----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Horwath" <drechsau at geeks.org> To: <tcwug-list at tcwug.org> Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 11:20 AM Subject: Re: [TCWUG] Isolating the AP from local computers > On Sun, May 05, 2002 at 11:08:34AM -0500, olearysheehy at goldengate.net wrote: > > 3. I remain interested in hearing recommendations for AP > > hardware. Thanks to your comments, I am definitely convinced that > > 802.11a is not the way to go. > > Why do you not like 802.11a? > > The 2.4Ghz freq is filled with a ton of things that shit over the > whole spectrum, from phones to baby monitors to APs. > > I dumped my 802.11b stuff because of this contant interference and got > rid of my 2.4Ghz phones, jumped onto 802.11a and been reasonably happy > since. > > The new stuff coming down the pipe may make me wish I would have > waited, but I couldn't wait :) > > -- > Mike Horwath IRC: Drechsau drechsau at Geeks.ORG > Home: 763-540-6815 1901 Sumter Ave N, Golden Valley, MN 55427 > Opinions stated in this message, or any message posted by myself > through my Geeks.ORG address, are mine and mine alone, period. > _______________________________________________ > Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > http://www.tcwug.org > tcwug-list at tcwug.org > https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list > I think it all comes down to cost. The cost of 802.11a gear is still a bit more pricey than 802.11b. Add to that the cost of antenna's you'd need (or a good amplifier on the AP) to cover a fair distance. Although the 2.4Ghz spectrum is cluttered (networking stuff, phones, Amatuer TV, Ham radios, etc etc.) I personally think that 2.4Ghz is still the most resilliant networking frequency when it comes to plaster and lath walls, sheet metal siding, etc etc... commonly found in older houses/buildings. On the other side of the field, 5.7Ghz is not very cluttered at all, but the range on the average AP for 802.11a without a decent external antenna, can only reach 300-500 feet @ 6Mbps, or 50-100 feet at full speed. However, get some good antennas, maybe an amp, a few dishes, this frequency would rock for short-distance p2p links, imo. My only gripe about both is WEP. It's by far not as secure as everyone would like to think it is. (took me 80mb of client data to crack a 40-bit key and 500mb to crack 128-bit key) So, VPNs, MAC authentication, etc. is very much needed. Even turning off your SSID, oh yay, get a few packets from an associating client, and voila, instant SSID. (kismet for linux does this automagically) Just my $.02 -- Alex Hartman - goober at goobe.net PGP Key fingerprint = 26 41 19 56 19 81 E2 BC EE C8 1D F4 DB B8 ED B8 "Watch out for that bus!"