I already had a WRT54G ver. 1 running as a node -- only problem is that one of the micro coax antenna cables pulled out of the connector. I then picked up a WRT54GS (ver. 1; Serial No. starts with CGN1) and installed bbhn-1.0.0-wrt54gs.bin. Everything was fine until I tried switching it from a node to an access point: I changed the mode and saved the setting and rebooted without first changing the IP address as well. Now I can see its SSID with a WiFi scanner, but I cannot get into the configuration page or even discover what IP it's using: it's connected to the ethernet port of a Windows 7 laptop, but neither

arp -a

nor a ping scanner on the whole 172.x.x.x range finds anything, so I don't know what IP address I would have to use to upload the firmware again using tftp.

I've tried both the regular reset and the 30-30-30 reset to no avail.

Am I going to have to use JTAG on this thing?

Success!  Thanks for the help.  What I could not figure out was how to make the mesh request go past my node that my server is physically connected too.  When you wrote to give my computer where the server is located a DHCP reservation, then the fields under URL populated with the information for my host computer.  I selected it and VOILA!  Thanks again. It is working like a charm!

Plan here is to write some custom HTML pages displaying status information for events.  Anything from where can I get a cold soft drink at field day to more serious things like EMCOMM info during an emergency, etc.

i am also detailing how you helped me solve this, with this post, so when I forget it three weeks from now, I can come back here to this page.  LOL!

i read all over the net and watched videos, but when they got to this point most just said or wrote, "I have already set up the neccessary link, so on to the next step...."

...to which I would shout....wait...wait...that is what I need.  Oh well!

thanks again for the help. 73's

Success!  Thanks for the help.  What I could not figure out was how to make the mesh request go past my node that my server is physically connected too.  When you wrote to give my computer where the server is located a DHCP reservation, then the fields under URL populated with the information for my host computer.  I selected it and VOILA!  Thanks again. It is working like a charm!

Plan here is to write some custom HTML pages displaying status information for events.  Anything from where can I get a cold soft drink at field day to more serious things like EMCOMM info during an emergency, etc.

i am also detailing how you helped me solve this, with this post, so when I forget it three weeks from now, I can come back here to this page.  LOL!

i read all over the net and watched videos, but when they got to this point most just said or wrote, "I have already set up the neccessary link, so on to the next step...."

...to which I would shout....wait...wait...that is what I need.  Oh well!

thanks again for the help. 73's

Success!  Thanks for the help.  What I could not figure out was how to make the mesh request go past my node that my server is physically connected too.  When you wrote to give my computer where the server is located a DHCP reservation, then the fields under URL populated with the information for my host computer.  I selected it and VOILA!  Thanks again. It is working like a charm!

Plan here is to write some custom HTML pages displaying status information for events.  Anything from where can I get a cold soft drink at field day to more serious things like EMCOMM info during an emergency, etc.

i am also detailing how you helped me solve this, with this post, so when I forget it three weeks from now, I can come back here to this page.  LOL!

i read all over the net and watched videos, but when they got to this point most just said or wrote, "I have already set up the neccessary link, so on to the next step...."

...to which I would shout....wait...wait...that is what I need.  Oh well!

thanks again for the help. 73's

Ah ok yep your post just before mine conforms what's going on.

on the services page reserve a name for your PC hosting UIVIEW and use THAT name in the link drop down.

The way it is being advertised currently currently your telling computers "ui view is located on the BBHN node itself" when it's not  so reserve  an IP address with a name (same page in BBHN setup)   and select that name from the drop down instead.

Is kc4ojs-2 the name of your node that has the ui view server connected to it or the name that's been issues a dhcp reservation?

If so and you are using the default DIRECT mode than you need to create a DHCP reservation for the PC connected to the node that has UIVIEW running on it and set the URL to use that name not the node name.

If kc4ojs-2 is the name you reserved for the windows PC that has UIVIEW on it than plug into the remote node (one without ui view on it) and try and connect to the nodes web interface by name (verifies you have dns capability working correctly ) --- make sure wifi is disabled on the computer and your only using the wired port (split connections issue)

I just set up the nodes again to check for more details on what was happening..  When I click the advertised link the browser actually goes to a URL which is the name of the node attached to the computer where uiview's webserver resides.   Then on the page the following messages are displayed which have been edited to make typing faster

CONNECTION WAS RESET

SITE COULD BE TEMP BUSY.

