austin_d756
join:2007-06-20
united state
| Mikrotik startup
I am looking at starting a new WISP in my area, however I am looking for the proper equipment.
The area I am looking to cover is mostly NLOS, so I'm looking for 900MHz.
I'm looking to buy an access point and an subscriber unit to test possible locations and signal strength with Mikrotik, as it appears to be the best for me, financially.
I'm looking to spend 400$ on the test equipment, so if anybody can point me in the right way, I would appreciate it! |
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Inssomniak
Premium
join:2005-04-06
Cayuga, ON
| I dont think the $400 is gonna be enough.
If you are planning to do 900mhz in 802.11, prepare for problems.
900mhz 802.11 cards START at $100 EACH.
thats half your budget, ya need mikrotik routerboards still, and 900mhz antennas are not terribly cheap either. Power supplies, cables, pigtails, etc.
I think you are gonna have to double your test equipment budget, and its gonna be a headache with 802.11, If I was to do it again, Motorola Canopy ($$$$) |
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Singular
Premium
join:2008-08-13
Shelbyville, KY | reply to austin_d756
Might want to see if you can test your noise floor too first, if for some reason it's really low then you would be out of luck anyway. |
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kf6ytc
join:2002-03-26
Turlock, CA
| Noise floor too high, i think he means.
Don't waste your time on 802.11 based 900mhz (i.e. mikrotik) you will regret it sooner or later. Canopy is king in 900mhz and well worth the money. (unless you like a contstant headace from an unstable network) |
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austin_d756
join:2007-06-20
united state | reply to austin_d756
I'm not really interested in Canopy, due to it being proprietary. |
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Gerard780
Premium
join:2002-01-25
Simpsonville, KY | 900mhz on Mikrotik is proprietary too.. It all depends on which 900mhz mini pci you choose. For example SR9 will not talk to XR9 which will not talk to GZ-901.
I agree with everyone else, Canopy is the best for 900mhz.. |
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Smokeshow
Premium
join:2009-02-26
Cold Lake, AB
1 edit | reply to austin_d756
Looks like I've gotta be an echo. Go with Canopy and you will not regret it. There is a higher initial cost, but the upside is, you will not want to off yourself in twelve months time!
Canopy may be "proprietary", but you can get a solid product going with Motorola. One thing I might suggest is avoiding the 900MHz integrated units though. Use 900 connectorized units with Yagi antennas. Learn from the mistakes that others have made, don't cheap it out in the beginning. Like my father always used to say "If you are going to do something, do it right the first time or don't do it at all" |
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keefe007
Premium
join:2004-02-24
Germantown, WI | reply to austin_d756
I agree with everyone else here. Use the Canopy 900 mhz. If you do some more reading here you see tons of posts about people switching from 802.11 based networks to Canopy. |
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Singular
Premium
join:2008-08-13
Shelbyville, KY
| reply to kf6ytc
said by kf6ytc  :Noise floor too high, i think he means. Don't waste your time on 802.11 based 900mhz (i.e. mikrotik) you will regret it sooner or later. Canopy is king in 900mhz and well worth the money. (unless you like a contstant headace from an unstable network) Thanks, I did mean that... didn't read over my post. Two thumbs up for canopy gear though. |
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Killa200
Premium
join:2005-12-02
Spring City, TN | reply to austin_d756
If your mostly NLOS your going to need all the help you can get. Go with the canopy.... as other have said once you leave that 2.4 / 5.8 ghz 802.11 area its all proprietary anyways, might as well go with the good one. |
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viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA
1 edit | reply to austin_d756
Austin,
We did the same thing as you want to do we started with the Mikrotik systems for CPE and AP for 900 and we have ripped all but 2 aps out. The only reason we have not done those last 2 is becuase they are in a VERY VERY rural area in a mountian community with virtually no noise.
Everything else we have seen minor noise and the mikrotik just fails miserably with the xr9 cards no matter what we tried.
We switched to Canopy and have not looked back. You can buy used equipment starting out and move to new if you really have to.
The AP's we picked up for $799 used with a connector on them. Put on a 120* sector.
The cpe we buy used for $220 with connector. The yaggi's we get new for $65 from strewakwave same with the poe for like $10
All in all we spend about $300 per customer and we have piece of mind.
WIth mikrotik we were actually spending about the same or a little more and had nothign but headaches..
Do yourself a favor and your potential customers a favor USE CANOPY!
PS let me add that we ripped out the XR9 cards from each location. We still use the rb433AH for the tower site badnidth control and routing etc. We still have 2.4 cards in these at each tower but slowly we are even converting those customers to canopy 5.2 Ghz as well.
--
ComTrain Certified Tower Climber. American Tower Certified approved contractor. Wireless consultants. |
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smeghead
join:2009-02-11 | reply to austin_d756
Sucks that people need 900mhz.. because it sucks.
Get nice tall towers and you'll have LOS. This opens up so much more.. |
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Smokeshow
Premium
join:2009-02-26
Cold Lake, AB
| said by smeghead :Sucks that people need 900mhz.. because it sucks. Get nice tall towers and you'll have LOS. This opens up so much more.. 1) Big towers are expensive to build. Sometimes all you can afford is a 100'
2) Tree's in some areas will never work with anything higher than 900MHz. |
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viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA | reply to smeghead
Why woud you say it sucks? 900 Mhz works very well if you choose the right product? |
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shawn66
join:2004-10-10
Geneseo, IL
| reply to austin_d756
We have lots of rural Canopy and here is what I've learned: When using Canopy, buy stingers instead of yagis if you live in an area that gets ice in the winter. An ice storm in the winter will kill your yagi connection until the ice melts.
Use a syncPipe or CMM if you have more than 1 Canopy withing 20 miles of the other. Always use a 900mhz DC shunt.
Use horizontal polarization. |
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