You'd need a laptop with a wired ethernet connection and wifi.  

Set the laptop up to pick up internet via its wifi card and feed it out the wired ethernet connection.  I think that's what "Internet Connection Sharing" on Windows does, but I've never used it. There are probably other ways to do the same function, but the only "magic" is getting the laptop to feed "internet" out the ethernet port.

Use an ethernet cable from the laptop to the WAN port on the WRT-54G.  I think the WAN port is auto MDI-X, so you won't need a crossover cable.   Enable "mesh gateway" and you're done. 

Your laptop will see the mesh node configuration web pages on http://x.x.x.x: 8080, but the laptop won't have access to anything else on the mesh.  x.x.x.x is the IP address your laptop gives the mesh node.

It gets worse the more you think about it.  

Don't forget that wifi links are two way.  If you put an amp on your own station, the far station can hear you, but you can't hear him, and can't communicate.  You can't establish a link despite the fact that he can hear you.  Boosting the signal on one end only doesn't usually give you a longer link distance. 

Since your station transmits much better than it receives, you won't hear that the frequency is busy for distant stations and wait your turn, but you will still interfere with them. 

You probably can't even effectively use a preamp on your node because the station you're trying to talk to will be lost among the sea of other low power 802.11g stations on the same channel.

Brainless high power amps only help if both ends of the link have amps.  In that case, you're making the interference problem even worse for other civilian and mesh users.

High gain antennas have several advantages over amps.

They are symmetrical between receive and transmit.  Your transmit signal is more powerful, but so is your receive signal.

You receive a spatially selective subset of stations.   There's less background noise from other wifi or other 2.4 GHz signals.

Your transmit signal doesn't interfere with as large an area.

If you have a high gain antenna on both ends, you get a multiplying effect, not just an additive effect.  A 10x gain antenna on both ends gives you 100x signal improvement.  You may also get a significant reduction in the general background noise of other 2.4 GHz noise sources because your beam width is smaller.

Good net to get things kicked off.

http://likespecies.com/MeshProp/MidsouthMesh-20131204030001.mp3

Well I have seen absolutely no-one at this point around here that are playing with mesh. I have hooked up 3 nodes, raspberry asterisk, some Polycom phones and can talk around the property through the mesh. I set up a 15db Omni to receive on and found an old tower antenna 20db to transmit on. Still have to experiment on distance, lot of trees near by. Looking for a camera now Ii can mount up near the antenna just to play with but hopefully some people around here will start getting involved would be nice to bounce a path further north!

Cheers!

Mike 

Yes, that will work. The router will only draw as much current as it needs. 2A is overkill, but it won't hurt anything. Standard ebay disclaimers apply. I would be comfortable buying it, since it specifically says it works with the Linksys routers, and the seller has a 100% rating. (126 transactions in the last year, all feedback was positive.)

Right Mickey, and not just interfering with other wifi gear, but how about other nearby mesh nodes?

If one node has a blowtorch spraying out RF, other nodes in the near vicinity, that could normally make up hops/relays, may get de-sensed as all they would hear is the flamethrower.

Thats not how a mesh should be planned out.

The BEST way to start building a mesh is to plan it out via software, then once that shows it could be viable, go out and put up test nodes with GOOD ANTENNAS, and see what you get. Trying an omni to shoot 2 miles more than likely wont happen. 2.4ghz needs directional gain for any good distance. They are good for local (a block or 2) links, like relaying down from a tower/rooftop.

I saw an attempted link 2.4 miles, totally clear path and LOS, with an omni both ends: no connection. Maybe 1 to 2% of the time they would link. Throw a small dish on one end, came up to about 15-20%. Dishes on both ends: 100% ! Had we thrown amps on the omnis, it might have helped, but no where near as good as the dishes.

