surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | Iphone range with 2.4
I"m curious to know the limitations (range) of an Iphone's transmission abilities with say a 2.4 ghz 24dbi parabolic pointed direct los. I've got a spot on a cliff @ 1,500 ft. from a beach where the Iphones will be. Practically zero local WiFi at target area, so not much interference. Would like to target them Iphoners without doing a PtP with a WLAN.
Mil Gracias in advance. |
|
superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| At 1500 ft, a 24dBi grid would be over kill. The main problem is that while the I phones will be able to hear the AP. the AP may not be able to hear the I phones because of their low power output. I am guessing though, as I do not know the specs. on an I phone?. If it were me, I would use a sector antenna. It will be a little lower gain, but a slightly wider coverage area?.
--
»www.wavecrazy.net
|
|
mtroup
Marty
Premium
join:2007-06-28
Hermitage, AR
| reply to surfergeek
I setup a network this past summer for a local farm in which i hooked up the packing shed, a couple houses, the office using 2 ubiquiti ps2's.. the client had an iphone and he was able to send and receive and use wifi with no problems over a couple hundred acres of farmland.. he just swapped between the two ap's depending on which side of the land he was on.. |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | reply to superdog
Thanks S Dog,
Yeah, I know the parabolic would surely be "screaming" at the Iphone. But, getting the Iphone to "respond" is the question. |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA | reply to mtroup
WOW,
Couple hundred acres and the Iphones worked with 2 AP's?
COOL, I'm on that. So, at the most the Iphone was @ 100 acres
from the closest AP? |
|
robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX | reply to surfergeek
I'm curious -- is this a dead area for 3G and Edge? If not what is the motivation for an iPhone user to "buy" your WiFi network when they can just use the cellular network they are already subscribed to? |
|
viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA
1 edit | reply to surfergeek
surfer where you getting your bandwidth from to give acces to Iphones? Is this going to be free or pay as you go for them?
What about other WiFi access for laptops etc?? Where at you trying to get coverage at? La jolla shores, tide pools or further north etc.
--
ComTrain Certified Tower Climber. American Tower Certified approved contractor. Wireless consultants. |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | reply to robbin
Nope,
Regarding your question as to whether 3G or Edge is there. It's not a dead zone. And great question. That and CDMA rev A. and the other fast cellular stuff that's out there is available in the area. |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
| reply to viperm
Hey Viperm,
Let's keep this between you and me... lol...
I've got some 20x Telephoto IP cams pointed at Blacks Beach... lol..
Seriously though. That's what I'm trying to figure out. How to get bandwidth paid for. If I can get Mobile users to suck up the WiFi instead of Cell.
|
|
cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| said by surfergeek  :Hey Viperm, Let's keep this between you and me... lol... I've got some 20x Telephoto IP cams pointed at Blacks Beach... lol.. Seriously though. That's what I'm trying to figure out. How to get bandwidth paid for. If I can get Mobile users to suck up the WiFi instead of Cell. I'm just not sure you're going to have much luck getting the mobile users on the WiFi. I use EVDO both with a card for my computer and on my phone. It's "fast enough" that I simply don't look for wifi anymore as I'm already paying for the cell service.
As to SDs advice, while I respect Tim, realistically with a 24 db grid you will definately hear the iPhone almost as well as you hear the AP. However the grid has such a tight beam that it's really not that effective. Better would be a 19db panel or sector antenna. |
|
robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
| reply to surfergeek
said by surfergeek :Nope, Regarding your question as to whether 3G or Edge is there. It's not a dead zone. If it is not a dead zone and I am at the beach, I couldn't give a damn if it is faster or not. I really doubt I can see my iPhone's screen that well anyway. I am already paying for my iPhone's access and having faster WiFi (on the beach) would not be of interest to me! Sounds like a waste of money to me. |
|
jesman
join:2008-12-28
| reply to surfergeek
Iphone is already some mid-level power device, i have seen really low power device that could just have 100m coverage even the AP employes high-gain antenna.
becare the iphone when u use in beach! hah
I would say using sector antenna would be the best choice between range and diversity. Patch would be good only if you want to point to the yachi |
|
viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA
1 edit | reply to surfergeek
hahah Nice hahah well the best model we use is the pay as you go hotspot using mikrotik and wirelessorbit.com
I think that may be your least expensive solution IF you can get bandwidth to there and also are allowed to resell it?
