picostation2HP as a hotspot?

[dvdhll]

hi. i'm trying to supply my neighbours with internet connection. we all live in small cabins, and they are spread arouns my house in about 400 meters radius. about 10 laptops inside their houses (walls made of wood).
i thought of using the picostation2HP as an AP. would they be able to transmit to the AP? and how is this picostation doing in terms of stability? i dont want to reset the router 3 time a day...
also. the weather here is VERY windy. how would this AP survive?
right now i'm using linksys wrt-54gl with 97mw output and a 8dbi omni antenna, but it's not stable enough.

[WHT]

What data speed are you using? You might be going faster than you need to, and that requires higher signal levels. No need for a 54 Mbps data speed if your internet connection if only 5 Mbps, for example. 12 Mbps would be sufficient.

Set (or slow it down) to at least twice your internet connection speed. See if that improves your connections to the laptops.

[dvdhll]

thanks. i'll definietly try that.

can you recommend on the picostation 2 HP? and does anybody know when it will be available in the US?

[pcampbell]

I would really make an effort to get those antennae outside of the walls and I think you might find your problem solved. Is your antenna outside? Getting through the walls is probably the hardest part. I understand though that this means they will have to bridge the networks. But having a really high power AP with laptops with internal antenna may not solve the problem.

[dvdhll]

my antenna is outside, their antennas are simple laptops built-in antennas. can't this work? all i'm trying to create is a large hotspot. is this too large?
what is the biggest hotspot possible to make? and how do they make hotspots in campuses etc? do they really put an AP or WDS every 200 meters?

[WHT]

my antenna is outside, their antennas are simple laptops built-in antennas. can't this work? all i'm trying to create is a large hotspot. is this too large?
what is the biggest hotspot possible to make? and how do they make hotspots in campuses etc? do they really put an AP or WDS every 200 meters?
A few hundred feet around the AP is not too large, of course if the laptop can see the AP.

Every 200 meters? For outside access perhaps, more like every 20 meters if inside.

[dvdhll]

and the other option is supplying each house with it's own AP configured as - what? repeater or wds or bridge? will they have to connect to it with a lan cable?
and will they have to put these devices outside their hoses, or i can rely on the APs better performance?

[WHT]

There are so many variables, it would be impossible give give any recommendations that you can be assured that will work.

[dvdhll]

and what about my original question - should i wait for picostation 2 HP and use it an AP and maybe add more 1 or 2 units as WDS?
when you have a "atronger" device, does it mean that it can sense weaker signals, coming from integrated laptop wifi cards?
and does anybody know when picostation will be available?

[WHT]

when you have a "atronger" device, does it mean that it can sense weaker signals, coming from integrated laptop wifi cards?
Nope...the HP only has a "stronger" transmitter, the receiver is still the same sensitivity as the standard version. CORRECTED - SEE BELOW

Using a higher power transmitter for the AP means the laptops will receiver it further out, but since the laptop transmitter is not as strong as the AP...the AP won't receive the laptop signal.

Edited for correction:
Looking back on the data sheets, the HP has 2 dB better sensitivity.

[gmidia]

let me give you a working solution but at a cost. 2 picos for every house. one for bridging (Client) placed outside and the other inside the cabins to provide wifi cloud for the laptops inside. the two connected via the LAN's

[c2oncpr]

outside Loco2 and inside wireless router might be less $$$.

[WHT]

The simplest set up would be Picos at locations such that each laptop is less than 500 feet from any Pico AP. Then laptops in the cables would connect.

But I would get one Pico to start and place it in various locations to see how well a laptop inside a cabin will connect to it.

[saneeek55]

thank you! you are help me!

[dvdhll]

i placed 2 NS2 HP on a mast 5 meters high, and the cover all the cabins, up 2 300 meters (didn't check more far than that). people in the cabins get a great signal and can access the internet easily. also, the stabilty is quite good. kuddos for Ubiquiti!