🚀 go-pugleaf

"Elroy the Seedy Impaler" <elroy@impaler.com> wrote in message
news:3cd28a97.1926740@news-server.neo.rr.com...
> My $.02 to this thread:
>
> I just set up an SMC7004AWBR with Orinoco USB NICs.  I have great
> reception from the first floor to the attic, in opposing corners of
> the house.  No mods to the antenna.
>
> Something is definitely wrong with your hardware.  In my setup, the
> crappy link monitor app that Orinoco provides says there is a "poor"
> connection, but the recieved signal level is -70dBm and the SNR is
> over 20.  Most of these receivers have sensitivity levels of around
> -85dBm at 11Mbps.  In my engineering opinion, 15dB above the lower
> level is more than adquate.

Yes, I was a bit unhappy with limited info. that the Orinoco card's monitor
program gives. Lesser brand cards offer more definitive data regarding
signal strength and error rates.  I've read there's a program (or special
firmware) that offers more info. from the Orinoco card, but I haven't tried
to chase it down, yet.

A key phrase in your reply, I think, is "in the attic".  Did you locate your
WAP in the attic? I'm thinking of trying that next to see if it gives
better/adequate coverage.  This creates some logistic problems, however,
because I would be unable to use the router/firewall/print server features
of the SWC70004AWBR if I choose to locate the WAP there.  I'll really only
need a WAP in that case, and I'll need to run Cat5 to the attic at a minimum
(using one of the pairs for power, using an adaptor).

BTW, I did return the first SWC unit that I purchased - there was something
definitely wrong with its transmitter/receiver.  The current SWC unit seems
comparable in range to a Netgear that I borrowed for a side-by-side test,
but it looks like there's problems with my house's construction (perhaps
mylar insulation or some such) that block the signal.  I'm hoping the
attic-placement experiment will be successful.

Which model of the SWC7004AWBR do you have? I seem to have purchased the
ill-fated  #720.5435, which frequently hangs on the wired LAN, and has some
other glitches that in my mind make this unit unusable.  Apparently, the
older #720.5312 is much better, and is the unit that has generally received
decent reviews.

>
> The SMC7004AWBR isn't the best (it's not a Cisco/Aironet), but then
> again, I'm not setting up an enterprise network.

I'm seriously considering trading up to a better brand. Since I have
Lucent/Orinico cards, I was thinking of looking at the RG-1000.  Does anyone
have (hopefully positive) experiences with the Lucent gear?

>
> Don't modify the antenna circuit unless you really know what you are
> doing.  Microwave designs are very touchy.

Yeah, it was just a thought. :) I did read that SMC sells a higher gain
antenna for $60. That would've been my next experiment.  But, I'm quite
dis-enchanted with SMC at the moment. I think SMC should not have sold a new
(and apparently inferrior/unreliable) implementation of the SWC7004AWBR
without renaming the product, so that it is clear to both users and
reviewers that this is a new beast. Based on my experience, I'd strongly
discourage anyone from buying and using the #720.5435 model (look under
"supplier part number" on the identifying label area of the product's
carton).