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Free (sorta) Wifi Project

See:

  • Wireless Bridge #1: Testing the Theory
  • Wireless Bridge #1: Pictures

    Another day, another successful project. This time we are picking up where the New Orleans Seminary’s “Free Public Wifi” left off.

    Blaize and I have completed the wireless bridge between Lipsey Street Apartments and Courtyard Apartments.

    My goal when I first moved into Courtyard apartments was to provide lost cost or free wireless Internet access to students that resided in Courtyard. The coverage was limited to only a few apartments on the 4442 side of the complex.

    That plan was first completed the summer of 2007 when I expanded my equipment to allow access from 4450 Iroquois, Staff Village, and The Manors. This all while having the wireless equipment inside my apartment. I didn’t have to setup repeaters outside or in other buildings!

    Then November 9th and 10th, I was able to work with Blaize and expand the network even further to cover Lipsey Street Apartments, Hamilton Hall, Willingham, and Carey Hall.
    Using an external antenna (referred to as a “cantenna” because it looks like a Pringles can), Blaize and I shot a wireless signal down Iroquois street from my residence in Courtyard Apartments to his residence at Lipsey Street Apartments. We are still in the testing stages of the setup. We are having a few problems with the signal traveling through a few River Birch trees, so we have had to pump up the wireless signal just to get through the trees as well as drop the speed of the connection to 5.5 mbps.

    I have been in touch with Cox Communications about getting a business account in order to provide wireless access on a pay-per-connection basis as well as strictly donating the wireless use for free. Pending a successful outcome of these tests between Lipsey and Courtyard, I will move forward with Cox Communications.

    By the way, for all of the teenagers that have asked about the antennas:

  • They are not security cameras looking down Iroquois street, they are wireless antennas
  • Secondly, and this is for the folks that have asked how it was mounted: I used standard PVC pipe to build a swivel mount in order to rotate the antenna. Using a metal clamp, I hooked it onto the slats of the shutters on either side of the window. Because the antenna and mount are so light, they don’t damage the shutters nor is it a permanent fixture (doesn’t require screws or nails to mount to anything, it just hooks into the slats).

    ~ by johndball on November 12, 2007.

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