[CUWiN-Dev] [Fwd: Ubiquiti Networks]

[David Young]

On Tue, Mar 07, 2006 at 07:17:45AM -0800, Aaron Huslage wrote:
> I've approached them about a possible donation to us for testing.  
> I'll let you guys know what I find out. the SR9 will be released next  
> month (It's "on the boat" now). They have already ordered a second run!
> 
> The pent-up demand for a non-proprietary 900mhz solution is quite  
> high. Using the 802.11 MAC on that frequency band was thought to be  
> problematic, but they said in their lab tests it works flawlessly.  
> This product will be a boon for long-hops in tree filled areas.

You think?  If and when the Ubiquiti 900 MHz radio comes to market,
I fear we will hear variations on the 900 Megahertzer's Lament,

"Don't choose a 900 MHz radio like I did.  I found out there is very
little bandwidth in the 900 MHz band, I need a great big antenna to get
any gain, and I just emptied my piggybank to pay for a low-volume (read:
expensive) radio that operates in just one of the bands available to me
as an unlicensed operator: no second or third radio for me!  Now that
I am using the "penetrating" 900 MHz band, my all-seeing omni antenna
picks up every baby monitor and wireless phone for ten blocks around.
Self-interference on my wireless mesh only got worse.  I cannot recourse
to using more or different channels like I can in 2.4 & 5 GHz bands.
I curse the day I chose a 900 MHz radio over a 2.4 or 5 GHz one!"

I know it is "common knowledge" that 900 MHz "propagates better" than
2.4 or 5 GHz, but stop to consider the downsides, and make sure you are
comparing an apple in one band with an apple in another.

Matt Westervelt pointed out to me that nobody is known to have an Atheros
driver that will tune 900 MHz.  Let us hope all of the pieces fall into
place so that we can at least give 900 MHz a shot.

Dave

-- 
David Young             OJC Technologies
dyoung at ojctech.com      Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933