Hello all!

We have a group of ham's that are working on mesh in our area (NE Wisconsin), and are looking to deploy a number of nodes to create a permanent mesh network. We are looking to do some propagation mapping in advance to pick ideal locations for deployments. Has anyone had any luck with software to do such a task?

73,

Andy, KC9TAE

The antenna is VERY nice.  Much bigger and better built than I thought.

Of course I bought the wrong cable.  I got an R-SMA to N cable.  The antenna has the N connector.  Turns out the Linksys has an R-TNC connector.  Ooops.

I'll make a trip to Frys and see if I find an alternative adapter so I can give a shot this weekend...

Attachments
 IMG_20140321_180023.jpg [59 KB] ::

Your two nodes are really close! Just a heads up, I know of another node going up in Sunnyvale. It will be someplace north of you up by the bay and near Lockheed. Not sure when it will be getting on the air. Hopefully soon. I believe he plans on posting it to the map so keep an eye out.

As far as my node goes, The node is finished and in a waterproof container with a directional and omni antenna. I have a mast for it and a location in my side yard to put it up. All that is left to do is a visit to the hardware store to figure out the best way to mount the node to the mast.

Hopefully It will be finished and aiming your direction this weekend!

James - KH2SR 

Hey, you look to be quite close by to me.  I'm also close to Homestead (corner of Homestead and N. Stelling).  My node is currently indoors, but my new antenna comes this weekend so I'll have to give a shot at getting our nodes to link up.  

It would sure be nice if our mesh was more than just disconnected nodes! :)

So a key point here is that Asterisk is a daemon and is intended to be run from the background. This was designed into the program rather than forcing a desktop.

The following Google cache entry has a patch that claims to modify the ratflector  to daemonize but I haven't tested it and it may no longer work due to age (2011)

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7OhOZ-m0EbIJ:www.wt0f.com/2011/08/wa7fw-ratflector/+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

The other option is to setup your pi to auto log in, and set  the drats program to launch from a desktop startup script.  Exact methods to do this vary by pi distribution to pi distribution and desktop environment to desktop environment so I would refer you to that group to get more specific details

I am trying to get a headless Ratflector going on a RasPi for a meshnet for out local ARES-RACES group. I can get D-Rats loaded, but it must run from a desktop, and user name and password is required to get the RasPi to that stage. I know that Asterisk runs with out desktop or passwords, abut I know that is a whole different story. Can anyone give me a push in the right direction? Thanks. Sorry to take up the time on the board.

Andre,

here the last one the nanobridgeM2

board.sysid=0xe232
board.cpurevision=0x00000101
board.name=NanoBridge M2
board.shortname=NB2
board.subtype=
board.netmodes=7
board.hwaddr=DC9FDB62501F
board.reboot=30
board.upgrade=150
board.phycount=1
board.phy.1.maxmtu=2024
board.phy.2.maxmtu=2024
radio.1.name=
radio.1.shortname=
radio.1.bus=pci
radio.1.subsystemid=0xe232
radio.1.subvendorid=0x0777
radio.1.txpower.max=23
radio.1.txpower.offset=2
radio.1.antennas=2
radio.1.def_antenna=4
radio.1.antenna.1.id=3
radio.1.antenna.1.name=Feed only
radio.1.antenna.1.gain=3
radio.1.antenna.2.id=4
radio.1.antenna.2.name=Combined
radio.1.antenna.2.gain=18

73

Remi F6CNB

Andre

The nanoBeam M5 international version with airos XW 5.5.6

board.sysid=0xe4e5
board.cpurevision=0x00001122
board.name=NanoBeamM5
board.shortname=N5B
board.subtype=400
board.netmodes=7
board.hwaddr=24A43C622F0E
board.reboot=40
board.upgrade=150
board.phycount=1
board.phy.1.maxmtu=2024
board.phy.2.maxmtu=2024
radio.1.name=
radio.1.shortname=
radio.1.bus=ahb
radio.1.subsystemid=0xe4e5
radio.1.subvendorid=0x0777
radio.1.txpower.max=26
radio.1.txpower.offset=4
radio.1.antennas=2
radio.1.def_antenna=1
radio.1.antenna.1.id=1
radio.1.antenna.1.name=400
radio.1.antenna.1.gain=25
radio.1.antenna.2.id=2
radio.1.antenna.2.name=Feed only
radio.1.antenna.2.gain=3

