Tiny Wireless Device for $US 50: Meraki Mini

http://www.meraki.net/mini.html

Meraki Mini
Meraki Mini Hardware Specifications

* 180MHz MIPS CPU (Atheros AR2315 SoC)
* 8MB Flash, 32MB SDRAM
* 60mW 802.11b/g radio
* External RP-SMA antenna connector, internal chip diversity antenna
* 10/100 Mbit/s auto-crossover Ethernet port
* Headers for 3.3v serial port, GPIO pins
* 5.6-18V DC tolerance, for use in developing countries or with batteries
* Power-over-Ethernet support (non-802.3af)

The Meraki Minis include one 2dBi antenna and a 7.5V DC power supply. The Meraki Mesh firmware is also configured to let users login over ssh and experiment with their own software. Custom USB-serial adapters designed for the Mini are available though the Summer Beta program.

The Meraki port of Linux 2.6 for the Mini is available at www.meraki.net/linux. It includes a new Ethernet driver and watchdog timer support for the AR2315.

OpenWRT firmware available: Download

Diamond Digital R100 (Mitsubishi Electrical)

Manufacturers Info

• Brochure PDF
• Manual PDF
• Quick Start Guide

This wireless device is a consumer wireless gateway

• Wireless AP
• WAN Port
• 4 Port LAN Switch
• Paralell Port for Printer Server
• USB Port for Printer / USB Camera
• Web Interface for Configuration
• Power Pack, Network Cable and CD-ROM for recovery

Purchasing

These items are End of Line as far as I know

www.dealsdirect.com.au had them running out for as little as $49.95 + ph

If you can get your hands on one spend the money, its a lot of fun and and stable device

There was also a bulk buy so there are a number out there in the hands of members

Technical Information

Under the hood

• Bootloader: PMON
• System-On-Chip: Broadcom 4710
• CPU Speed: 125 Mhz
• Flash size: 4 MB
• RAM: 16 MB
• Wireless: Mini-PCI Broadcom WL-120G
• Ethernet: two network interface, one for 4 LAN ports, one for WAN port, no VLAN tagging
• USB: 1xUSB 1.1
• LPT: yes
• Serial: yes, with external UART
• JTAG: no
• MiniPCI Slot
• u-Fl to rpSMA pigtail, allows replacement of mini PCI card

Hackable? YES! Whats not to hack

This is identical to an ASUS WL500G unit, in fact it is made by ASUS and rebadged to Diamond Data.

Forum

there is an entire forum dedicated to hacking this unit
wl500g.info

Firmwares and Hacking Support

This unit is able to run various types of firmware that were started with the Linksys WRT54G and hence the names:

• OpenWRT
• FreeWRT
• DD-WRT

To flash the firmware

Be sure to get the firmware for broadcom (bcrm) mips when downloading the firmware, as there are a number of choices

When in doubt read the instructions or ask advice from someone else who has done it.

There isn't much to lose, as the unit can be put back to recovery mode and you can put the old firmware on

All you will lose is your configuration time.

Be sure not to forget the last IP you leave your device on by default it is 192.168.1.1 so that is a good place to start looking

1. Install the windows r100 software
2. Set IP on your PC to 192.168.1.11 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1
3. Run the software and browse to the location of the .trx to install
4. Attach a lan cable from your PC to the r100
5. Press Black button next to power supply on R100
6. Hold Button and insert power, may need extra hands, now you are in "Recovery Mode"
7. Continue to hold button for 3 seconds
8. Wait for 1-20 seconds
9. You should see "Success" or something to that effect
10. If not repeat from step 5, it doesn't always happen first time

What advantages does a custom firmware have

The reason we run a custom firmware as it allows the unit to have altered/improved functionality

1. Run as a client
2. Run as a OSPF,BGP IP router
3. Run as a Mesh device (OLSR routing)
4. Run a OpenSource operating system with command line interface
5. Modify the wireless card to greater tx power and rx sensitivity

Hacking Requires Linux Skills

Don't expect the hacking process to be easy

there are a number of hurdles:

• using vi as a text editor
• understanding non volatile ram
• understanding the init scripts
• understaning a bridge
• learning ipkg

There are lots of resources about Linux out there

• The Linux Documentation Project
• http://www.google.com.au

Modifications

Given the number of interfaces there are a great number of affordable modifcations:

