[OLPC India] How to? School server implementation

James Cameron quozl at laptop.org
Fri Jan 18 05:51:49 EST 2008


G'day,

I've tested the XO and the active antenna devices in the desert in
Australia.

On Fri, Jan 18, 2008 at 02:51:57PM +0545, sulochan acharya wrote:
> 2. Is the active antenna  the same as any wireless router working as
> an access point?

No.  A typical access point consists of a radio and a small computer
which runs an embedded operating system from flash memory.  Such
wireless routers will lack the mesh interoperability.  Without a mesh
gateway, the mesh will not work ... an XO that is outside the access
point range will not be able to get to the internet through other XOs.

> 3. What is the range of the antenna by itself? (discarding the fact
> that the XO's can relay)

The prototype active antenna that I've tested (2007-11-10) easily
achieved 1km between each when held at 3m above ground.  Range is
decreased as height is reduced, or when obstructions are in a path, or
when other 2.4GHz radio traffic is nearby.

It is very difficult to predict how a location will operate.  I would
expect a range of about 200m in an area with moderate building density,
if the antenna is mounted above the buildings.  Plan for ranges between
50m and 500m.

(Those with more knowledge please correct me.)

-- 
James Cameron    mailto:quozl at us.netrek.org     http://quozl.netrek.org/


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