Another link we put up 24dBi dishes on both ends of a 9.8mile link. NO AMPS. Would get a connection about 10% of the time. Alot of Fresnel zone interference (wavy hills with apartments/buildings on it--cant chainsaw here without jail time :-) ). Added a 2w amp on the far end, and we are at about 80% connection, good enough to use now. May improve it further by raising the antenna on the near end (no-amp) off the flat (hospital) roof more. I prefer no amp on this end as there are 3 other antennas there (2 nodes), each making their own connections and do not want to de-sense them.

KTF

The modulation scheme and protocols used by 802.11g makes this problem even worse than it first seems.

You can interfere with a lot of civilian wifi users. 

Unlike some other wifi standards like 802.11b, a single overly powerful 802.11g device can completely block out other users of a particular channel. 

If you're the strongest 802.11g RF signal a receiver hears on a particular channel, it can't hear anything at all from other wifi devices on that channel, except in gaps between your transmissions.  If you're sending out a nearly constant stream of data, the other users may not ever get a long enough gap to establish or maintain a data link. 

The reason for this is that 802.11g uses OFDM, not DSSS.  DSSS can share a channel, OFDM doesn't share the channel except between transmissions. 

Also, although there are 11 channels on 802.11g, they overlap, so there are only 3 non-overlapping channels.    One overly strong 802.11g signal will interfere with several other channels. 

There are several other problems caused by an overly strong amplified transmitter, but that's enough for a single post.

Well thought I might post some pics of my project / experiment box I made for mesh. My intentions is to charge the battery with a small solar panel (charge controller is inside the box on the right). This is all mounted inside a 12x12x6 Scepter PVC box which is blank when you get it and you can punch holes etc. where ever you need to.

Inside the box is the Router (HSMM firmware), 5 watt amplifier, fuse block, 12vdc - 5vdc USB converter for future raspberry, Solar charge controller, external LAN port, power switch, amp switch and the battery (AGM). Not sure I will be using the amp but I buried one back there just to experiment with since I can't chain saw the trees near me.

I also put a weather proof cigarette lighter plug on the box so if I want want I can tap into the 12vdc from the battery or back charge the battery through it with a trickle charger if I need to.

Cheers

Mike

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As promised, Cisco 79xx VoIP phone video is now posted (configs to follow shortly). Take a look!
http://www.broadband-hamnet.org/documentation/182-cisco-7940-with-asterisk-raspberry-pi

It really is that easy!

OK, I have seen 2 posts/emails just today on gents thinking of throwing an 8 watt amp into their system. So this has got to be posted.

BBHN uses microwaves, which act totally different from the low-n-slow bands. It REQUIRES point-to-point links with CLEAR Line of Sight and UNOBSTRUCTED Fresnel zones. If you are unsure of these 2 definitions, please Google/Bing/Your favorite search engine before moving on.

The trick to making a good mesh network is aiming GOOD antennas FIRST. If you have a clear path,  clear Fresnel, and a good antenna, you can go MILES with ONLY STOCK POWER (79mW/19dbm)

IT HAS BEEN DONE.

If you get a link, but it is real flaky, then maybe bump it up with a half-watt amp. If its still not solid, then go to 1W. No more than 2 watts should EVER be necessary.

If it takes more than 2 watts, then maybe you should rethink your paths. Can you add a repeater node in between? Can you raise the antennas higher to get over the obstructions?

But planning an 8W amp before even TRYING to make the link is foolish and can be downright dangerous. I wont intentionally walk in front of a 24dbi dish even with just stock 79mW into it. My contact lenses (and EYES) are expensive, and the concentrated microwaves will COOK water (coffee cup in the Radarange should be proof enough every morning!). Safety is the first (or second)  lesson for a Technician license.

Im not trying to belittle or chastise anyone, just bringing to the forefront the dangers of old HF/VHF habits when working in the microwave range.

Satellites shoot signals thousands/millions/billions of miles, and what is the transmitters max output? 2, 3, 5 watts? Yes, that is in free space vacuum, but it is the same principals and physics, even with air as an attenuator.