1. Attach a USB mass storage device
2. Replace the Wireless Card with Prism 2511M, Atheros CM9, Sr2, Sr5, for 802.11a or Better Sensitivity and Transmission Power
3. Attach power cycle relay to parallel port
4. Attach Security USB Camera
5. Attach a USB wireless interface

Opening up the case

The screws are under the little rubber feet
Pull the rubber feet off with a finger nail
You waranttee is now void

Software Solutions

As you are running a Linux Operating System Space and CPU willing there is nothing you cannot do

• Network monitoring via crond, snmp, rrdtool, perl, python etc (later relies on usb flsh drive)
• WWW server
• Quagga based router
• anything you can do under linux

Routerboards (MikroTik)

Air-Stream Recommended Routerboard comparison: (RouterBOARD 433 is Air-Streams current choice for AP deployments.)

1. RouterBOARD 411A: Atheros 300Mhz CPU, 64MB RAM, 1 x LAN, 1 x MiniPCI, NAND Storage with RouterOS Level 4 (AP support) POE 10~28V 105mm x 105mm
2. RouterBOARD 411AH: Atheros 680Mhz (800Mhz factory tested) CPU, 64MB RAM, 1 x LAN, 1 x MiniPCI, NAND Storage with RouterOS Level 4 (AP support) POE 10~28V 105mm x 105mm
3. RouterBOARD 433: Atheros 300Mhz CPU, 64MB RAM, 3 x LAN, 3 x MiniPCI, NAND Storage with RouterOS Level 4 (AP support) POE 10..28V DC 105mm x 150mm
4. RouterBOARD 433AH: Atheros 680Mhz (800MHz factory tested) CPU, 128MB RAM, 3 x LAN, 3 x MiniPCI, microSD slot, Voltage Monitor, Fan headers, NAND Storage with RouterOS Level 5 (AP support) POE 10..28V DC 105mm x 150mm
5. RouterBOARD 600: PowerPC MPC8343E 266/400MHz CPU, 128MB RAM, 3 x Gbit LAN, 4 x miniPCI, NAND Storage with RouterOS L4, full voltage power support POE 38..56V DC 140mm x 200mm

Routerboards come with a fairly comprehensive commercial operating system called RouterOS (see below.)

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Software

RouterOS

RouterOS comes mainly level 4 license. Level 3 supports only client and bridging mode, while level 4 supports access point mode. RB411A, RB411AH, RB433 and RB600 come with level 4, and RB433AH comes with level 5. License levels can be easily upgraded. The RouterOS package is like a super beefed up version of the "default web interface" you will find on any access point, and is designed for outdoors with gems like automatic ACK timeout setting. It can be accessed via web, telnet, ssh or by a GUI application called Winbox. Winbox provides the most features including fequency usage dynamic graphs, traffic monitoring, antenna alignment helper, hotspot gateway, bandwidth management, routing (BGP, OSPF, RIP), packet sniffing, wireless snooping, ping flooding and more. A screenshot of Winbox is shown below.

Weatherproofing

Routerboard 133 and 133C, loaded with miniPCI modules, fit snuggly inside a 171mm x 121mm x 55mm polycarbonate or diecast aluminium enclosure using a 6-12 mm cable gland for the Ethernet/PoE cable and N-F or RPSMA-F bulkheads for the antennas.

TWO Routerboard 433, loaded with miniPCI modules, fit snuggly inside a 222mm x 146mm x 55mm sealed diecast aluminum enclosure using a 6-12 mm cable gland for the Ethernet/PoE cable and N-F bulkheads for the antennas.

Purchasing
Routerboards and accessories (power supplies, PoE, enclosures) can be purchase from Wifi Extreme

WRAP (Wireless Router Application Platform)

The PC Engines WRAP board is a Single Board Computer (SBC) designed specifically for cost-effective development of wireless routers and other network devices. The Wrap.2E board, shown below, has the following features

Speed
233 MHz Geode SC1100 CPU
Memory
64 MB or 128 MB RAM
Storage
Compact Flash card or Microdrive
Power
7-18V DC external power supply or passive Power over Ethernet (not 802.3af compliant). Uses about 3 to 5W at 12V DC (excluding miniPCI cards)
Connectivity
1 ethernet port, 2 miniPCI slots, 1 serial port (console)
Size
100W x 166L (mm)
Weight
128g
Software Supported
GNU/Linux - OpenWrt, DD-Wrt, EmbCop, GNAP, Metrix Pyramid, Voyage Linux, GNAP and other distributions
FreeBSD - m0n0wall, pfSense
NetBSD
OpenBSD
Commercial - StarOS and others

These WRAPs are popular amongst Air-Stream members and are ideal for a customised "up the mast" application, that is with the wireless router sitting next to the antennas at the top of the mast. The two miniPCI slots allow two different wireless cards to be controlled by this one small board. A common application this allows for is using one card connected to a directional antenna for the "backbone" link to the Air-Stream Network and the second card connected to an omni-directional or sectored antenna for further node connections.

