Beam it, I install 2.4 Ghz wireless access points and equipment for a living, I can give you pointers on just what you would need.

The latencies on satellite internet suck balls, not even worth using.

Not to mention about downloading, most of the time after you download so much (usually 145mb or something like that) they cap your download, around here they cap it at 4 kb (starband and directway).

Definately go with the 2.4, or even 900 Mhz.  How much money are you willing to spend on this setup?

Also, what is the view like to your buddies house, is it a clear shot?

Where would I go to find information about wireless offerings in rural areas?

My parents are in dire need of high speed net access and have a satellite dish, but are unwilling to deal with satellite internets lack of decent speed for the money it costs.

Quoted: Where would I go to find information about wireless offerings in rural areas? My parents are in dire need of high speed net access and have a satellite dish, but are unwilling to deal with satellite internets lack of decent speed for the money it costs.

I would bet most anything that your sattellite dish isnt compatible at all.  Even starband/directway have different elements on the dish for the net traffic, than the directv components.

Inquire at any local internet service providers in the area.  They may have something for you.

The latencies on satellite internet suck balls, not even worth using.

Is it worse than dialup? I have no other choice out here.

I do wireless networks all the time.  I have never done one up to 3 miles.  I would have to read up on that

if your just using the web, email the basics on the web satellite will do you just fine.  BUT if you want multiple computer on the connection that is when it gets extremely expensive.  I've done a couple installation of satelite and they will not typically let you use a router you can buy online or at a store. You have to use their equipment, they will charge as they please.  

Quoted: Quoted: Also, what is the view like to your buddies house, is it a clear shot? It is clear LOS 3 miles.

The best way to do it is to set up an access point at his house, then a recieving radio (or CPE as I will refer to them) at yours.  You will need to run CAT 5 ethernet cable to both.

I HIGHLY reccomend Tranzeo wireless antennaes for 2.4 Ghz.  They have just run solid for my company for 5 years now, and we have over 2,000 of them in the field.

Here is the access point you will need,  a Tranzeo TR-6015, or the TR-6019.  The 6019 has a higher gain antenna, which does help, especially in inclimate weather.

This is the page for the access points -
tranzeo.com/index.php?section_id=40&sub_section_id=41&sub_sub_section_id=43

Then you will need to get a recieving radio for your place.  The TR-CPQs are for this.  Again, they have a TR-CPQ-15f and a TR-CPQ-19f, and the 19 will have a higher gain 19dBi anteanna.

This is the page with the CPE radios you will need to look at for your place -
tranzeo.com/index.php?section_id=40&sub_section_id=41&sub_sub_section_id=92

In this setup, you would have to install the access point at his house, and point it back to yours.  These are directional anteannas.   You would program the AP with a SSID, ip information, that sort of thing, and the ethernet cable coming in from the antenna would go into his house, and plug into a power over ethernet box, which would then plug into his router.  You will need a router with a switch to get this to work, and feed off of his connection.

Then, at your house, you would install the regular radio.  You would get it installed very similar to the AP, and program it with the access poing SSID, and ip information.  

This would be the best way to do it.  At 3 miles, there is no way a wireless router itself would be even close to adequate.  If you need more information, or are interested, feel free to ask.  I install this stuff every day, and use a variant of it at home myself.

Quoted: adair_usmc where are you in Or?

Eastern Oregon, La Grande to be exact.

I have gone up to 8-9 miles with the equipment I mentioned before with no troubles.

The latencies of starband and directway, in my experience, have been around 1000ms on average.  That is serious lag.  To compare, my wireless service at home is around 10-12ms, and cable modems will be much lower than that even.

Preferred Internet connections:

T1 (most Expensive)
DSL
Cable
Regulated wireless band
802.11
Satellite (expensive an slow)

If you can connect to a neighbor with one of the first 3 options, via a ppp wireless link that would work well also.

tag because it sounds cool

Quoted: Those are dealer entrances

what are?

Quoted: adair_usmc where are you in Or?

