I've found that the software already exists for the wrt54g!!!  It's part of kismet, and it's gpsd.

All that's needed is for someone to integrate the output from it to the hsmm-mesh firmware!

Hi Michael,

I would go ahead and re-download the file from our site. It may have gotten corrumpted on the first download.

And double check you are getting the correct file: http://hsmm-mesh.org/download/firmware/hsmm-mesh-0.4.2-wrt54g.bin

Browser flavor shouldnt matter, as long as it can do the selection and upload, which is all of them.

73

KTF

Thanks for the feed back. I have found the following tripods:

Easy UP. This looks very similar to the one pictured on this site. http://www.aesham.com/photos2/EASEZ485ABX.jpg

On stage stands. I have one of these in front of me. They look really nice but I question the stability of them. Bump it hard enough and it will tip. The legs don't spread out as far as I would like. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SpeakerStd/

MFJ. http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-007037

Awesome!!!!!

Hello from an aspiring new user. I have a Linksys WRT54G V1 router and would like to install HSMM-Mesh.  I downloaded hsmm-mesh-0.4.2-wrt54g.bin.  I did a 30/30/30 reset then connected an CAT-5 cable to port 1. When I logged into the router firmware and went through the prompts to upgrade the firmware I got the message "Incorrect Image File".

I have tried this with several different machines running XP, Vista, Windows 7, Linux Mint 9, and a Mac.  I have used browsers including Chrome, Firefox, IETester, Netscape, and Safari.  I tried the recommended Linksys BIN, DD-WRT, and even a couple that weren't reccomended.  I even tried to do this over wireless.  I still get the same error message.  I've found limited information when I searched and followed the suggestions which basically said the issue was due to the browser or that I needed to update the Linksys firmware first.

I'm stumped and would greatly appreciate any suggestions.  Thanks, Michael N4MJR

Didn't see an area for intoductions, so ...

Name is Pete, KF2QD, located outside of San Benito down in the Rio Grande Valley.

Haven't been very active for a number of years but I have maintained my ticket. My boss belongs to a ham club that meets in Harlingen and got some information from one of the occasional members a couple weeks ago.

I am interested as I have been playing with computers on the job and as a hobby for a number of years. (TRS-80 Model 1 for age...) I can see this as a way to provide some backup communications and connectivety in case of hurricanes and such. A couple of units that could be portable that could be set up a a police station of fire station might be beneficial. Might be interesting to see if we could stick something on our small tower outside the studio to connect Brownsville to San Benito/Harlingen as there is some distance there that is sparcely populated.

Oh Yeah - Just what I needed, one more hobby to beg for time and money. Keeps the mind active though.

One of my hobbies is my small machine shop at home. Anyone got any experience making slot antennas at 2.4?

Might look at something like an Arduino with a network adapter. The Arduino has a variety of I/O including analog which would just require a voltage divider to monitor a battery. Digital inputs (5V) could be used to monitor other devices.

I have a Wrt54G with WRTOpen installed. What is the best/proper way to get the mesh software on this box?

hsmm-mesh-0.4.2-wrt54g.bin or hsmm-mesh-0.4.2-brcm.trx, or is the trx file only for those machin already having the mesh software installed?

Gracias.

Pete

Glenn,

Thanks for your timely and well reasoned advice re: WRT54 router reliability, especially your advice concerning weatherizing.  I know a little bit about weep holes, having struggled with water vapor intrusion on sealed avionics assemblies.  I've never had a water-related failure in an outdoor box that I included a weep hole in, along with appropriate drip loops.

I have a few amateur friends practically within shouting distance here, and we hope to start experimenting with HSMM-MESH in the next few weeks.

Glen Rickerd, NO6W

I have had good luck with Linksys routers. If you get a bad one it is a bother and something anyone would remember. I hope their Quality Control is not getting worse. I have never had a bad power connector on a Linksys router.

I have been experimenting with Linksys routers and Access Points for about 10 years and have had good luck with them. I estimate I have worked with well over 200 of the routers and Access Points. About 1/3 of them I have purchased new, the rest I have picked up at garage sales or at a second hand store in Austin, Texas.

I have never gotten a bad unit, out of a factory sealed box. I check the used units for obvious mishandling. Antenna connectors do get roughed up at times.

The routers were intended for indoor use, so for outdoor use I recommend putting heat sinks on all the large chips, putting a conformal coating over any exposed areas on the circuit board not covered by the solder mask, especially the legs of the chips (to keep moisture off). Then mount the circuit board vertically in the outdoor enclosure so any condensing water vapor will run off.

Paint the enclosure a light color, and put a weep hole in the bottom to let condensed water vapor out of the enclosure. Do not assume you can keep water vapor out. Provide a weep hole. A hole about 1/8” will usually work. Don't go up to 1/4” as that invites lots of insects.

That said, we have at least one unit that is just an unaltered WRT54GL in a good enclosure that has been running for over 3 years in the triple digit Texas heat, with no problems.

Do what you can to run clean power to the unit if you are using Power Over Ethernet.

Lightning protection is beyond the scope of this discussion.

Cisco owns Linksys, and makes “professional” mesh nodes. From what I can tell they charge from about $1,200.00 and up for these units and for that kind of money, they put it in a nice box for you, and expect you to use the unit outdoors.

Note that in Berlin, Germany and Athens, Greece, they have been running mesh systems with hundreds of WRT54G routers, for years before hams got interested. They seem to have acceptable results with the hardware.

If it is a hard to get to place, consider using more than one mesh node. The cost of the enclosure will usually swamp the cost of the electronics inside.

Even an expensive “professional” mesh node can get blown away in a direct lightning strike, no mater how much lightning protection gear you have on it. Consider putting up a second unit.

Use every trick you can afford on the cables coming off the roof or down the tower to keep lightning out of the building. This is a large topic in itself and is nothing unique to mesh nodes. One thing you might consider is a sacrificial Ethernet switch for all outside mesh nodes and isolate the power for it. It may be able to keep lightning from coming further into the building and its equipment. It is worth a try in some of these switches are quite cheap. (Don't forget to check them for damage if your mesh node seems to go quiet.)

-Glenn

KD5MFW

http://myweb.cableone.net/rhaddock/Radio/ngircd_18_mipsel.ipk

Just starting out reading here in the CA SF East Bay. 

I've heard one report of these routers not being up to long term use over long distance links.  Just wondering if anyone has experienced premature failures of the WRT54G routers?

One or two of the locations I have access to are hilltops that are not easy to get to on a moment's notice, so reliability could be an issue.

Thanks!!

Glen, NO6W

Just wondering if anyone has used one of these model routers.    I have the opportunity to buy three of them but I want to be sure first.

Thanks!!!

Andrew

NT5LA