Software
The architecture is supported by various different open source operating systems and there are many ready made distributions for the PC Engines WRAP. The operating system is stored on a compact flash card (not supplied with the board.)

Weatherproofing
The boards are conveniently sized just right to fit inside the well priced sealed diecast aluminium enclosures* available at Dick Smith and Jaycar, which are designed to IP65 and NEMA4 standards.

Power Supply
Power is supplied through a DC jack or via power over ethernet - directly into the ethernet port on the board. Power supplies must be purchased seperately.

Purchasing
PC Engines WRAPs are supplied by Yawarra Information Appliances

*Note: To comply with Australian emissions regulations these boards need to be enclosed in a metal case.

Note (8/6/2007) on SC1100 based WRAPs: Experience shows there is not enough internal bandwidth to support two high speed backbone connections. SC1100 is in End of Life status now and newer WRAPs will be powered by Geode LX800 or ARM9 CPUs which will hopefully resolve this

Dbii Networks - True Integrated Lightning & ESD

Dbii Networks produces a range of high quality wireless cards that integrate Lightning & ESD* protection into their entire range of 802.11a/b/g/n with robust surge protection built in. It employs patent pending architecture that integrates the protection for the antenna port from static electric build-up during thunder storms and other power surges.

The card feature good output power performance and high receive sensitivity as they are designed with long distance outdoor wireless networks in mind. The cards also have built-in Heat-sinks that make them ideal for Australian conditions.

Dbii Networks has recently given Air-Stream Wireless a number of samples to trial on our network, which are currently with the Network Planning Team for deployment.

Units for testing include:

• F20-Pro - 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g
• F50-Pro - 5.8Ghz 802.11a
• and the F52N-Pro N card for 2.4 & 5.8Ghz a/b/g/n

Edimax EW-7206APg

Edimax EW-7206APg is a new ethernet access point (AP) that is similar to the old Minitars but also have a 802.11g mode. They support all the features of the Minitar like client mode and MAC cloning.

Download the factsheet (Cached)
Download the users manual (Cached)

Mass production of these units have just begun, hopefully these units will proove to be as good as the old Minitars and will help the network grow. These units will benifit clients who just want to connect to an access point and dont have *nix skills.

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Comparisons to Minitar MNWAPB

Similarities:
Size/form factor: Identical (same factory)
Power/POE: Identical
Features: All MNWAPB features are there, including setting MAC addres on a 'client' (MAC cloning).
TX Power: Same (60 mW) in 802.11b mode.
Antenas connectors: 1 x RP-SMA
Price: About same as MNWAPB

Differences:
+ 802.11g
+ 'Universal repeater' mode. This is a simultaneous AP+Client. And the AP and client can have different SSIDs

Link to info about the radio inside

EnGenius EMP-8602 802.11a/b/g 400mW miniPCI

Also known colloquially as "The Senao 400mW"

• Dual band 802.11a/b/g (Not for use in Laptops)
• Upto 108 Mbps
• Upto 400mW transmission power for maximum range, throughput speeds and signal strength
• Available transmit power upto:
  • 26 dBm +/- 2dBm 802.11b
  • 26 dBm +/- 2dBm 802.11g
  • 20 dBm +/- 2dBm 802.11a
• Complete IEEE 802.1x client support with EAP-TLS, EAPTTLS supplicants
• 802.11e standards supported for Wireless Multimedia Ehancement QoS
• Two U.FL (MHF) antenna leads (does NOT include antennas)
• Can be designed or embedded for OEM project/ embedded systems

Features:

• Variable Transmit Output 26 dBm Maximum (see datasheet for details). Provides increased throughput / distance.
• Advanced Security Features:
  • WEP
  • WPA: AES, 64, 128, 512-WEP with shared key authentication, TKIP
  • WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i)
  • 802.1x support for LEAP/PEAP
• Support for 802.11h, i, j including:
  • Extended tuning range (2.3-2.5GHz, 4.9-5.85GHz) for worldwide use
  • DFS/TPC: Dynamic Frequency Selection / Transmit Power Control
    for international operation

• support for 802.11e: QOS support for wireless multimedia enhancements
• Advanced Power Management features
• Supports eXtended Range technology offering Wi-Fi products twice the range of existing designs

• Manufacturer Support of Windows 2000, XP only.
  
