Hey Chris, First off, definitely put the access point as close to the antenna as possible to minimize loss due to the cables. Secondly you can make your own POE adapters to use with any cheap AP. It's real easy and there are a few sites that show you how to do it step by step. Just Google for them.
As far as the enclosure goes, you can find NEMA boxes or something similar on eBay for pretty cheap. I recommend that you get boxes made of aluminum for a few reasons. 1) They isolate the emissions from the access point itself and the antenna granted the ap doesn't radiate too much, but it does some and can distort your signal minutely if it is close to the antenna. 2) The electronics inside these boxes can't "breath" and therefore can't cool off to easily. But if you take the plastic casing off of the access points and find the source of the heat then you can attach a Peltier cooler between the chips that are generating the heat and the aluminum case. You must make sure to have very good contact between the case, the Peltiers, and the chips. This will in effect turn the entire aluminum case into a very effective heat sink and mother nature's wind will act as your cooling fan. O.K. so you might say that the aluminum case will distort your antenna if it is close to the antenna. Wrong. A flat reflective surface is way better than an uneven surface such as the access point and the electronics inside the box. The flat surface will actually act sort of like a base plane and can improve the performance of your antenna while all the stray electronics in the access point and other electronics in a plastic box would reflect your signal in all types of directions and degrade your signal. A flat reflector would also make your performance way more predictable. You might have to experiment a little with the distance that your antenna is from your aluminum box to get the maximum performance but it would be worth it. The only drawback to Peltiers is that they too require power to operate. But you can make a POE device that will supply power for the access point and the Peltiers as well. I know Alvarion makes a POE device that supplies power for the access point as well as power for an amplifier. One more note, you might want to put a lightning arrestor in the box as well and if mounting to a metal pole then the pole could serve as your ground if the pole is grounded. Hope this helps. Thanks, Rodney Milam Infinite Technologies Group, Inc. www.ItsInfinite.com Original Message: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 07:53:53 -0400 From: "Chris Mason" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [BAWUG] Recommendations for outdoor access point To: <wireless@lists.bawug.org> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1250" We are putting a wireless access point between two houses which are close together, so I need a weather proof enclosure and wireless access point with POE. Budget is tight and the application is not professional. What do you guys recommend? Chris Mason [EMAIL PROTECTED] Box 340, The Valley, Anguilla, British West Indies Tel. (264) 497-5670 - Cell: (264) 235-5670 - Also (305)-735-3483 Fax: (264) 497-8463 - US Fax (815)301-9759 Yahoo IM: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.296 / Virus Database: 265.6.0 - Release Date: 12/17/2004 ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ BAWUG's general wireless chat mailing list [unsubscribe] http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
