In need of wireless techno geeks...

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 04:06 PM

I set up a Proxim 5.8 Ghz wireless P2P bridge to connect multiple buildings in geographically diverse locations that still maintain line of sight. All of a sudden, I started noticing LARGE amounts of packets being dropped. So many in fact that users were losing their connection to the mainframe. Only one radio is being affected. I assumed that it was an RFI issue and built a makeshift RFI filter out of a cardboard box wrapped in aluminum foil and grounded it. It worked GREAT, so I then had an all aluminum box fabricated to the same exact dimensions and mounted it in the same exact spot that my proof of concept box was in.

It doesn't work.

I have wrapped the new box in aluminum foil and for now it *SEEMS* to be working.

I obviously cannot leave a 16" x 16" x 18" box wrapped up in aluminum foil and duct tape strapped to the side of my building. ANY and ALL ideas would be appreciated.

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 06:22 PM

Hello!?!?!!? Anybody home???

***Reynolds357*** · Apr 6th 2010, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Hello!?!?!!? Anybody home???

Put the aluminum foil on the inside of the box.
In theory, if the foil works; the box should work even better than the foil. At 5.8 GHZ, it does not take much of a hole to have RFI leaks. You might have to Bi, tri, or even quad shield.

What exactly is in the box? We might have some more shielding options available to us here.

You might be missing a ground. You might have to lift a ground because you may have an ground loop.

**HisLeast** · Apr 6th 2010, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Hello!?!?!!? Anybody home???

Dude... when I took my NetEss exam the word "wireless" wasn't even in the textbook. I wonder if they even have a NetEss credit towards the MCSE nowadays

**Ta-An** · Apr 6th 2010, 09:02 PM

Hang in here UM, I'll go ask somebody to come look at this thread for you

**bdh** · Apr 6th 2010, 09:55 PM

This one is like asking how long is a piece of string. You could have 100 things affecting you. Your best short term bet is probably to go for a directional antennas and point the things directly towards one another. That will at least get rid of a few Dbs of interference.

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Reynolds357

Put the aluminum foil on the inside of the box.
In theory, if the foil works; the box should work even better than the foil. At 5.8 GHZ, it does not take much of a hole to have RFI leaks. You might have to Bi, tri, or even quad shield.

What exactly is in the box? We might have some more shielding options available to us here.

You might be missing a ground. You might have to lift a ground because you may have an ground loop.

Inside the box is a Tsunami 5054R P2P Quickbridge. As a second test, I took two pieces of cardboard and placed a piece of aluminum foil in between them and taped both pieces together COMPLETELY isolating the foil (no ground what-so-ever), lined the inside of the box with it and it is working better than anything we have tried so far. Now how do I apply what I have observed to a permanent fix?

Do you have RFI shielding??? If so, what kind? Does it work up to 5.8 Ghz? And finally, how much does it cost?

Do ya think some copper mesh would do better inside the box???

**Vhayes** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Inside the box is a Tsunami 5054R P2P Quickbridge. As a second test, I took two pieces of cardboard and placed a piece of aluminum foil in between them and taped both pieces together COMPLETELY isolating the foil (no ground what-so-ever), lined the inside of the box with it and it is working better than anything we have tried so far. Now how do I apply what I have observed to a permanent fix?

Do you have RFI shielding??? If so, what kind? Does it work up to 5.8 Ghz? And finally, how much does it cost?

Do ya think some copper mesh would do better inside the box???

Call Tom. Seriously.

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by bdh

This one is like asking how long is a piece of string. You could have 100 things affecting you. Your best short term bet is probably to go for a directional antennas and point the things directly towards one another. That will at least get rid of a few Dbs of interference.

These are $1000 antennas that are completely shielded to the rear and only have a 9 degree beam... You can shoot these puppies for MILES. They have to be aimed with scopes like you see on a rifle and then fine tuned at the radio.

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Vhayes

Call Tom. Seriously.

PM me his number again. With the face of my phone smashed ala Tartlet, I can't see his number.

***Firefighter*** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by HisLeast

Dude... when I took my NetEss exam the word "wireless" wasn't even in the textbook. I wonder if they even have a NetEss credit towards the MCSE nowadays

Yeah, I remember when wireless first came out and I was thinking how much EASIER it would make things...

***tango*** · Apr 6th 2010, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Inside the box is a Tsunami 5054R P2P Quickbridge. As a second test, I took two pieces of cardboard and placed a piece of aluminum foil in between them and taped both pieces together COMPLETELY isolating the foil (no ground what-so-ever), lined the inside of the box with it and it is working better than anything we have tried so far. Now how do I apply what I have observed to a permanent fix?

How to make it permanent? Easy, pay a consulting firm a vast sum of money to "supply and fit box constructed of sturdy cardboard and lined with aluminium foil, for the purposes of reducing RF interference".

Sorry, that's the best I can do here

***Reynolds357*** · Apr 6th 2010, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Inside the box is a Tsunami 5054R P2P Quickbridge. As a second test, I took two pieces of cardboard and placed a piece of aluminum foil in between them and taped both pieces together COMPLETELY isolating the foil (no ground what-so-ever), lined the inside of the box with it and it is working better than anything we have tried so far. Now how do I apply what I have observed to a permanent fix?

Do you have RFI shielding??? If so, what kind? Does it work up to 5.8 Ghz? And finally, how much does it cost?
In
Do ya think some copper mesh would do better inside the box???

I do not have anything specifically made for RFI shielding. For 5.8 GHZ I really do not think mesh would work as good as foil.
The fact that you have an un-grounded shield working right now is reallly puzzling. In theory, un-grounded shielding does not work.

Is the box vented?

***Firefighter*** · Apr 7th 2010, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by Reynolds357

I do not have anything specifically made for RFI shielding. For 5.8 GHZ I really do not think mesh would work as good as foil.
The fact that you have an un-grounded shield working right now is reallly puzzling. In theory, un-grounded shielding does not work.

Is the box vented?

Yes. It is vented in the rear, which is COMPLETELY shielded. I have an advantage... I know exactly where the signal is coming from. (Angle, elevation, direction, and distance)

I cannot explain the ground thing either, but it works.

How do I permanently mount foil inside the box?

I will try to post pictures tomorrow of the box and the box in relation to the source of RFI...

***Reynolds357*** · Apr 7th 2010, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by Urban Missionary

Yes. It is vented in the rear, which is COMPLETELY shielded. I have an advantage... I know exactly where the signal is coming from. (Angle, elevation, direction, and distance)

I cannot explain the ground thing either, but it works.

How do I permanently mount foil inside the box?

I will try to post pictures tomorrow of the box and the box in relation to the source of RFI...

You could use epoxy to glue the foil inside the box. I would still suspect the vents as the area of RFI infiltration.