  No official support is provided for BSD or Linux, however with the Madwifi and madwifi-ng The card has been confirmed to work well in Slackware Linux, Voyage Linux and FreeBSD.

Specification:

• Supports 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g data rates including Super A/G
• Operating Voltage: 5V +/- 0.15V
• Input Voltage: 3.3V
• Type IIIA miniPCI Card, 59.6 mm x 44.45 mm
• U.FL antenna connectors
• Weight: 15 g (0.53 oz)
  
  

Linksys WMP54G (v2) 54Mbps PCI Wireless Network Card

Linksys WMP54G PCI 54MbpsWireless Network Card

Background:

The NIC (Network Interface Card) is built around the Broadcom BCM4306KF8 54g™ Chipset. It has a RPSMA removeable antenna.

Broadcom is the first vendor to ship 802.11g technology in both 2.4 GHz single-band and 5 GHz/2.4 GHz dual-band products.

54g™ is Broadcom's 54 Mbps implementation of the draft specification for IEEE 802.11g wireless networks. It is 802.11b-compliant, Wi-Fi certifiable, and provides laptops, handheld computers and other devices with wireless connectivity at nearly five times the speed of technologies operating in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency range(802.11b), while providing backwards compatibility to the base of more than 30 million installed Wi-Fi (802.11b) devices.

Broadcom's offering is a two-chip, all CMOS solution that employs a direct conversion architecture and is the most integrated, highest performing 2.4 GHz solution available in the industry. The new Broadcom® BCM4306 baseband/MAC (media access controller) chip combines with the BCM2050 2.4 GHz radio to enable 54 Mbps connectivity in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band.

The BCM4306 also includes a V.92 voice band modem and a glueless interface that connects to Broadcom's family of Bluetooth™ products and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) mobile communications products.

Testimonial

I bought this card on ebay very cheaply, no drivers and with the description: "I couldnt get this card to detect in my computer - it may be faulty so bear that in mind when you bid"

I know some new cards need the PCI2.2 standard, so older mainboards may be at only 2.1. I bought the card hoping this was the case and I suspect it was.

I took the sheild off to see what the chipset was and took some photos. Replaced the sheild.

I installed the card into my WindowsXP computer and it was detected straight away. I let windows go to the web and install whatever drivers it wanted. They worked flawlessly. I set my laptop to AP mode and the card associated. Data transfers were very quick.

For linux, you may still have to use NDIS(Network Driver Interface Specification) wrappers. This is basically using the windows drivers in linux, but with no support for advanced features like rfmon mode, it may not be very useful.

FreeBSD users read THIS for using the card, and setting up wifi in general.

Mikrotik R5H 320mW 802.11a MiniPCI

The Mikrotik R5H is a 320mW 802.11a miniPCI card operating in the 5GHz band. Air-Stream real world comparisons against the venerable XR5 shows that the R5H performs consistently better over long distance links in Mikrotik Routerboards. As a dedicated 5GHz card (as opposed to a dual-band card) it has excellent receive sensitivity all the way up to 54 Mbps and the output power does not drop off dramatically in the higehr bit rates as is typical of dual-band cards.

Note: This product has now reached EOL and Mikrotik plans to replace it with the R5nH. Since the R5H have proven their reliability Air-Stream has secured a supply of these excellent cards for future replacements and upgrades.

Specifications
Chipset: Atheros AR5414A

Receive Sensitivity (Typ.):
6, 9 Mbps  -93 dBm
12 Mbps    -91 dBm
18 Mbps    -89 dBm
24 Mbps    -86 dBm
36 Mbps    -82 dBm
48 Mbps    -77 dBm
54 Mbps    -75 dBm

Average Transmit Power @ 5.17GHz:
6,9,12,18 Mbps 23.5 dBm
24 Mbps           23.5 dBm
36 Mbps           22.5 dBm
48 Mbps           20 dBm
54 Mbps           19.5 dBm

Average Transmit Power @ 5.825GHz:
6,9,12,18 Mbps 25 dBm
24 Mbps           25 dBm
36 Mbps           24 dBm
48 Mbps           21.5 dBm
54 Mbps           20.5 dBm

Antenna Connectors
1 x MMCX Connector

Operating Temperature
-40 to +80 degrees C

Minitar MNWAPB

Parts this page are from the original page of the old Air-Stream website

NOTE: These units are no longer being manufactured.

