FAQ section
Connecting standard Wifi computers to HSMM-MESH™ PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jim Kinter, K5KTF   
Sunday, 07 February 2010 21:57

OK, so you have a WRT54G configured and running as a mesh node. Great!

Now you want to be able to get on the mesh network, but do not want a cable connection.

A Mesh node can ONLY be a mesh node, not an access point, so what to do?

Get a second router, install the HSMM-MESH™ firmware, go into the setup, setup your callsign etc just like on the node router.

But now, go and set the Type to be a Mesh Access Point instead of a Mesh Node. Connect a jumper of any length between any LAN port of the Mesh Access Point and any LAN port of the the Mesh Node. Save settings and reboot the device.

You will notice that the SSID of the Mesh Access Point has changed, and when your laptop does a scan, it will see both the HSMM-MESH™ network AND your callsign-xxx. Connect to the one using your callsign and you will be on the HSMM-MESH™ network.

To configure the Mesh Access Point (MAP) after it has been saved and rebooted as a MAP, you can no longer use http://localnode anymore, as that will now direct you to the Mesh Node instead. You would need to point your browser to http://172.27.0.2 , since 172.27.0.1 is localnode.

Last Updated on Sunday, 14 February 2010 22:21
 
How can you use HSMM-MESH™ PDF Print E-mail
Written by Rick Kirchhof, NG5V   
Sunday, 07 February 2010 16:15

***** I Give UP *****

I wrote this in Feb of 2010. To date, we have received almost no submissions of this type.  What gives???  Lots of people use HSMM-MESH™ for lots of things. Judging by the hit count, everyone is interested in this topic. Won't you please send us a brief description of software used, ways the mesh solved a problem for you or any other idea? We will take ideas (in any form or stage of completion) and develop the information to post. You can be credited as the author or we can post it with administrator as the author. Either way, people using this fantastically versatile tool can find ways to use it more/faster/better.

I have just added a new menu section and a description of how to install Internet Relay Chat. I would like to have more content like this.

NG5V

***** Original post below *****

I bet this FAQ gets lots of hits....    Seriously, we all know that a computer network is just a tool. What you can do with an HSMM-MESH™ network and how you make the connections to it are probably more important to most hams than any other topic.

Remember that networks are very useful even without an Internet feed. A small group of computers to run an event or evacuation site can all interact with a single application or database. You can sling video around.... you get the idea. Just how to put up a local network to do job X or job Y are very important stories since users who don't know that you can do such a task will benefit greatly from seeing how you did it.

This is an open invitation to write how-to articles on how you configured a network, what you attached to it, what work it did and what you learned. These types of summaries are called product application notes or simply App Notes. If you write an app note, we will post it in the FAQ area and credit you as the author. If you don't want to be credited, just submit it privately and we will show the author as "administrator".  All submissions are subject to editing for both style and content. Some things to consider as you create app notes are below.

  • Any application software you used
  • Any server or server based resource (like a file) that is required
  • Works on a stand alone network OR is Internet access required
  • Do the users interact peer-to-peer or client/server
  • Was there a video/audio/VOIP or RSS component
  • If multimedia, what codecs or applications are needed, which OS's are supported
  • What to remember/what to avoid as you do this
  • Hardware or software sources, is any cost involved
  • MySQL code and PHP pages for database applications (you ARE using Linux aren't you...)
  • Software licensing considerations if needed

You may not have (or need) answers to every question above but these guidelines give you something to think about.

Once you get something developed, use the "contact the webmaster" link on the front page to notify us of your result. If you choose to post it privately for inspection, a URL could be included for us to view your result.

This project gets its real value by showing others when/where/how HSMM-MESH™ networks can be used. You can help us with that task.