I know up the coast in Encinitas there is Wifi in the area by I think a company called Cheeta networks if I am not mistaken. It shows on thier site locations they offer service in. I know they just bought a BUNCH of Tropos stuff from the old Anaheim network that was run by Earthlink (my frined just tore it all down for them (earthlink that is) and Cheetah bought it all up. According to them I think they are or were going to deploy in the city of Commerce
Edit... forgot to add the link
»www.cwti.us/cheeweb/homepage/ |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | reply to robbin
This is a fairly large beach. |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
| reply to cmaenginsb
Yeah, I'm just limited to the parabolic at the moment.
I'm just going to check the signal from the beach to the AP with 24dbi parabolic. I'll definitely take it up a notch, after I spend a little more time and do a real survey, etc...
I'd just like to see the capabilites of a mobile. The one guy mentioned he was able to get an Iphone to work between 2 AP's on 200 acres. That remains to be seen.
|
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | reply to viperm
Thanks Viperm,
So you're familar with the area I'm speaking of? |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
2 edits | reply to viperm
I've got some choice spots at Mission Beach. |
|
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
 ·Comcast
 ·Qwest.net
 ·magicjack.com
 ·BeeCreek Communica..
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| reply to surfergeek
Not sure about kid-tracking, as iPhones tend not to be waterproof, and thus parents aren't gonna let them take their $200+ devices out on the water. in fact, I'm not sure how many people would take their smartphone out on the beach. Some of them, maybe...but not a ton.
About unlimited VoIP calling, pretty sure you can already do that with an iPhone app, over any WiFi connection. Also, $20 for unlimited VoIP over WiFi probably isn't a great enough deal for people to take it, especially when WiFi uses a LOT of energy on your phone, killing talk times with such a service.
On the other hand, if there are a lot of people at a relatively remote location, the cell network could be overloaded relatively easily. If you can get some decent connectivity on your WiFi network, people might switch to it for higher speeds. But speeds must be fast and latency must be low, otherwise they'll just stick to their unlimited data plans, which all iPhones (okay, 99.9% of them) have.
As to charging for access, not sure if you can do that unless you just go with $10 per month or $4 per day, or something similarly low. Maybe with a free 15-minute pass to see how the network does.
iPhones max out at about 4 Mbps over WiFi downstream, and 2 Mbps upstream, if I remember correctly. Ovver cellular, speeds are more in the 800 kbps range if I remember correctly, if yu're on 3G. Check to see whether AT&T has 3G coverage in the area. If not, iPhone users will be on EDGE, whose throughput varies from 70 to 250 kbps (usually around 150 kbps) depending on the area, with sky-high latency (okay, 400+ ms). Bottom line: if you can figure out how to get a 10 Mbps symmetric connection and WiFi all the way to the iphones, you may get some people on the network. If there's EDGE, a megabit or two would be sufficient. In any case, the WiFi experience must be significantly better than the cellular experience or people won't bite, due to the heavy toll WiFi takes on battery life.
You could mess around with ad-supported hotspot access, which may work in your situation. But the ROI may not be high enough, and more users would mean more toll on the network. There are ad injection systems specific to iPhones on hotspots I'm sure, but you'll have to look for them. Maybe WirelessOrbit has something...
Best of luck to ya, but don't expect people to flock to services just because you're there. And don't expec tthem to take their precious device with 'em into the water and sand...or, worse, let their kids do the same. |
|
viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA
| reply to surfergeek
I am a native I grew up in Poway used to spend tons of summer times out at the shores, Sawmis etc
Sounds like a fun project let me know if I can help in any way I am up in Temecula now which is not to long of a drive but have lunch will travel hahahah
I have lots of old stuf laying around that may work but we will see what your needs are  |
|
surfergeek
join:2004-02-28
La Jolla, CA
1 edit | reply to iansltx
Geat reply Ian,
Very thorough! You've shed quite a bit of light. |
|