Spec Sheet:

http://www.minitar.com/index.php?maincat=product&cat=wireless&prod=wls_ap&page=2
Manufacturer: http://www.minitar.com/
Drivers: http://www.minitar.com/index.php?maincat=download
Model Number: MNWAPB
Interface Type: Wireless, 10/100M Ethernet
Power Output: ~18dBm (60mw)
Power Requirements: 12v @ 0.5A
Connector Type: RP-SMA
Transmit Power: 18dBm (typical)
Mounting Type: comes with screws for mounting on a wall and rubber stoppers. The AP case also has mounting lugs on the base.
Protocol: 802.11b, 802.1x
Security: 64/128-bit WEP
Chipset: Realtek RTL8181 (200MHz MIPS)
Dimensions: 30(H) x 127(W) x 96(D) mm
Price: $75-100 retail (no longer being manufactured)

Overview

The Minitar Wireless Access Point acts as a bridge between the wired Ethernet and the 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN, this wireless LAN access point can let your wireless LAN client stations access both the wired and the wireless network nodes.

The client mode has been successfully tested with hostAP and various hardware APs with no known issues.

note: DHCP server) & Station Mode (AP Client Mode) are available with the firmware upgarde available from the site. WDS Bridge Mode (Repeater Mode) is not currently availible until a new firmware is released.

Minitar AP Power Usage
AP State	Power Usage (mA)	Average Usage (mA)
Idle	140 - 160	155
Full 11mbps (600kbps) TX	220 - 230	225
Full 11mbps (600kbps) RX	190 - 195	195
Tests were conducted with a Minitar AP (with 2.39 firmware), Supplied Minitar Power Supply, Apple iBook (with Airport 802.11b), and Digital Multimeter.

Other Reviews

Minitar Pro's and Cons
^ Note: to fix "Routing via a MNWAPB Client (station) broken" in the above article - change the mac address of the router to the mac address of the minitar (Linux: " ifdown eth0; ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:11:22:33:AA:BB; ifup eth0 " changing eth0 and the mac address as appropriate ) -- fix courtesy of ben"

Known to be fixed in latest firmware upate

Image

The Minitar MNWAPB, the outside and the insides.

Created by: FuNcHi last modification: Sunday 30 of May, 2004 [08:11:45 UTC] by FuNcHi

Further information by Didz

Other Settings

Log in to the MNWAPB and type in "hwset.asp" after the IP to select more options. you must be using 2.53 firmware.

How to tell its a MNWAPB

Look at the underside of the case and look at the white label in the middle

Senao NL-2511MP Plus - 802.11b 200mw mini-PCI

Specs

Form: miniPCI Type III B
Protocols: 802.11b
Performance: 11 Mbit/s
Power: 200mW
Model: NL-2511MP PLUS
Manufacturer: Senao
Spec Sheet: Download (mirror) (PDF, 45KB)
User Manual: Download (mirror) (PDF, 1.5MB)
Driver: Download (RAR 1.27MB) (mirror) (EXE-RAR, 1.81MB)

Technical Specifications

Data Rates
11, 5.5, 2 and 1 Mbps, Auto Fall-Back

Standards / Compliance
IEEE 802.11b
Fully interoperable with IEEE802.11b compliant devices

Regulation Certifications
FCC Part 15/UL, ETSI 300/328/CE

Operating Voltage
3.3V

Drivers
Windows 98SE/ ME/2000/XP

RF Information Frequency Band
U.S., Europe and Japan product covering 2.4 to 2.484 GHz, programmable for different country regulations

Media Access Protocol
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA)

Modulation Technology
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
CCK (11, 5.5Mbps)
DQPSK (2Mbps)
DBPSK (1Mbps)

Operating Channels
11 for North America, 14 for Japan, 13 for Europe, 2 for Spain, 4 for France