CHECK NETWORK CONNECTION

IF A FIREWALL OR PROXY..MAKE SURE FIREFOX IS PERMITTED

Ii am obviously using Firefox.  I am also in 5 host direct

?..

..

The link shows up as an advertised service, but when I click on it, the browser spits back the page cannot be found.

however when I enter the 10.xx address for the computer the page appears.

??

kw

What exactly isn't working?

Does the link not show up on the remote node mesh status page or some other issue?

Please don't call the "passive" power over cat5 adapters "Power over Ethernet" or PoE. 

PoE/Power over Ethernet is a specific standard requiring different voltages and active handshaking and power management. 

Calling these pseudo PoE adapters "PoE or Power over Ethernet" will confuse people and lead to damaged equipment or at least non-functional setups.  Real PoE has protection built in to not put voltage on the cables until after it handshakes with the device on the other end and finds out the device can handle it.

Even if YOU know what you're talking about when you misuse the term, the people who aren't already experts don't need to confused by wrong terminology.  This stuff is already confusing for the newbies as is.

For that matter, be careful using these pseudo PoE connectors in a site where someone other than you might be working on the wiring or equipment.   That's a bit like putting 220V on a 110V wall jack. 

I have two nodes setup (Broadband-hamnet) and a computer on both nodes.  On computer 2, I have UIview32's webserver running.  I can access the webserver from computer 1 running on node 1 when I directly enter the "10.xx.xx.xx address read from node 2.

What I cannot figure out is how to "advertise" the UIview Webserver on the mesh...and make it work. 

I have entered in advertised services:  UIVIEW (checked the link) http://kc4ojs-2 port 80, but the advertised service never works.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.  

KC4OJS

kennywtn  at yahoo

Yep, always wise to verify polarity before attaching a device just to be on the safe side.

All these POE injectors are is a power inlet, with traces to the correct pins to feed power up the line. Nothing fancy at all, no electronics in them usually just traces and an inline LED and current limiting resistor at most.

10/100 is all these type of injectors but that is also what the ethernet ports on these devices are, 10/100.  Gigabit ethernet speed isn't a concern with the vast majority of the Ubiquiti gear unless you start talking about AirFibre line.

Passive POE is actually restricted to 10/100.  In Gigabit the 4 extra wires that passive POE uses are actually used as part of the datastream and you have to start supporting a more active power delivery options.

Yep, I was too, but I decided to spend the few buck and try them. They work fine for my needs.  They probably don't support Gigabit Ethernet (which you would need if the UBNT devices jump to the 40 MHz-wide channel (110 Mbps)... which they will do under the right conditions).

Anyway, there's a domestic importer who resells them.  I think I decided to buy from him rather than chance the Chinese-direct connection.  I hear your concern about letting the smoke out of these devices.  I would always verify the correct power polarity is on the correct pins before plugging it in.

Andre, K6AH

So the GS10xE switches are being called "Unmanaged Plus" switches --- I'll give them credit for showing they are not 'fully managed' switches but that they are at least more than an unmanaged switch and have the needed features for splitting the port but its a really bad name for what they do, but at least they didn't over market!

OK so based on what your describing it should be do-able with a dumb switch IF the devices your using for "WAN" support vlan tagging. All likelyhood you would run this in a 'bridge' mode

I just tried it with AirOS assuming it was going to be a Ubiquiti for the WAN port and they have a restriction that wont let you tag VLAN1 in AirOS otherwise 3 Ubiquiti devices would work plugged into a dumb switch (2 running AirOS 1 running mesh)

As long as you can configure the wired port of your device that will provide WAN access to tag all its packet with an tag of number 1 it will work and speak to the WAN port of the Ubiquit device.  DD-wrt should be able to do this when configured correctly. I don't have any dd-wrt devices however to test with. Assuming this device is not the one providing the AP services to the LAN as well than you can just disable the network that is on the untagged network.

The other option is run MESH throughout all spots (including the downlinks to locations) and only at this point have a smartswitch to pull out the WAN port.  In our next release devices will support Back To Back linking that will allow you to plug multiple devices together (such as to point to a backbone) --- This would eliminate the need to split the WAN out at each node  and instead only need it at location where you get internet.

