Bridge with 802.x?

[tenthgod]

Hello, I have a few questions about creating a bridge using 802.x. I have 2 buildings that I would like to have net access between, currently there is some cable but that has resulted in continued problems obviously since it is outside (no way to bury it), so I would like to just create a bridge accross and then use the existing 10/100 network inside for everything else. So in other words I *don't* want to actually change the client machines on either side, just the connection inbetween. Does anyone know where I can get some good examples for a system like this, all I can find is information on setting a Wireless LAN up, which I know how to do but that isn't really what I need just wireless as far as the connection from one LAN to the other. Anyway I hope I've made since and thanks for any help.

 

[benjamit]

not sure if this helps but if these buildings are not businesses then you can rig up a protective cover, pvc tubing, that will protect the 5 cat cable from sun and rain

this tubing will also be rust proof, etc and you ran run it along the ground

 

[tenthgod]

Yeah we looked into that but there are other problems with that as well, the wireless solution is really the best way out. They are businesses too.

 

[JackMDS]

You get two Wireless bridges, unplug the in-between cable in one building and connect a Wireless bridge to it, do the same in other building configure and run. Each bridge has an Antenna and to Antennae has to face one the other. Most commercial bridges have the capacity to accept external Antennae via coax cable.

You need to get a bridge that is powerful enough to maintain the full bandwidth of WIFI (802.11b) connection. Most manufactures promise the ?moon? in term of distance, but in reality the distance and bandwidth are lower then stated in the Data sheets.

If a well being of a business system depends on it, I would suggest taking a Pro. To do this project.

As an example for the Hardware you can look here:

EZ Connect? 11Mbps Wireless Access Point/Bridge.

EZ Connect? Wireless High Gain Antenna.

 

[n0cmonkey]

NASA implemented an OpenBSD wireless firewall gateway and wrote a white paper!

 

[ktwebb]

Jack gave you some good advice. If this is a commercial project, you might do yourself a favor by hiring a professional person or company to do a proper site survey and recommend specific hardware for the job and/or do the actual installation. If that is not an option, the job itself is not too dificult if you have line of site (LOS) and a window location or ability to mount external antennas. External gets into transmission cable runs, connectors and pigtails etc... which again points to someone who knows his way around this kind of job. This is the kind of thing I do on a daily basis, so if I can answer specific questions feel free to ask them, either here or get my email off my profile and email me directly. Depending on the distance, you might can get away without any aftermarket antenna or coax run but hard to say without looking at your site or the path. Several Mfg's you can use, even SOHO 802.11a or b products, but Jack is right about that too. If you want dependability and performance, it has to be payed for. Let me know.

 

[blstriker]

I would highly recommend using two Linksys WAP11 in point to point (bridging) mode for what you want to do. I have it running right now and it is very stable and easy to setup.

I have it running across a fairly large intersection (diagonally). This is with no antennaes even.

Take a look at practicallynetworked.com and read about the wap11.