Rob said they're using Breezecom gear, and I myself saw one installation at a small company in the western metro area using Breezecom gear. My experience with Breezecom APs and PCMCIA nics is that they are 802.11 (original) maxing out around 3mbps. 802.11 original uses DSSS or FHSS (Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum), 802.11b uses DSSS and 802.11g uses OFDM. The Breezecom system used the 802.11 FHSS method, which is incompatible with DSSS equipment. As FHSS isn't used by 802.11b, it means that there are very few wireless cards that can talk to the Stonebridge system or even detect it for that matter. Even if they don't have encrypted links, they have decent security-thru-obscurity, at least from the run-of-the-mill wireless wardrivers. What kind of prices were they offering? http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/8/802_11.html http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireless/2001/03/02/802.11b_facts.html At 07:19 PM 9/13/2004 -0500, you wrote: >I asked about the Stonebridge service and barfed before the rep finished telling me about all the fees and restrictions. The web >site has little or no technical info or prices. > >It's only a home or business service that uses WiFi. It is NOT also a WiFi service that allows roaming around town. Being a >subscriber does not enable you to use a laptop with WiFi and roam about in their service area. > >An installation typically requires a special outside directional antenna and a CAT5 connection from that to your router, whatever >that may be (ie, wired and/or wireless for your site). > >Their coverage maps look good: they seem to cover most of the greater Twin Cities metro and outskirts already. > >You pay an installation charge but may not own the equipment (barfed before getting all details here). >* it's not ordinary 802.11b. Might be encrupted 802.11b however. >* Apparently, they use an antenna that has their wireless card built into/onto the antenna. >* CAT5 cable runs from the antenna to your router vicinity, > where they place a "converter" that supplies power to the antenns via the CAT5 cable. > >Residential rates are based upon a usage profile or maybe even metered usage. I really barfed when their rep started asking whether >I would use the service more than 4 hours during the day. He seemed to have begun telling me of several residential usage levels >with corresponding prices. > >My patience was too thin for this. Maybe it makes sense, but the lack of solid info on the web site and the poor info by the rep >killed my patience to find out this week. Seems like vaporware or a "service" one couldn't trust at all... etc. YMMV. > > >Chuck > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: tcwug-list-bounces at tcwug.org >> [mailto:tcwug-list-bounces at tcwug.org]On Behalf Of Rob >> Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 10:11 AM >> To: tcwug-list at tcwug.org >> Subject: [TCWUG] RE: tcwug-list Digest, Vol 12, Issue 4 >> >> >> Hello all, >> >> I believe StoneBridge Wireless here in the TC is using BreezeCom as per >> their Web site info under FAQ section. >> >> FAQ: Who designed the radio units? >> StoneBridge Wireless uses radio units made by Alvarion formally named >> BreezeCom. They are an Israeli outfit, originally named LanAir, that >> designed these systems for use in tank-to-tank, and tank-to-HQ, real-time >> communication for telemetry and computer communication for the Israeli >> military. Each unit is programmable to use different frequency hopping >> patterns within the 79 frequencies in the spectrum, and to hop between >> these frequencies at 10-30 times per second. A client radio picks up this >> sequence from the sending unit and they hop in an identical pattern. >> Individual packets can be lost or dropped and there is no data loss. >> >> For more info on StoneBridge go to: >> http://www.sbwireless.net/faq.htm >> > > > >_______________________________________________ >Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >http://www.tcwug.org >tcwug-list at tcwug.org >https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list > > _______________________________________________ Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.tcwug.org tcwug-list at tcwug.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list