Instructions for hooking up a Metrix Kit to the SeattleWireless Network.
Contents
Getting things set up
Picking a Kit
MetrixCommunication offers a discount to Community Wireless Projects. Use this coupon code to get 10% off one of our indoor or outdoor wireless router kits: ebab006468
You will be prompted for the coupon code upon checking out. Note this discount is for Community Wireless Projects only, commercial customers cannot use this coupon code. Thanks!
Metrix Wireless Kits Online Catalog
Metrix Mark I
This kit comes with one radio and and a POE injector. This is good for setting up a CxNode or just getting your feet wet with wireless.
Metrix Mark II
This kit comes with 2 radios, POE Injector and 50' of outdoor rated cable. The Processor is also a bit faster. This is ideal for BxNode setups, or setting up a self contained CxNode.
Picking Antennas
Metrix does not sell antennas.
See DirectionalAntenna or OmniDirectionalAntenna to figure out what you need and where to get (or make) one.
Assembly and Software
The kit comes in several parts. Motherboard, Internal Mounting Plate, radios, Enclosure and Mounting Kit.
The motherboard is snapped onto the mounting plate by pushing it onto the nylon fasteners. It will make a satisfying click when it is fastened. If you are going to use the serial port to flash to the latest distribution, you will want to do this when it is out of the enclosure or add a small extender cable (it's a small box, there's not a lot of room).
Check http://metrix.net/support/ for the latest distribution. You can always upgrade your distribution later using rsync, but the most straightforward way to do it is via the serial port and PXE boot.
Flashing with OSX
OSX users can use the osx-pxeboot.tgz http://metrix.net/support/pxeboot/ to make their life easier. It includes an updated tftpd, dhcpd, minicom, image files, and instructions on how to use everything. This is a much simpler method than setting up a PXE from scratch. To install, unpack the tgz in your / directory (as root)
Create a Network profile called pxeboot (your ethernet port will have an IP address of 192.168.200.1)
Plug everything in and run the pxeboot script (/usr/sbin/pxeboot). To bring up your console, type 'minicom soekris'
You will need a Serial adaptor. Since most Apples do not have a serial port, you will need to get a USB to Serial adaptor, null modem connector and Gender changer. Here's a list of parts on amazon.
Mounting
CUWireless has set up a step by step guide on how the mounting kit is assembled.
http://cuwireless.net/node_setup.html
SoCalFreeNet also has some great pictures of installs, including a solar powered node.
Configuration
To configure the Kit, you have a choice of web interface and ssh. The web interface is available through SSL only, and offers base functionality. To start the web interface, you must log into the box via ssh or console and run /usr/local/sbin/startssl
This will start the web interface on port 443 (https only remember) and put it in the startup scripts.
Whether or not you are using the shell or the web interface, the first thing you should do is change your password
To set your IP address for SWN, You will need to coordinate with your upstream links, or at least go to the IpAllocation page and pick an address that nobody is using.
Wireless, IP Addressing/Netmasks and DHCP settings can all be entered via the web interface.
To enable OLSR route announcement, go to the Mesh Networking page in the web interface.
To display OLSR Graph Visualizations, go to the Routing Information and look at the OLSR Tab.
Once things are running
Doing Site Surveys from the roof
Going to the web interface and clicking 'site survey' will give you some information about the networks around you.
To see more information and get better results, you may want to try kismet, available from the shell.
Kismet instructions
To enable Kismet, go to /usr/local/etc/kismet.conf
Enable the radio that you want to listen on by uncommenting the source line that is appropriate.
Run kismet (without logging to disk) by running 'kismet -n'
To set kismet up as a drone listener,
go to /usr/local/etc/kismet_drone.conf
set up the sources and allowed hosts.
Go to your kismet client machine and add the source to your config.
Run kismet on your kismet client machine.
Statistics
Checking statistics locally is done through the web interface.
To enable remote stats gathering and be listed on http://stats.seattlewireless.net/
Do the following.
Enable remote statistics gathering in the web interface or start inetd in the shell.
email rob@nocat.net to get listed on the page. He will need your seattlewireless.net IP (RFC1918).