Sit down and figure out your path profiles and calculate the RF gains/losses. RadioMobile is a great tool to start with. Heywhatsthat (link under web links-path profiling) is another great profiling tool.

An 8 watt amp into a 24Dbi dish nets an EIRP of 2+KW. If you need that much, invest in a chainsaw first (to remove obstructions). At least you can see where the stuff is flying off it's blade.

And remember the one big Part 97 rule: USE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF POWER TO MAKE YOUR CONTACT.  IMHO, An 8 Watt amp should be considered illegal under this rule. Get a better antenna first ! Get more HAAT second. Add a relay node third. We are Hams... we are supposed to be creative! And with SAFETY always in mind.

We have done 5, 6, and 10 mile SOLID links across Austin, the Texas capitol, which include the University of Texas campus, with business and residential wifi, microwave ovens, and other 2.4 Ghz QRM present, with just gain antennas on each end and NO AMPLIFIERS.

I will close with my urging everyone planning mesh networks to realize this is not HF/VHF/UHF, and it works differently. You cannot change how it works, you have to plan the way it works. And most of all do it safely.

73 and Happy Meshing
Jim
K5KTF

8 watt amps are WAY overkill my friend.
If you figure out the EIRP, 8w into 25dbi is more than the oven in your kitchen! (2KW at microwave freq !)

We are talking DANGER WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! *arms flailing*

I suggest get the antennas up, and try to make the links first, before adding any more power. This aint no VHF/HF stuff where you just willy-nilly throw a big amp on thinking it will help no matter what.

FURTHEST FROM THE TRUTH !

If you cant make the connection with high gain dishes and stock power, then MAYBE a half-watt. If you get a flaky connection then bump it up another half-watt.2 watts should be the max into a dish.

If you still cant get a connection, then you need to rethink the path profile, and maybe add repeater nodes or the aiming of the dishes, etc.

But 8W, e-gads! If thats what it takes, I prefer to use a chainsaw (to remove the obstructions).

KTF

Before proceeding, I would erase the nvram and kernel. From there I would reload the .bin file via tftp (either stock linksys and then upgrade or the openwrt image) as jtaging it woudl take too long.  You could proceed either way as the wrt54g* will load either one without the other first.

That's my process when I unbrick devices using jtag.

Paul
KF5JIM

Hi,

    i just unbricked my WRT54GS V3 by reloading the CFE, got it pinging and before I install the Hamnet software was wondering if I should proceed with loading the bin software. The instructions assume you have the original linksys software in the router OR you are updating the Hamnet software that is already installed. I would reaslly appeciate a little advice from those in the know.....

Thanks

Paul

WB6IWT

The main contacts are myself W9GYR and Myrton N1GKE. We are having another meeting today and one of the topics will be to discuss how we are going to coordinate our activity. For now this forum is the main place to gather.  RI mesh meeting Nov. 30, 2013

Thanks for the info and advice. That may come in handy as we are salvaging a number of different type of antennas. These are commercial 2.4G (the number is stamped on the feed next to a barcode serial number) and I believe that they were formerly used for point-to-point extended wifi. It has Type N connectors with LMR-400 coax. We'll be testing them before installation to be sure.

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Can anyone tell me why the status page of my node reads the URL

"xxxxxx-nameremoved-xxxxx.cloudfront.net"

That is an Amazon webserver.

You can price them here: http://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/

yes, /8 it is. So I could not set a gateway node to forward only certain 10.x.x.x packets, as there could be nodes that would fall into the same subnet as my LAN was set to.

I went round and round for a few days/couple weeks off and on. Finally gave in and changed my whole LAN (about 15-20 units) to a different range.

But it is SO cool that I can be anywhere on my LAN, add the static route to the LAN device, and surf the mesh from it. I have helped a few others set this up and "go down the rabbit hole" as AD5OO calls it.:-)

KTF