Thread View: comp.sys.mac.portables
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Started by Geoffrey
Fri, 15 Dec 2000 17:06
Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Geoffrey
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 17:06
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 17:06
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iBook users, take note:
If a geek comes up to you and offers to buy "that lame Airport thing you
don't use", tell them to buy their own iBook.
In recent articles in both the Wall Street Journal [1] and Salon
Magazine [2], the sudden explosion of wireless ethernet is discussed in
some detail. In several cities across the world, homebrew hackers are
putting together city-wide internet WANs based on the newly-approved
802.11b ethernet standard which operates in the 2.4 GHz range. What is
surprising is that a lot of this homebrew information is coming from
Australia [3].
These budding airwave jockeys are, for the most part, Windows and linux
tinkerers, even though Apple's iBook was one of the first computers with
basic wireless ethernet as a standard feature. The Airport system Apple
use is essentially technology licenced from research giant Lucent, who
offer it to all comers as well as making their own range of
Intel-flavoured and stand-alone products.
For city-wide WANs, however, more power is needed to cover the greater
ranges required, and can still cost US$800 or so per user. What used to
be a large part of the cost of setting up a wireless connection was a
once-rare item called an "antenna connector" - now all they have to do
is gut an Airport-ready iBook or desktop G4 unit.
If someone offers to buy _your_ Mac's antenna connector, politely refuse
and say that if there's a wireless WAN going up in your area, you want
to be a part of it.
[1] http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/12/01/wireless_ethernet
/index.html (re-flow so it's one line)
[2] http://public.wsj.com/sn/y/SB975000515459708837.html
[3] http://www.air.net.au/
Geoffrey
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Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Andrew Maxwell
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 01:01
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 01:01
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> > If someone offers to buy _your_ Mac's antenna connector, politely refuse > and say that if there's a wireless WAN going up in your area, you want > to be a part of it. umm, I can buy these connectors off the shelf for next to nothing. Surely these so called hackers know this? A
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Andrew Maxwell
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 01:31
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2000 01:31
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> If someone offers to buy _your_ Mac's antenna connector, politely refuse > and say that if there's a wireless WAN going up in your area, you want > to be a part of it. Also that connector is useless unless you are trying to connect to other Apple Airport systems. Most other airport devices I have seen use a different connector (Mini N type?). All of these so called jockeys are probably running Linux or PC systems with most ISA/PCI cards using a different antenna connector on the back again? (either a BNC - ugh , or low end microwave connectors. I don't know where all this nonsense started but it sounds like crap to me. As I say, I am literally drowning in these connectors. Any mid tech radio/microwave communications place carries them and they cost nothing. ($5 for cheapo ones, $25 for mid level). A
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Bob Winingham
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 08:28
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 08:28
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> > umm, I can buy these connectors off the shelf for next to nothing. Surely > these so called hackers know this? so are they MCX or SMB connectors ? and welcome to the wonderfull world of 2.4 Ghz Ham radio
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Andrew Maxwell
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 12:43
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 12:43
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in article 3A3C798D.9C953020@onramp.net, Bob Winingham at kc5ejk@onramp.net wrote on 17/12/00 6:28 pm: >> umm, I can buy these connectors off the shelf for next to nothing. Surely >> these so called hackers know this? > so are they MCX or SMB connectors ? > and welcome to the wonderfull world of 2.4 Ghz Ham radio Now that is a very interesting question (I have to admit, my response was a little vague.. sorry). The connectors are not SMB, but the larger push lock version (going for memory here, and cannot remember the code number). Let me get back to you all...have the specs floating around here somewhere.... A
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Rob Frohne
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 17:06
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 17:06
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In article <B662F226.2658%maxwella@usq.edu.au>, Andrew Maxwell <maxwella@usq.edu.au> wrote: > in article 3A3C798D.9C953020@onramp.net, Bob Winingham at kc5ejk@onramp.net > wrote on 17/12/00 6:28 pm: > > > Now that is a very interesting question (I have to admit, my response was a > little vague.. sorry). The connectors are not SMB, but the larger push lock > version (going for memory here, and cannot remember the code number). Let me > get back to you all...have the specs floating around here somewhere.... > > A I am one of those "hackers", and I use Apple equipment. I am right now connected to the web via an outdoor link to our campus. You can view several pages on using Airport (IEEE 802.11) technology outdoors at: http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro Rob -- Rob Frohne E. F. Cross School of Engineering Walla Walla College http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Andrew Maxwell
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 23:14
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 23:14
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in article frohro-1712000904490001@192.168.0.16, Rob Frohne at frohro@wwc.edu wrote on 18/12/00 3:06 am: > I am one of those "hackers", and I use Apple equipment. I am right now > connected to the web via an outdoor link to our campus. You can view > several pages on using Airport (IEEE 802.11) technology outdoors at: > > http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro Don't get me wrong. I like hackers and enjoy being a hardware hacker myself.. I was just paraphrasing the original post. Yes, the info on your page shows the connector and some links to manufactures of connectors/areals. And even shows the connector. We too have airport at our campus and I look forward do doing some dastardly deed to get me on the air.. Andrew
Re: Don't surrender your Antenna Connector
Author: Andrew Maxwell
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 23:18
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2000 23:18
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in article B66385D7.2A52%maxwella@usq.edu.au, Andrew Maxwell at maxwella@usq.edu.au wrote on 18/12/00 9:14 am: > Yes, the info on your page shows the connector and some links to > manufactures of connectors/areals. And even shows the connector. "And even shows the connector"??? Gosh, what a stutter... sorry... A
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