Last Updated on Monday, 17 October 2011 07:48
 
Antennas left and right PDF Print E-mail
Written by Rick Kirchhof, NG5V   
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 08:37

The firmware allows you to select left, right or both antennas. When describing the antenna location, the view is from the front panel. As you look at the front and see the LEDs, the left antenna is at the left rear corner and right antenna is at the right rear corner. This is "normal". Otherwise, the antennas are "reversed". We will update this info as it is submitted. If you have new data or see something that conflicts with this content, please contact the webmaster.

Hardware version Normal or reversed
WRT54G  v1 

WRT54G  v1.1 
normal
WRT54G  v2
reversed
WRT54G  v3

WRT54G  v4


WRT54GL  v1+
normal
















 You should almost always use diversity unless you know:

  • That you will only have one functioning antenna attached
  • You know which one to select in the setup screen.
An easy way to do a test is to select the left antenna and then do a site survey by looking for other networks. You can start a second browser or new tab for the second part.  Next, switch to the right antenna and repeat the survey. You could even repeat with a third window or tab using the both configuration. This is a real world test of what each antenna choice can see. Diversity is very efficient. It is watching both antennas all the time. The selected signal with be used with the antenna that has  the best path (highest S/N) for the desired target.

It is perfectly acceptable (and very common) to have two high gain antennas pointed in opposite directions and let the internal "both" selection sort it out. We do this all the time. It works well and is the simplest configuration. If you had a one directional/gain antenna and one omni, a user approaching from some off-axis direction would get a link on the omni once it comes into range. The target on-axis would get a link using the gain antenna port. The router will transparently select whichever one works best depending on who it is sending signals to.

Actually there are very few situations where you would choose one antenna only. It is there because the firmware supports it and we gain nothing by taking it out.
Last Updated on Sunday, 21 October 2012 13:53
 
Why are there so many different firmware files? PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Rivenburg, AD5OO   
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 01:17

Actually, there really is only one firmware file, and that is the .trx file.  After the firmware has been installed on your router, the .trx file is the only one you should ever need.  All mesh firmware updates are done with this file.  All of the different router models (WRT54G and variants) are similar enough that they are all capable of running the same firmware, which is why there only needs to be one .trx file.

 

So then what are all the .bin files? Every .bin file is just a copy of the .trx file except that it has some extra information added to it that the factory firmware in each specific router model expects to see.  This is what prevents you from installing WRT54G factory firmware on  USR5461, for example.  A router running factory firmware will reject a firmware upgrade if it does not see the information in the file that matches the specific model.  So, the first time that the mesh firmware is installed on a router, you have to use the .bin file that matches the router model you are using.

 

The other situation where you will need the .bin file is when using the tftp method of installing firmware.  A firmware install does not actually replace all of the firmware, just most of it.  There is a little piece left over that never gets overwritten, and that is the piece that makes the tftp method possible.  The tftp firmware still remembers the router model it is running on, so it also requires the model specific .bin file.

 
How long will a WRT54GL run from a battery? PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Rivenburg, AD5OO   
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 15:14

Of course, that depends on the battery. Here are some observed runtimes in hours and minutes. These values apply only to the WRT54GL which is the most energy efficient variant of the WRT54G. Generally, the older the model of WRT54G you have, the more power it will use and the shorter the runtime will be.

 

The input voltage range requirement spans at least from 16V down to 4V. The one-time use batteries were run down to below 3.5V, where the router stops operating. The rechargeable 12V batteries were run down to 11V where you can expect a reasonable number of recharge cycles. In an emergency you can run the SLA batteries down to 3.5V and the runtime will be extended at the expense of killing the battery.

 

One-time use alkaline batteries
0:22 9V
1:37 4 AA
5:15 8 AA
5:20 4 D
8:30 6 C
9:55 6V Lantern

 

Rechargeable Sealed Lead Acid
2:30 1.3 AH
32:00 7.5 AH

 

And as a reference point, it was found that a 55 AH SLA battery with a 45W amorphous solar panel under decidedly sub-optimal conditions can run a WRT54G indefinitely.

Last Updated on Monday, 06 September 2010 01:18
 
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