Power Consumption
Transmit <= 280mA
Receive <= 180mA
Sleep <= 130mA

Receive Sensitivity (Typical)
11 Mbps <-86dbm
5.5 Mbps <-88dbm
2 Mbps <- 90dbm
1 Mbps <-92dbm
Available transmit power
20 ± 1dBm

Antenna
2 ultra miniature SMT U.FL type connectors compatible with Hirose U.FL-R-SMT

Networking
Topology
Ad-Hoc, Infrastructure

Security
64/128-bit WEP encryption
Physical Form Factor
Mini-PCI type III A

Dimensions (LxWxH)
59.8mm x 51.1mm x 5.8mm (2.3in x 2in x 0.2in)

Weight
15g (0.53 oz)

Environmental Temperature Range
Operating: -0°C to 50°C
Storage: -20°Cto 80°C

Humidity (non-condensing)
5% ~ 95% typical

Related Product(s)
11a/b/g Wireless Mini-PCI Adapter
NMP-8602 (802.11a/b/g) (26dBm)
NMP-8601 (802.11a/b/g) (23dBm)
NMP-860 (802.11a/b/g)
NMP-560 (802.11a)
NMP-360 (802.11b/g)
NMP-352 (802.11b/g)

Images

Above images from Pasadena Networks, LLC

Image from packetgods.com

More information

http://www.wlanparts.com/product/NL2511MPPLUS
http://www.yawarra.com.au/product.php?productCode=XC-MP-WFb
http://www.wirelesslan.pl/product_info.php/products_id/317

SuperRange Cardbus (SRC) 300 mW 802.11 a/b/g Cardbus + Ext.

If you are looking for the ultimate stumbling card for your laptop to replace that venerable Senao 200 mW PCMCIA card, I believe the Ubiquiti SRC may be it.
With up to 300 mW transmit power, excellent receive sensitivity, MMCX antenna connectors, operation at 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz and a well supported chipset in Linux it may be the perfect all-round stumbling/wardriving card.

Chipset
Atheros 5004
Radio Operation
802.11 a/b/g
Interface
32-bit Cardbus Type III
External antenna ports
Dual MMCX

2.4 GHz TX/RX Specifications
802.11b
1 MBps 24 dBm / -96 dBm
2 MBps 24 dBm / -95 dBm
5.5 MBps 24 dBm / -94 dBm
11 MBps 24 dBm / -91 dBm
802.11g OFDM
6 MBps 24 dBm / -94 dBm
9 MBps 24 dBm / -93 dBm
12 MBps 24 dBm / -91 dBm
18 MBps 24 dBm / -90 dBm
24 MBps 24 dBm / -86 dBm
36 MBps 23 dBm / -83 dBm
48 MBps 22 dBm / -77 dBm
54 MBps 20 dBm / -74 dBm

5.8 GHz TX/RX Specifications
802.11a OFDM
6 MBps 20 dBm / -94 dBm
9 MBps 20 dBm / -93 dBm
12 MBps 20 dBm / -91 dBm
18 MBps 20 dBm / -90 dBm
24 MBps 20 dBm / -86 dBm
36 MBps 19 dBm / -83 dBm
48 MBps 18 dBm / -77 dBm
54 MBps 17 dBm / -74 dBm

The Super Range 2 (SR2) 400mW 802.11b/g mini-PCI

The Super Range 2 (SR2) 400mw 802.11b/g mini-PCI card with patent-pending Super Range radio technology has been designed from the ground up specifically for outdoor wireless.

Specifications: (Not for use in Laptops)

Chipset
Atheros 5004

Transmit Power
Rate Power
6-24 Mbps 26 dBm, +/- 1dB
36 Mbps 24 dBm, +/- 1dB
48 Mbps 22 dBm, +/- 1dB
54 Mbps 21 dBm, +/- 1dB

Power Consumption
Transmit Receive
4.7W, +/- 300mW
1.2W, +/- 200mW

The Super Range 5 (SR5) 400mw 802.11a mini-PCI

The Super Range 5 (SR5) 400mw 802.11a mini-PCI card with patent-pending Super Range radio technology has been designed from the ground up specifically for outdoor wireless.