Sounds like a fun project.  I can help.

http://www.fab-corp.com


Grab some parabolic antenna (2 each), some LMR100 cable with the appropriate pigtails and 2 each Linksys WRT54G.  Flash the Linksys with some open source code and go.

http://www.linksysinfo.org/

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Those are dealer entrances what are? The links you posted, just took me to their front page.

sorry.  to look at the access points, click on wireless, then 2.4 Ghz equipment, then either Access Points for the APs, or "Customer Premise Equipment" for the standard radio.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: adair_usmc where are you in Or? Sounds like a fun project.  I can help. http://www.fab-corp.com Grab some parabolic antenna (2 each), some LMR100 cable with the appropriate pigtails and 2 each Linksys WRT54G.  Flash the Linksys with some open source code and go. http://www.linksysinfo.org/ Fab-corp is who I looked at before.

Get the interface specs for two Linksys WET11s.  Cheaper and are regular ethernet bridges.  Don't believe you want the added complexity of a routed network.  Easy to accomplish though.

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/2001/08/24/linksys.html

For 3 miles I would suggest a hybrid Waveguide (soupcan) mounted facing a small dish (like direct tv, mounted on the arm).  That or a good Yagi.  Either way, both sides will need to be amplified beyond normal wifi routers settings.  good luck.

Quoted: So tell me about the antennas...what makes the differences? I see you can make them from soup cans and work.

You can probably get a way with a yagi antenna, but a parabolic will work for sure.  I've heard of wireless 802.11 gear being  driven up to 50 miles line of site with a good parabolic antenna.  Heavy rain or snow?  You're gonna have issues, but it's wireless.  That's to be expected.  The more focused the antenna the better, but the harder it is going to be to align them.  Spotting scope will come in handy.

There are several equipment manufactuers putting out gear that runs 802.11 at much higher power outputs than 'average' 802.11 equipment.

Tropos is one. They are doing 802.11 (b&g I think) at 4-5 watts, as opposed to 100Mw than normal. It will cover several miles.

It is designed for cable and similiar companies to provide high speed access to metropolitan areas to cover 'the last mile' (meaning from the street to your house) without having to pull cable/twisted pair/fiber into every house.

The only problem with equipment such as this is:

1) Very expensive. It is made for providers who can recoup their expense of deployment buy selling the service to hundreds or thousands of customers.
2) It contains only a basic set of security features. They are comparable to that of SOHO type WLAN products being sold today, but not comparable to enterprise grade stuff being put into large companies.

I only know how by using this.

I doubt that the USAF is surplussing these, considering they're still being phased-in.

Other than the logistics of actually procuring these, I know for a fact it would work no problem.



BTW, how's Dolly the Love Ewe doing?

Edited to remove double-tap.

Echo!


Echo!


Echo!

802.11 for 3 miles is very doable.  Up until Qwest made their way out to me, it was all I had for an internet connection.  Luckily, there was a WISP (wirless isp) in my area.

As posted before, two access points and two directional antennae are what you need.  I will also throw in my advocacy of fab-corp.com.  Check out their 2.4GHz parabolics.  The ones that look like a bent/rounded BBQ grilll grate is all I had mounted to the roof of my house shooting 3-4 miles LOS to the tower in town.  I was very happy with the connection.  At that point, you are just like being another subnet on whatever LAN you are connected to, running at 10MB/s.

Some knowledge and signal strength software will save you a lot of time optimizing the connection as well.

As far as anyone transmitting 2.4GHz above 1 watt, that is a big no can do.  The ISM bands are limited by the FCC.

Hope this helps a little,
James

tagged

it can be dont with home brew, on the cheep.. google it..

I'm 26 (no typo) miles from a tower & have had a direct wireless connection for going on 4 years.  Equipment is all Cisco, not sure what frequency I'm on.  Antenna is parabolic, no dish...just a wire frame.  No latency issues, and I have a few clients who ditched satellite internet for that reason.  I've lost a receiver due to a near lightning strike, watch your grounding if you're in a lightning-prone area.  www.bigskytel.com for details in general, I'm not sure if they get into or out to Oregon.

-hanko