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Open Node In A Bag

Posted by timothy on from the bring-batteries dept.

adelayde writes "You're a wireless network engineer and you work on the run. You need a kit that gives you flexibily yet is light and portable. Style is also important to you. This article (mirrored here) describes just the kit you need, based on modifying the Apple AirPort base station with suggestions for a range of handy antenna attachments and includes component part numbers and prices as well as a complete set of range test results. Just the Jobs for the wireless engineer on the go." Update: 04/08 00:06 GMT by T : Here's another mirror, thanks to the story submitter ;)

7 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. some Airports have an antenna connection by green+pizza · · Score: 4, Informative

    Some of the newer Airports (AirPort Extreme perhaps) have an external antenna jack. There's even a company selling a matching external antenna, no drilling required.

    1. Re:some Airports have an antenna connection by edspunky · · Score: 2, Informative

      man, why would you pay $100 for a 3.5 dBi antenna when you can get a 5 dBi antenna for $20 here? ok, so i understand cool matching looks, but there's a limit, especially when you can get so much more performance for less...

    2. Re:some Airports have an antenna connection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      There are two airport extremes, one with a modem and an antenna port (for for 249) and one without the two (for 199). Which never made sense to me, I would think the user who wanted the antenna, would be the one who connected the airport to the LAN, and wouldn't ever use the modem.

      What if you're net connection is via dialup (so you need the modem), and you want clients to have a larger roaming area (so you need to antenna)? Seems like a likely scenario. Plus, having more available models would be more confusing to consumers (and more of a pain to distribute). Basically they're saying, "here's the feature-rich Airport Extreme, and here's a cheaper version with two features removed". Makes plenty of sense to me...

  2. Re:Mirror of the Mirror? by GigsVT · · Score: 3, Informative

    Mirror Be gentle.

    --
    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
  3. Re:already /.'ed? by SHEENmaster · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here is a mirror. Apparently the cheap-ass version doesn't have such a connector.

    --
    You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
  4. Mirror by nelf · · Score: 2, Informative

    Another mirror:
    http://ds.dial.pipex.com/psand/airport/

  5. Hack wireless engineers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Actually, if a "wireless engineer" showed up with an Airport with a hole drilled in the top, I'd kick him out and tell him to get some real tools. Check out some of Fluke's stuff for starters, like the OptiView. Professional engineers use professional tools.