: If I get the UBNT Rocket and the $160 10db antenna and use it for a central node, what is the relative strength of this central Rocket vs Nanostation M2 units in the field? i.e. communication needs to be two way. Will the directional pattern of the NSM2 have the same strength as the omni pattern of the Rocket when pointed at each other? SENIARO: I live on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan which juts out into Lake Superior. For SAR and Events I want to cover a 60 by 20 mile rectangle with MESH. This is a relatively low noise environment. There are 30,000 people and several bear turds in the woods. I have access to towers at 10 to 20 mile distances down the center of this rectangle which could give be basic coverage and then deploy portable MESH nodes for fill for a Search or Event. WHAT is the infrastructure that should be deployed? Vance, KC8RGO

P.S. I guess I hijacked my topic here.

Thank You for your prompt and useful replies. 

Ron, N1AHH

Was the solution to this ever determined? I'm having the same issue.

Ah.  Just saw AB1ST's last reply... and that (setting the laptop's IP to static 172.27.0.5) allowed me to gain access to the AP.

I wanted my "services" links to automatically open in a new window (rather than control clicking and selecting new window or tab). This way, my mesh status window stays open, and accessible. So, in the

foreach(`cat /var/run/services_olsr 2>/dev/null`)

code block (around line 140) I changed

$services{$host}{$name} = $port ? "<a href='$url'>$name</a>" : $name;
to:
$services{$host}{$name} = $port ? "<a href='$url' target='_blank'>$name</a>" : $name;

If and when you do get one, I'm sure this user community be eager to hear your thoughts on its performance.

Andre, K6AH

Vance,

Ubiquiti has a line of MIMO concurrently horizontal and vertical polarized antennas: http://dl.ubnt.com/datasheets/airmaxomni/amo_ds_web.pdf

These are likely the best choice... although they're expensive and require a Rocket rather than a Bullet because they need two RF chains to operate the two domains.

I have had good luck with the Bullet to an EnGenius 8 dBi vertical (model EAG-2408; $29) .  I operate this---while stationary---via a dash-mounted PC and wireless keyboard (see photos attached).  It works real well, but for best results, when at a distance of several miles, I need to respect the antenna's radiation pattern and position my vehicle below the node or on an incline facing the node. 

I would definitely mount the router on the roof directly connected to the antenna, not inside the vehicle as you've planned.  Note also, that the vehicles 12 volt battery is plenty adequate as a POE power source.

Andre, K6AH

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Good news Darryl! Good luck with the effort m'man.

Howard W6IDS

Dear Jon,

Thanks for the list of things and the links to the setup guides... I am working on a Linux server right now so it can be the basis for some of your suggestions.  I am so slow on Linux right now but by the time I get through this list I should be better at it.   I am trying to recruit some more Linux savvy help...

I will report back on what I have accomplished.

73 Dave WA5DJJ

Eventually what we have planned here in Louisville is to have a couple "cell sites" that use all 3 bands linked together through a switch, though we have a few 900MHz repeaters so I will need to verify that the M9 would not interfere with the repeater operation. 

What would be the groups recommendations on NMO antennas for MESH on board my vehicle - Toyota Sienna LE?  

I am finding them from $20 to $90.  I don't mind paying the price if the PRICE/PERFORMANCE is there.

I expect that I will use a UBNT Bullet in the van.

I expect that the 2.4 / 5.8 combos are a convenience compromise and that if I need to support 5.8 or 900MH a replacement antenna would be the best option.

Is a

L-Com HG2405UR-NMO 2.4 GHz 5 dBi worth the $90?

thanks - Vance - KC8RGO