73

Remi

F6CNB

Andre,

here is the NanoBeam M2 (international version)with AirOS XW5.5.6

board.sysid=0xe2c2

board.cpurevision=0x00001122

board.name=NanoBeamM2

board.shortname=N2B

board.subtype=400

board.netmodes=7

board.hwaddr=24A43C92750B

board.reboot=40

board.upgrade=150

board.phycount=1

board.phy.1.maxmtu=2024

board.phy.2.maxmtu=2024

radio.1.name=

radio.1.shortname=

radio.1.bus=ahb

radio.1.subsystemid=0xe2c2

radio.1.subvendorid=0x0777

radio.1.txpower.max=28

radio.1.txpower.offset=10

radio.1.antennas=2

radio.1.def_antenna=1

radio.1.antenna.1.id=1

radio.1.antenna.1.name=400

radio.1.antenna.1.gain=18

radio.1.antenna.2.id=2

radio.1.antenna.2.name=Feed only

radio.1.antenna.2.gain=3

73

Remi F6CNB

Hi KE6TIM,  Joe Pistritto, this KK6INS, Aaron Robertson also from Fremont, Ca. I noticed your post. Thanks for getting interested in the Broadband-Mesh Ham Network. As you can see I posted a node in Fremont. If you already have your node, would mind by posting the node on the map. That would be greatly appreciated.

My Friend, KH2SR, James and I, KK6INS, are trying to build up the Bay Area slowly to have wide-spread HSMM network.

Thanks

73!!!

Can anyone verify the WRT54 barrel type 12vdc power connector size? On first try, I used a 2.5 mm by 5.5 mm and it made only intermittent contact.  From what I've been able to glean from ads for the power cube (aka wall wart) replacements, it should be 2.0 mm by 5.0 mm.  At least for the GL ver. 1.0 - 1.1.  I've also have seen reference to a different size for later versions of the WRT54G.  Is 2.0 x 5.0 mm the correct size I should use for my GL?

73, Don AE5K

Its on there now Denny. Entry #495...

Happy Meshing!

KTF

Welcome to the club! Looking forward to aiming my antenna your way eventually. Keep up the good work and post photos of your progress.

73!

James - KH2SR

I was wondering is there anyone out there using Microtik Groove or Metal routers with the new Ubiquiti software ?

MS Jordan

BITE YOUR TONGUE MICKEY !!

World Mesh Domination!

5 years and I should be able to sit anywhere in Central Texas and dial my portable VoIP phone and ring the wife (KA5HHZ).

OMG !! WAIT !! Thats ANOTHER way she will be able to bug me! NO We cant have this! Nevermind!

(and yes, she reads these forums... LOVE YOU HUNNY   lol)

The short answer is "normal" wifi users won't be able to connect.  With some effort, a computer/wireless savvy person can figure us out and hook in.

If the bad guys see your SSID and Google it, they can figure out you're using BBHN.  Once they figure out you're using BBHN, they can find our web site, find a WRT-54G  or Ubiquiti of the appropriate version, flash BBHN code onto it, and set it up, they're in.

There are other ways to sneak onto the network, but they require more skill and effort.

Once they figure out you're using BBHN, or simply that you're using OLSR, they can take another type of device, install OLSR and maybe a few other things, figure out how to configure it, and then they're in.  That's considerably more difficult than installing BBHN on a WRT-54G. 

If they simply want to listen in, there are a number of free programs that will record every packet that goes by.  The messages will be broken into chunks and mixed in with other stuff, but with some low grade computer skills, it's not that hard to reassemble the original message. 

Realize that we're not that attractive of a target in a lot of ways. You're never going to have a BBHN network that blankets a city where you can just hook into it with your laptop or a WRT54G with a stock antenna.  You need to be near someone's BBHN node, or be able to connect to someone's long range directional mesh node antenna. 

In order to connect to someone's long range directional mesh node, you have to be in the beam, which is probably somewhat narrow.  You probably need to have a beam antenna yourself, unless you're close.  Realize that even if the other node you're trying to connect to has a gain antenna or even an amp, you can't send data through him, unless he can hear your signal.  Since there are a lot of other wireless devices in the beam, it's a lot harder for him to hear you than it is for you to hear him.

Even if someone is near your BBHN node, you have your BBHN node set as an internet gateway, and he wants to steal internet from you, it's very difficult for him to hook up to the mesh node, unless he buys and sets up a WRT54G for BBHN.

If you hook the printers via wired ethernet to the mesh node, you can make them available to devices on other mesh nodes. 

Does that do what you need?

The extra non-mesh wireless router will let you connect laptops and such to the mesh, but it's going to be a lot harder to make those devices available to devices on the mesh. 

Thank you both for your responses.

73,

Andy, N2CN