Specifications: (Not for use in Labtops)

Chipset
Atheros AR 5213 MAC/BB
Atheros AR2112 ROC

Transmit Power
Rate Power
6-24 Mbps 26 dBm, +/- 1dB
36 Mbps 24 dBm, +/- 1dB
48 Mbps 22 dBm, +/- 1dB
54 Mbps 21 dBm, +/- 1dB

Power Consumption
Transmit Receive
4.7W, +/- 300mW
1.2W, +/- 200mW

Wistron Neweb CM9 Atheros 802.11a/b/g mini-PCI

Model: CM9
FCC ID: NKRCM9
Driver: Windows, Mirror 01 Mirror 02 (7.68 Mb)

Images

Big image of the CM9

Mini-PCI to PCI adapter complete With CM9 radio
and pigtail U.FL to RP-SMA bulkhead.

Specs

Receive Sensitivity :
802.11a
-88dB@6Mbps, -87dB@9Mbps, -85@12Mbps, -83dB@18Mbps, -80dB@24Mbps, -75dB@36Mbps, -73dB@48Mbps, -71dB@54Mbps

802.11b
-95dB@1Mbps, -94dB@2Mbps, , -90dB@11Mbps

802.11g
-90dB@6Mbps, -89dB@9Mbps, -87@12Mbps, -85dB@18Mbps, -82dB@24Mbps,-79dB@36Mbps, -76dB@48Mbps, -74dB@54Mbps

More Info

http://www.packetgods.com/store/pub/CM9.htm
http://www.wirelessantwerpen.be/shop_cm9.htm
http://www.yawarra.com.au/product.php?productCode=XC-MP-WFabg
http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_34&products_id=126
http://www.wisp-router.com/product_info.php?cPath=35_51&products_id=332

5.8Ghz Hills 26 dBi Grid Antenna

Ordering information for the 600mm wide antenna from Hills

26 DBI GRID ANTENNA
Hills Part Number: bc7286
Hills Short Description: 5.8GHZ 26DB GRID ANTENNA NF

SuperPass 2.4GHz 8dBi Omni-Directional Antenna (SPDG16O)

This antenna is made by a Canadian antenna manufacturer and has been found to be very rugged and a solid performer for Air-Stream access points offering access to a 360 degree area. A simple but effective antenna design for basic 802.11b/g coverage.

Quick Specs
Gain: 8dBi
Polarization: Vertical, Linear
3dB Horizontal Beamwidth: 360°
3dB Vertical Beamwidth: 18°
Connector: Female N, Bottom-Feed

See the SuperPass product page for more information.

Noteable achievements involving the SuperPass Omni

• 12km link across the eastern/northern suburbs
• 42km link to Woolsheds
• Over 100 years of combined operational service in the wider Air-Stream network

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Possible mounting arrangements for the SuperPass omni.

HB5050 Appreciation Page

The Box

One of the most commonly boxes used by Air-Stream members a basis for an enclosure is the Jaycar "HB5050" Sealed Aluminium Die-Cast Enclosure. It measure 222 x 146 x 55mm and is rated to IP65. These boxes provide effective weatherproofing and EMI/EMC/RFI shielding. They conveniently fit at least one Mikrotik RB433/RB433AH with MiniPCI cards. With careful planning, two RB433 sized boards can be squeezed into one enclosure.

The Modification Process

Converting the basic box into a outdoor pole mount enclosure for a typical outdoor installation requires some work. The basic steps are:

1. Drill one or more ~15.5mm holes for N-Type connector bulkheads
2. Drill one 20mm hole for the Ethernet cable feedthrough (to suit Jaycar cat no. HP0732)
3. Create grounding points for MiniPCI cards that have ESD protection
4. Make up an L-shaped bracket from aluminium with drill holes on one face to suit your selected U-bolt
5. Rivet the other face of the bracket to the top of the enclosure
6. Using either a template or a real board, adhere some PCB stand-offs to the bottom of the box to suit the board mounting holes using an appropriate epoxy
7. Wait for epoxy to dry then screw host board to the standoffs
8. Insert MiniPCI card(s) and connect ESD protection grounding wire(s) to box
9. Insert and connect N-Bulkhead pigtail(s) then tighten
10. Feed Ethernet through the cable feedthrough and plug into Routerboard then insert and tighten the gland
11. Insert the rubber seal provided with the HB5050 into the lid
12. Power on and test before screwing on lid

One rule to try to follow is to not drill any un-necessary holes in the box. This is why the standoffs are glued to the base rather than screwed in from behind. The screws require holes which may compromise the IP65 rating of the box. The holes for the N-type bulkheads and cable feedthroughs are acceptable because those parts are also IP65 or IP68 when mounted correctly. The guide below below is only one variant of what can be done and indeed there are many improvements possible.

