Currently all my nodes are running BBHN and not AirOS so I can't really test this use on this side for you.

It is actauly VERY hard to brick a Ubiquiti device (not impossible, but hard).... Unlike the Linksys units where you could very easily get to a point where you had to open up the case to get to the unit a Ubiquiti can be reflashed without unscrewing anything.

You can use the reset button at boot to reset to factory default (as long as you didn't select 'disable reset'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-h48wELJtw

IF that fails or you have disabled reset you can download the Ubiquiti firmware from the Ubiquiti website and perform a TFTP re-flash of the unit by following the firmware recovery procedure.

http://wiki.ubnt.com/Firmware_Recovery

Both methods can get your unit back to stock condition.

I managed to screw up a working nanostation and need a backdoor to reset it to a node. I fat figured it into MAP, hit reboot and now it makes a pretty good paper weight.

NS powered up, poe connected, lan connected tp lan port of another (functioning) node ... nothing happens. I do not see a wifi ap ssid.

Reset button does not function, no IP show on connected node.

have I just wasted 90 bucks??

73 de mike

The picostation connectrd to a lan port would not play nice.

I tried configuring the ps as:

wifi = ap

network = bridge

access to other portions of the mesh only by IP

wifi = ap

network = router

access to other portions of the mesh only my IP

it has to be DNS issues, but I am not savvy enough to figure it out.

I did brick one on the brand new nanostations by make it a mesh ap. it is now a hidden element. I can set the mac but cannot figure away to get  back into it to correct my fat  figure mistake.

I guess it becomes another paper weight. I seem to collect those easily.

73 de mike

If you use the QUICK REPLY, then it munges it all together without formatting.

If you want it nice and neat the first time, click the POST REPLY.

I know... PIA, and it bites me every so often too....

Hopefully on the next revision of the site, with Kunena forums, it will be better...

KTF

I am using a Ubiquity AM-2G16-90 sector antenna.  It is a 90 degree sector with 15 db gain.  The 90 degrees is subjective (The UBNT datasheet lists this as a -6db value).

I have links established with this node at 13 and 8 miles.  The 13 mile link has a similar setup on the other end and works quite well.  (20 db s/n ratio of 13 miles)

I have not go a any experience with any other antennas and the rocket but I can tell you that this setup works. 

Clint, AE5CA

Hello

I am realy new at this. I have a wrt54g 2.2. I uploaded the software and walked through it with the old buzzards guide. No problems. Until I hit the part about saveing the initial setup with the callsign. It would not take my callsign with out putting in a password. I used the hsmm like the other password. well now I can access the status page but not the setup page. I have tried every combination of everything with no luck. Is there something I am missing? Thanks for any help Kg4vhv john

Even for WRT54GL I can't get a serial number prefix from any online retailer.

Linksys only made two versions of the WRT54GL's: v1 and v1.1. Both currently work with the firmware. You only need to inquire about serial numbers with the WRT54G and WRT54GS routers. Both of the latter two can be found on Ebay, and a quick contact to the seller might be in order to compare the first 4 characters with this document (quick google search for "WRT54G Serial Number List"): http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_Serial_numbers

If all known and purchased brand new WRT54GL devices have worked fine up to a given date of today, maybe it would be worthwhile to add that to the hardware selection document.

It's already there on page 1: http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/images/hsmm_docs/WRT54Shop.pdf

"Enough with the bogus statements of "I cant get them anymore".

Point taken.

Here is the problem:

The hardware document says version 5.0 and above of the WRT54GS devices do not work... yet if I'm trying to order anything online, I can't tell what version it is.  It is *very* true that Version 3 of this router is no longer made, though some can be found online.  Newest versions are version 8 I believe, which clearly is not going to work, but can't be determined online.

Even for WRT54GL I can't get a serial number prefix from any online retailer.

Bottom line:  to the new folks out here.. it is not clear, other than going to a store and yanking the device out of the packaging what is ok to buy, and what is not.

If all known and purchased brand new WRT54GL devices have worked fine up to a given date of today, maybe it would be worthwhile to add that to the hardware selection document.  Those of us who have never purchased one would not know what version we would be getting if we purchased one today.

Ken

i have six nodes up and running several applications including RPi asterisk, d-rats, and cams. what I want to do is put picostations on mesh node as a wifi ap for users to get to services.

this message is being sent using wifi connected laptop on picostatio connected to mesh-node, through the mesh gateway.

I can access the picostation via ip but not mesh serverrs

pico is configured as AP and network router. can anyone help figure what I am doing wrong???

73 de mike

Hi, my name is Ed, and I'm a newbie to mesh networks.  I have a WRT54GL, and am in the process of putting up an antenna.  Almost there, but not quite.  I'm located near Norristown in East Norriton (fn20hd).  Interested in seeing who else in the area is active here.

Hi all

Anyone interested in some long path testing to the Wickenburg area?  I have node set up but need to get a directional antenna for range.

Ron

I've seen everything from Omin's to high gain directionals used.