In either case these setups *CAN* be done, it will just really depend upon the devices you use to be the WAN or LAN wireless devices.  Spend some time looking at the devices you want to use in those positions and see how they would do the following:

For the WAN to MESH node device you want to ask "How can I bridge the wireless to the wired ethernet port  on an 802.1q tagged vlan of 1"

For the LAN to MESH node its  "How can I bridge the wireless to over to the wired ethernet port"  (or maybe you want to be a router instead here -- because a mesh node only allows a max of 15 IP addresses on the LAN port in current builds)  

Hey KG6JEI,

Thanks for the help.  The setup I am trying to make would be basically a mesh node that could be installed on a house or water towers.  There are a lot of waters in the area and I mapped out the ones that can have visual line of site from tower to tower.  I do IT work locally and know people in the local municipalities so I can get access to the towers.  The plan is for each node to be installed on as many local towers as possible, one for each small town and city.  Then each node will have a high power WiFi AP on the LAN that is open for anyone to connect to.  The nodes will also have another high power WiFi AP connected to the WAN and pointed to the wifi of local businesses or homes that are ok with sharing their internet.  Or else the node can get internet from the mesh.  Each node system is off grid on top of each tower and powered by solar/batteries.  In emergencies it can behave like a secondary internet connecting the towns and open to the public for use.

The sad reality is that I would have to have it run under part 15 like any other WiFi device for anyone to be able to use and use websites online.  Otherwise I would have the Federal Censorship Commission crawling up every hole i got.  Though I would still like to have a regular ham mesh node running at my place to build off of for local hams.  

I think I will end up using the switch to separate the VLAN.  I looked up the GS108E and GS105E, the 5 port would be plenty for me.  The thing I wasn't sure of was that they were unmanaged switches.  I thought that only a managed switch could be logged into and configured.  Will the unmanaged switch still do this? Or do I have the wrong version?  

Thanks again for the help.  This work will help a great project, and is also sparking interest in the ham club I'm in for using the the ham radio version of this.

Roy, KB3ZTO

Search eBay for "ubiquiti passive poe" and you'll find an inexpensive DC injector <$5.  I use it successfully to power a roof-mounted Bullet installation (Conrad, KG6JEI mentioned it earlier in this thread).  I've attached a photo.  You'll see the CAT5 cable that connects data and power into the Bullet.  The antenna is attached directly via the 90 degree adapter provided with the Bullet.  This happens to be the Titanium version which I paid $114 for, but I could just as easily have used the plastic-cased version which sells for $74.

Andre, K6AH

Attachments
 Bullet Installation.jpg [359 KB] ::

What gear is being used to do the POE injecting from a 12v source? The only thing I own is the 1A 24v Ubiquiti POE injector that uses AC.

For quick deployment, the 5 Linksys nodes I have run fine with a banana plug in the cigarette lighter. I would like something as close to off-the-shelf as possible for Ubiquiti since one misplaced wire could make the Bullet let out $100 worth of magic smoke. I have already lost an IP camera & a Linksys to a bad portable power pack this week, so I am a bit jumpy.

I see you had noted using an inverter to power the Ubiquiti gear earlier. Not sure why the inverter have problems running the injectors.

If you haven't tried it yet the gear can run with a passive POE injector in a vehicle from the standard 12v of a car

(Operating range is around 10.5 to 24v)  no need to run an inverter to convert to 120v only to down convert to a lower voltage (15 or 24 depending on the Ubiquiti power injector)

I have 4 nodes at the moment in my demo lab running off my standard shack supply feed (13.8 off the rig-runner) (along with my other radios)

You may need to use a dc-dc converter or an inverter and an injector if the line needed to be long run of CAT5, but for a node that is located on a pole on a roof top (a few feet from a battery or large feed to injector) or inside a car where you have limited distance you need to travel no need to upconvert.

A local ham has one here actually mounted outside his car right to the antenna with only a CAT5 feed out to the unit and has reported no issues at all over the course of using it.

Higher voltages of the Ubiquiti injectors (or a DC-DC converter) are useful if the runs going to be long (Say maybe 25feet as a good point that you should do the math on a POE drop calculator)   A quick  math check says even at 12.0v source voltage (at the injector -- allowing for battery discharge over time) even 50 feet should still be 10.97 volts at peak power from the device (8watt), though the higher window you can give this the better obviously.

The 15v injector Ubiquiti provides is a good voltage for many run lengths at 25-150foot length. The 24v is meant for the longer runs of say 150-328feet (or more if you don't plan to plug a computer into it)

Biggest issue for locating (on emergency power) a Ubiquiti node is the power feed since the CAT5 is only basically 21awg you can have a lot of loss at 12v at 8watts --- Similar issues to a Linksys feed from a battery.  Just have to make sure where you switch to injecting the power the CAT5 line doesn't have too much drop.