[TriLUG] WiFi quality monitoring

[Joseph Mack NA3T]

On Thu, 14 Aug 2014, Igor Partola wrote:

> - This is the first time I've heard the terms "Wi-Fi front-end" and
> "attenuators" (at least in this context). I have another router I could try
> using (also running OpenWRT), though it has smaller non-detachable
> antennas, and does not support the 5 GHz band.

well it's a control.

> - My current router lets me set its transmit power. It's range is 0 dBm (1
> mW) to 27 dBm (501 mW), and is currently set to 26 dBm (398 mW). Could
> playing with this setting as well as Fragmentation Threshold, Distance
> Optimization, or RTS/CTS Threshold help in any way?

If it's an intermod problem, it's overloading the receiver, putting it into 
non-linear operation. I expect that you'll need 10mV or so (not sure) of 
received signal to do this. Changing your transmitter isn't going to affect 
this.

> - I am in the burbs so no neighbor Wi-Fi around here. I can see there
> being some hams around, but I don't own a spectrum analyzer so I have no
> idea if someone is using something that would affect me.

Possible. Depends on the antenna, power etc. Because commodity hardware doesn't 
have filters on it, it is required to accept interference from other 
transmitters. So hams aren't legally required to help anymore in cases like 
this. If it's ham activity, then software monitoring will show if it's happening 
at times hams are likely to be operating. If he has a repeater, it will be going 
day and night. Do you see any yagis pointing at you?

Does your house have aluminum backed insulation or metal backed siding? ie are 
you inside a shielded metal box?

Joe

-- 
Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
generator at http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml
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