I'm looking at SECTOR's for a tower site (The NanoStations are basically all in one sector setups as well)

The AirGrid has a high gain unit built in, as to the NanoBeam/NanoBridge (dish based)

For demonstrations ive been using just small panel antennas (similar to NanoStation) and  small low gain omni's (on a bullet)  and for long range I did some testing with a grid (single polarity) that was originally hooked up to a Linksys before being swapped out.

A note about the 2 antenna ports, when running in a diversity mode they are intended to receive different paths between two similar type antennas (aka 2 omni, or 2 different polarities on a dish, etc) from the same sending station.

This 'multi antenna' ability has been (ab)used on the Linksys to use an omni and a directional dish, it works, but it wasn't how the devices were meant to operate.(Someone posted a much better explanation some time back in the forum)

So while it works keep in mind the unit will take the strongest signal it gets on either antenna.  This means one port could 100% mask another port (this could be what you want in some cases) while a remote party is transmitting.

Ive already seen setups of Ubiquiti do the same, and again it works, just be aware of the limitation that if two people are shouting at you  than you can only hear the loudest person.

If you try and ramp up to the much higher speeds (150mps) than you actually need both ports pointed to the same direction as it relies on the multi-path multi-polarity to ramp up to higher speeds (802.11n)

NAT mode is going to be your best bet unless you can re-number.

The mesh network needs to be thought of as a mini-internet.

Unless your devices can be on the assigned range generated by the device you need to do some form of NAT just like you would need to do to hook the com-van up to the internet.

The NAT can be either done on the BBHN node, or on a downstream router from the BBHN node (treating the node just like you would an internet provider)

Switching to NAT shouldn't change anything other than the fact that  some services will not work unless you put passthrough entries on the PORTS page for any services you want to run locally and they will be referenced to your node name to access.  This is how the mesh was ran by default up till version 1.0.0.

Using anything outside of the ranges assigned could cause unforseen routing issues across the board.

All,

What I am trying to do is set up a Bullet M2HP such that I can specify the LAN IP rather than have the firmware do it for me.

I am integrating the thing into a comm van and I don't want to have to re-engineer the network.

I did try NAT mode which let's me do what I want in terms of the LAN IP but pretty well cripples everything else (show services, etc).

I do have a Cisco router and a Cisco Switch in the van but that really seems like overkill.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

BTW, the receiver in that Bullet M2 is hot!  Goodness.

Chuck

WB6YOK

So if I went with the rocket m2, I would then need antennas, and a poe solution.

The PoE solution has been talked about before, but what antennas are folks running with these?

I see some really nice, but pricey, sector antennas on Amazon.... or are people throwing an omni on these?

The Pi is still limited by its Graphics driver (I have the old 256mb model which makes it worse)

Using them as much as you might think as interactive systems is hard. I use mine mainly as remote console and a Command Line coding system. Even running Wireshark takes a long time on my node.

With a combination of a remote server and my node I do however do most of the Ubiquiti programing from a Pi.

Pi's are great, one just has to evaluate how you use them.  I bought mine hoping they would be more flexible, but for user interaction its not been so great (in my opinion). For the cost of a full pi setup with monitor, keyboard, mouse, sd card, etc, I would recommend grabbing a cheap laptop it is likely to perform better at similar cost  and more portable.

Pi's do however work great if you just need to play MPEG2 video using hardware accelerated playback and beat some of my large systems in this regard because of the GPU in the chip.

Pi's can make decent remote servers to host files (as long as you don't need super performance), store operations plans, host remote information, access some basic websites (JavaScript is a resource killer), be distribution systems, BBS servers, etc. (The biggest limitation is the Graphics support --- which I know is getting better but will take time)

So yep, love my Pi, but not as great as I had hopped --- Eventually ill make one into a repeater controller and data logger, etc.

Linksys gear is still made and sold as the WRT54GL (see Amazon) however for similar cost you can get Ubiquiti ( -30c to 75c OR -40c to 80c (depending upon model)  OUTDOOR rated as compared to Linksys  0 to 40c INDOOR only)

We are starting to see networks replace their Linksys nodes with Ubiquiti now that we have a working release.

The Ubiquiti gear has an up to 10dbm extra receive sensitivity and up to 10dbm extra transmit power meaning you can have another 20dbm across an RF link with Ubiquiti compared to Linksys.

I've heard of a story where 2 directional antennas were needed because the Linksys gear couldn't see an Omni at a remote site, replacing the remote side with a NanoStation it was able to connect reliably to the Omni because of its better receiver so the directional was re-purposed to work on a backbone uplink to another site.

Ubiquiti Hardware Samples:

http://www.ubnt.com/airmax#airMaxHardware

Some are meant to be put on an antenna (bullet and rocket) with no/very little feedline loss.  some even have an antenna built in (AirGrid and NanoStation) meaning you take a node put it on a pole, zero feedline loss, run a cat5 cable for power and internet, and you are setup.