Fwd: anybody have experience with this outfit?

[David Bandel]

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 14:01:28 +0200, Dirk Moolman <DirkM at mxgroup.co.za> wrote:
> Please let me know if you get any interesting off-line answers to this
> one !
> 
> Interesting topic    :-)
> 
> 
> Dirk
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-users-bounces at linux-sxs.org
> [mailto:linux-users-bounces at linux-sxs.org] On Behalf Of Matthew
> Carpenter
> Sent: 22 January 2005 08:04 PM
> To: David Bandel; Linux tips and tricks
> Subject: Re: Fwd: anybody have experience with this outfit?
> 
> Since I do respect your knowledge of wireless technologies, what are
> your thoughts on WiMax?  Does 802.16 indeed have any tangible benefits
> over 802.11?  What about implementational differences?  Anyone have
> anything promising?  The rags say WiMax is supposed to service people up
> to 10 miles... but that's not really that informational, since the
> record length for 802.11 is 86miles, and 30miles is already achievable
> with a yagi.  Does the .16 have increased power so this 10 miles can be
> using an omni?  The spectrum is higher so wouldn't it be more likely to
> attenuate with weather (perhaps insignificantly)?

In the particular frequency spectrum reserved for 802.x operations,
weather is not a contributing factor (unlike your DirectTV and
DirectWay satellite links which are affected), unless they've added a
frequency I don't know about.

I haven't looked too closely at the specifics of 802.16.  Supposed to
be faster (good).  What I look at are radio specifics.  Range (I'm now
using Wi-Lan radios in the UNII band -- 5.8GHz -- and they guarantee
connections using the correct antennas and good line of sight,
including a clear fresnel zone, of up to 47mi/75km), throughput, and
number of clients that can connect (approx 200).  Note that this is
almost certainly overkill for residential use (and incredibly
expensive, APs run over $3500.00 without the antenna, and clients over
$750 without the antenna).  I still use Proxim 2.4GHz equipment
(802.11b/g) for hotspots and at home.

Called:  right tool for the job.  So I care little about 802.x specs
(theory), but I do care about radio specs (implementation).

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
-- 
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
            - Nemesis Air Racing Team motto