[KLUG Members] Minimum req. signal strength.

[Bruce Smith]

> I started the signal strength meter on my GNOME panel and was checking
> the singal strength around my house...

Wow, cool applet!  :-)   Is it new with RH 9?

> So I'm curious what people find to be the minimal signal strength to
> have a reliable connection,  and at what signal strength throughput
> starts to noticably drop off.

I haven't played with it for a long time, not since I first went
wireless.  From what I can remember, it can keep up with broadband 
until it's almost dead.

A good test IMO is to start a big download with something that tells you
the current transfer rate (like ncftp), then go walking around and
compare that to the signal strength.

> I've studied for the HAM radio test ...

Good, maybe you can explain this.  Do a "iwconfig" command, and compare
it's signal strength to what the applet says, and tell me why the big
difference?  The applet display a much higher percentage than what
iwconfig command says.

> I haven't tried moving it around yet to see how location effect it. 
> Will taking the time to mount it way up in the attic actually throw the
> signal that much further? (About 15ft higher that it is now).

Personally I'd put it in the basement to limit it's range.
(that's where mine is now)

> I intend to run this open to the Internet with a VPN server between the
> WAP/firewall segment and my own home LAN. 

That will protect your home LAN, but may not protect you from getting
cut off from your ISP.  From what I've been reading, "drive by spamming"
has become a BIG problem.

I wouldn't want my connection open to f'n spammers.  And who is the ISP
going to blame?

> (floppyfw has a nice little DHCP server).

Yes it does, and there is an even better one you can install
(prepackaged for floppyfw) that allows you to assign static IP's to
individual MAC's.  I used to do the same thing with floppyfw, before
changing to Devil Linux.

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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