Step-by-Step Modification Guide

The first step is to drill, cut or punch the large holes. The image below shows two holes drilled for N-Type connectors that were drilled with large drill bits and a larger hole that was cut for a cable feedthrough. Burrs have cleaned up using a Dremel. All holes for connectors or cables should be drilled in face of the box that will eventually be facing down towards the ground. This provides another layer protection from the rain and sun above. For a RB433 enclosure, the most common side is the long edge.

If you have the ability, a more elegant way is to cut the N-bulkhead holes to the following shape. This will give the best seal and stop the connector moving while you tighten the nut later.

If you would like to take advantage of the ESD protection of your MiniPCI card (eg Ubiquiti XR2, Mikrotik R5H) you will need to create some kind of connecting point for the grounding strap. This is where you might make one exception to the "no holes" rule by providing a hole for a grounding screw and nut. Make sure this is then well sealed over with epoxy or RTV.

For at typical installation there will need to be some way to attach the enclosure to a pole. This can be done with an L-shaped bracket along the top (ie opposite edge to where you drilled the connector/cable holes) of the enclosure to "hang" the box off. The L-bracket is then attached to a pole with an ordinary U-bolt. This can be any L-shaped piece of metal you have lying around. The image below shows cutting a length of metal from an old roller door guide.

This is what the bracket looks like after it has been cut and de-burred. One improvement to this picture would be a bracket that is the entire length of the top edge. The reason for this is that you can then rivet the bracket into the three screw posts of the box. The design shown here will break the 'no holes' rule later because of this small bracket. Drilling halfway into the screw posts without breaking through to the inside of the box avoids breaking this rule.

Using your U-bolt bracket you can mark where to drill holes into the L-bracket.

After drilling the holes.

Testing that the U-bolt fits through the holes.

Conveniently this bracket already had holes drilled in it just the right size for 3.20mm rivets. It was just a case of selecting a few and drilling holes into the box. Notice that the L-bracket will be mounted flush to the back of the enclosure.

As mentioned above, an improvement would be to use a longer bracket and rivet only into the screw posts by drilling through into the middle of the posts at the locations shown on the image below (but not all the way into the inside of the box.) On this box, extra epoxy was used to totally seal the rivets on the inside of the box.

Using the rivet gun.

The bracket rivetted to the enclosure.

Prepare standoffs. The ones shown here are 10mm long.

An easy way to locate the standoffs in the correct location is to use an actual board. Loosely screw the standoffs to the mounting points as shown below.

Then deposit a blob of epoxy on each standoff.

You could also use an actual-size template to work out where approximately to put some extra epoxy on the base if you want adhesive on both sides before attaching. This will also help align the board to the exact location you want as you need to have enough clearance for the MiniPCI card on one side and for the RJ45 connector on the other.

Carefully insert the board into the box and line it up to the location you want then gently push downwards on the board to push the adhesive together.

After allowing the adhesive to dry, it might be a good idea to remove the board to easily plug in the RJ45 connector. However if you have designed the board location well there should be just enough clearance to, with some convincing, plug in and remove a RJ45 with the board in the box while still having enough clearance for the MiniPCI card on the other side. This will only work with basic crimped RJ45 connectors, not the ones that are moulded with boots. Make sure you feed the cable through the cable gland before plugging it into the board.

You are now able to screw the board in. Do not tighten too much as the stand-offs are only glued in.

Now you can insert the MiniPCI cards. Attach the grounding straps from the MiniPCI cards to the grounding point that you previously prepared.

Disassemble the N-bulkhead pigtail and insert it through the hole. While the pigtail is loose, plug the card end into the miniPCI card. Find some way that it plugs in without having to twist the coaxial cable. This means you might have to rotate the N connector in its socket and/or make a loop in the cable to get the plug to line up with the card connector without having excessive cable twist. Once this position is found plug the pigtail into the card then, without rotating the N connector from its current position, attach the washers and nut to the N connector and tighten.

Test the board making sure the wireless card(s) works.

Insert the seal provided with the box into the groove into the lid. Make sure there are no gaps. For an extra safety measure, make sure the start/end of your seal is in the long edge of the lid and when the lid is place on the box, put that long edge at the bottom edge. You could also smear a small amount of appropriate silicone sealant over the area where the start/end join is.

A U-bolt can be used to attach the box to a mast as shown below

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Below are some more images of modified HB5050 designs

TBA