Difference between revisions of "Networking"
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*192.168.1.3 Belkin N Router in Lounge area | *192.168.1.3 Belkin N Router in Lounge area | ||
*192.168.1.4 King's Head AP | *192.168.1.4 King's Head AP | ||
− | |||
*192.168.1.5 Reserved | *192.168.1.5 Reserved | ||
− | *192.168.1.6 | + | *192.168.1.6 Intel 510T switch |
+ | *192.168.1.7 new wifi AP? | ||
*192.168.1.100?-199? DHCP space | *192.168.1.100?-199? DHCP space | ||
*192.168.1.250 Cameras | *192.168.1.250 Cameras |
Revision as of 23:56, 9 August 2011
Network map
- Internet from VOI (wifi-based, tested 60mbit down 20mbit up to Speedtest.net Winnipeg) comes from a drop in the middle of the space, through one of the red-ziptie lines below the drop, to the server room.
- There, it goes through a 5-port gigabit switch, to a Linksys G router (IP 192.168.1.1), which is also connected to a 24-port Intel 510T switch.
- Another cable from the internet-side switch goes to a D-link DIR-655 N in Assentworks for their network.
- A Belkin wireless-N router in the lounge room is setup as an N-only AP, connected to the Intel switch.
- Speedtests: 40mbit down on Dlink, 33mbit down on Linksys; 9mbit up on both (dlink was 1mbit up before QOS was turned off.)
Wiring
All wires connect back to the Intel switch unless otherwise indicated.
- 2 lines (white cable, red zipties) from server room to internet entry point at the middle of the space. One is the internet feed, warning - it is PoE (24V? on the spare pairs).
- 2 lines (white cable, green zipties) from server room to desk/work area at NE of building.
- 6 lines (orange cable) from server room to: junk/LAN party room, 2 poles of lounge room, Assentworks SE corner, Assentworks SW corner, electrical panel.
- 2 lines (orange cable) to desk in learning room and vending machine.
- 3 lines (white cable) to both sides of bench in workshop, and to King's Head AP at fire escape (this last one is PoE, 48V).
The above runs were conservative - in many cases only a single drop because we were low on cat5, when I'd have preferred to put 2 drops to be prepared for the future - but they still total up to 2000ft of cable, and ~15hrs of wiring work.
King's Head Pub AP
A popular meeting space in Winnipeg, 1 block away from Skullspace, which doesn't have wifi - but we can see the rear of its brick building from Skullspace. So we used a donated Cisco Aironet 1100AP, modified it for external antenna connection, ran some LMR400 cable outside the fire escape door and up the fire escape ladder, and pointed a 19dbi dish towards the pub. SSID is SkullSpace-dish-aimedatKingsHead, ask a member for the password. It doesn't work at all in the south main-floor area, but it does have coverage in most parts of the north main-floor area. Speedtests: 1 to 4mbit down on a laptop with a good wireless card (Atheros N). I tried to replace the Cisco 802.11B card in the AP with a 802.11G upgrade card (AIR-MP21G-A-K9), but it became almost impossible to connect - likely because Cisco was becoming involved with Broadcom at the time that G card was made, who's known for the low sensitivity and receiver quality of their chipsets.
Plans to increase coverage:
- upgrade 19dbi to 24dbi antenna - I have some, but they're huge and a lot of windload to put on the fire escape ladder (especially if they ice up in the winter), would prefer a roofmount pad. We'd need to calculate that the smaller beamwidth of the higher-gain antennas doesn't lose coverage of the edges of the King's Head - this math would be size of Kings's Head building x distance = degrees of view?
- add antenna receive diversity - again, the second antenna would be better on an additional (spaced farther apart horizontally) roofmount pad; vertical diversity on the fire escape ladder wouldn't help as much.
- move antenna - currently the view (all the way up the fire escape ladder) to the front of King's Head is blocked by a concrete building. 5-10ft south on a roofmount would be ideal.
- add an amplifier or a higher-power radio. The Cisco puts out 100mw, have a 500mw amplifier. Since this isn't an omni but a highly directional antenna, we could maybe classify it under the rule that allows 24dbi gain and 24dbm power output (500mw is 27dbm, but we're losing 3 db in the 40ft of LMR cable and connections, which brings us nicely to 24dbm).
- ground the fire escape ladder - I'm careful about grounding all antenna structures.
- check that the antenna and LMR cable/connections are running at full efficiency - this is old gear from my garage and I can't guarantee that they were.
Signal in the North-main floor area is currently -82 to -87 when connection is possible, with all of the above I'd hope to get it to mid-70s numbers which should allow for pretty good coverage, considering we're a block away and going through thick brick/concrete.
Network Map
- 192.168.1.1 Linksys Router in server room
- 192.168.1.2 Reserved
- 192.168.1.3 Belkin N Router in Lounge area
- 192.168.1.4 King's Head AP
- 192.168.1.5 Reserved
- 192.168.1.6 Intel 510T switch
- 192.168.1.7 new wifi AP?
- 192.168.1.100?-199? DHCP space
- 192.168.1.250 Cameras