This page generated to fill an information request posted in HotNews by SCCarlso@hotmail.com. The original posting is quoted below: """ If anyone is interested in testing my access point, please do as I am looking to see what kind of range I am getting. Its a lucent RG-1000 with a 1 watt amplifier to a 9db omni antenna on a 25 foot mast (LMR-400 cabling) with clear line of sight to most of the sound (might be able to hold a connection on the ferries) and is located in the International District and should be seen if you are around Safeco Field. One user was able to connect 6 miles away with a standard wifi card. The network name is "seattleonline" on channel 10 unencrypted (for now). It will DHCP you an address if you get linked. If you are able to make a good connection, please report your speed, rough location and email me at sccarlso@hotmail.com """
Basic Info For Performing Tests
For SeattleWireless members doing throughput tests, there are convenient websites that will compute your throughput based upon various types of items (images, files, text, video). For those not used to signal strength numbers in dBm, throughput may be a better way to both measure and compare success with access point antenna types and placement.
Toast.Net Throughput Test (images, files, text, video)
FEB 15, 2003
Some rough notes on Seattlewireless International District node "SEATTLEONLINE", chan 10, no WEP, Feb 15, 2003. I use a SenaoCard with internal antenna in my laptop which is sitting on the front seat. I do not raise it up nor use an external antenna for signal strength measurements. I provide both measurements indicated by the Senao and from one other signal strength measurement indicator. The Senao values are probably only relevant to other Senao users and are provided because there are a number of Senao users in the group.
- Point #0: received signal in my car whilst driving north nearby node "govmetrokc" under bridges/ramps on Airport Way. This is the bunch of King County Metro service buildings for their vehicles. The speed was normalized down to 1Mbps and barely holding on to that as it was. It's clear that the 1watt combined with the 9dB antenna is a potent combination if it can reach all the way out to this location with my laptop sitting on the front seat. I didn't have enough to reach back to the access point to "handshake" with it to establish a connection though. It brings up the paradox of having a powerful access point but users mostly having internal antennae and 30mW orinoco or lucent cards. I am lucky to have a Senao that can be set to 249mW, so all I need is an external antennna to reach out. Point #1: Parked next to Colors Abloom across from Leong Plumbing. Test Location is on 7th Ave about 100 feet south of Jackson Street. The I.D. is filled with tall buildings forming "canyons" that block line-of-sight. Tall buildings form a sort of north/south corridor wall on 7th Ave. Senao Link Quality = Poor (13%) Signal Strength = Fair (33%). The General metered Signal Strength -72.9dBm (jumps around a lot). This kind of signal ratio (link quality vs signal strength) implies a lot of signal dropouts are occurring. Measuring the signal strength in dBm showed that the interference signal (backscatter) strength was at times greater than the main signal! The speed was held to 1Mbps and barely that due to dropouts. Point #2: In front of Szechuan Noodle Bowl on 6th Ave (200 feet south of Jackson). Senao LQ Poor (26%) and Signal Strength = Fair (46%). The signal was more steady than in the canyons due to open space. Signal Strength -70.5 dBm (somewhat stable reading and interference signal less than main signal). I am quite fond of the green onion pancakes at Szechuan Noodle Bowl... The speed held to 2Mbps. If I set it to 11Mbps, it would eventually drop to 2Mbps. Point #3: Parked in front of the main entrance of Danny Woo International District Community Garden. Senao LQ Fair (40%) and Signal Strength Fair (53%). The Signal Strength -68.1 dBm and was fairly stable despite interference from weaker wireless node "sento" at this location. The Senao card is able to go to approx 249mW (wow!) but was shifted down to 186mW and was able to keep a 2MB connection at main gate using this amount of power. If I moved east 500feet on the same street, my signal would improve drastically and I could hold 11Mbps with less transmit power needed from my Senao card. It's possible to adjust the broadcast power of the Senao cards for testing. When I adjusted output power to 30mW (approx the same as a Lucent/Orinoco), I lost connection. Also, it seems that I am too "close" when parked at the main entrance. Misc Points: anywhere north of Jackson Street between 5th Ave and 7th Ave the signal is good. Up to two blocks north of Jackson Street there is reasonable signal. The signal is weak or non-existent in the higher-elevation residential areas to the northeast (line of sight is blocked by ground and houses).
Feb 18, 2003
The access point is now using WEP. So much for trying to do a bandwidth test at some different locations. Oh well, at least I was able to eat at one of the I.D. restaurants. (startide)
-====- found you Feb 18 
later, Michaelp wanna talk my email is Michael @ Piercedesigns.com (deletespaces)
Feb 19, 2003
Sorry for the dropout! I was retooling as I am trying to figure out if its better to use the airport firmware or the RG1000 original firmware (or of it even matters). Also, a smaller 5db antenna is replacing the one in place (should be here in a few days. Due to the altitude of the antenna, users close by have a hard time getting signal, so even though the antenna has a little less gain, its down angle will be about 10 deg higher. Currently it is only 14 degrees. If anyone wants to use it, the WEP is disabled now and open "seattleonline" channel 10.
Thanks for the testing!!! Hope to improve it with the new antenna.
Any questions you can email me at sccarlso@hotmail.com
Feb 27, 2003
Note: I didn't post results for other areas of the International District in the main shopping area because I wasn't able to get a steady signal in most places. Of course, getting a signal in most places of the International District is moot because there simply is no parking available for me to park and make use of any available bandwidth.
Places worth investigating would include the small parking area along the east side of 8th Avenue located immediately north of Dearborn. A signal is available there. Also, a slight signal was available east of I-5 in the small portion of International District that is south of Jackson Street. There is more opportunity for free parking in that area as well as along the old church that is located near the old food bank location (don't know if the food bank is still there though).
ASIDE: There is a charitable operation on First Hill near the first hill medical clinic at the corner of Minor and James. It is located across the street on the east side of the clinic and teaches computer skills to the poor/needy. I don't know if that place could benefit from having some sort of broadband access; I assume that they have some sort of dialup? Anyways, if SeattleWireless or one of its more adventuresome node operators is looking for a higher-profile karma-generating activity, helping one of these places would be one such way. Use WEP and cap the bandwidth and they could benefit from the bandwidth that they couldn't afford otherwise. Perhaps that little place on First Hill would be a downstream node for SeattleWireless. A node activity like that would also go a long way towards removing the "hacker" reputation because hackers also have a reputation of being uncharitable. And yes, the Patriot Act does establish both terrorism and hacking as undesirable activities, so those people who still seek to defend the original meaning of the word "hacker" have lost the fight. The legal definition per the Patriot Act of "hacker" and "hacking" is now officially bad. In self-defense against the negative public perceptions of "wardriving" and "warchalking" and "war games", a charitable node would be a worthwhile activity.
