What with db, SNR, and decibels?

The signal and noise measurements are in decibel milliwatts and the SNR is in plain decibels. dB is a meausement scale that's only useful for comparing one value to another. In the case of the signal and noise measurements we choose 1mW to be 0 dB and measure from there (hence, these measurements are usually a negative number). In the case of the SNR we are comparing two values directly and it doesn't matter what value is used as a zero for each measurement as long as it was the same. The difference gets lost in the subtraction.

For example:
Signal = -38dBm = 1mW - 38dB
Noise = -96 dBm = 1mW - 96dB
SNR = 38 dBm - -96dBm = (1mW - 38dB) - (1mW - 96dB) = (1mW - 1mW ) + (96dB - 38dB) = 58 dB

MIT reference Moskaluk.com

You know that people are reading your blog when they start referencing your site. I have two area on moskaluk.com that contain information on wireless mesh. Papers are a series of papers I have written through the years and this blogger with over 100 articles, rants and raves.

I was checking out MIT when I came across another source of information regarding wireless mesh

Radio Card Fade

I never thought that a radio card has a shelf life or better a lifecycle. After 3 years of continues use the Netgear PCI MA311 are come to the end of their cycle. They were very good radio cards but I believe they were not intended to be place outdoors in the hot and cold Canadian Climate.

I started to noticed that in the last 3 months I had a number of these cards go. They are fading out of existence. It great that I can easily replace with either Senao or Demartech radio cards. My base station radio finally went. I couldn't understand why only a few MeshAP could hear it. Once I replace the unit everything is almost back to normal again.

Can you imagine a building a muni-wifi with these radio cards. Sure 3 year maintenance to change out radio cards. It could be worse I could be changing mother boards.

Solar in South America

It great to hear that a successfully installed solar mesh was deployed. Read the article in Locustworld for details