[NTLUG:Discuss] wireless hardware, KVM switch recommendations?

[Rusty Haddock]

Mike Hart wrote:
    >...

    >Also, if you live in a fairly urban area (less than 1/2 an acre
    >separating you from your neighbors) G is much more likely to have an
    >open channel, since most G routers have 8-10 channels to select from

One minor nit here -- G routers in the US have 11 channels to choose from
BUT... each channel is about 22-MHz wide and separated from adjacent
channels by only 5-MHz.  Thusly, while you may operate on channel 1,
let's say, you are interferring with channel 2 with about 80% of your
signal, 60% of your signal buggers channel 3, and so on and vice versa.
And as you move closer to channel 6 routers there will begin to interfere
with similar increases.  Stick to channels 1,6, & 11 and try to get your
neighbors to do the same.  Using the channels inbetween really doesn't
help much if any.

Also, turning down everybody's power helps the interference issue even
more so.  Try asking your physical neighbors to do the same as well.
There's rarely any need to be pumping out the default 79-milliWatts
(19-dBm) or higher in most houses, definitely not in apartments or
smaller homes.  I have a fairly good-sized house and my routers are set at
13-dBm (20-milliwatts) or less with stock antennas and there's PLENTY of
signal to go throughout the house.  Keep in mind, stock antennas on an
old WRT54G and a little height goes a long ways (literally).  I've made
connections between two ad-hoc WRT54G's on 10-milliwatts at a distance
of over 1400-feet with plenty of bandwidth to watch videos!

FWIW,
	-Rusty-
-- 
   _____                Rusty Haddock  <=>  AE5AE
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