# Primestar Dish used as 802.11 Wireless Networking Antenna?



## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Use a Surplus Primestar Dish as an IEEE 802.11 Wireless Networking Antenna

http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html

http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/2002-March/005071.html

What other things can you do with the antenna to communicate (maybe 2 way)? This seems pretty interesting. Does this mean that you can get high speed internet access if you know someone else that has high speed internet wirelessly in a town nearby when it is not available to you or does it depend on the frequencies being used?

I already know that it can be used for other service providers as the reflector and for FTA.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

That's exactly it.. assuming you can get past the transmitting WAP's security (if the owner even bothered to turn it on). I've seen the same done with a pringles can turned into a yagi antenna, but you couldn't get 22db of gain out of a pringles can.

Wireless security is a fallacy, and methods like this are exactly why wireless isn't implemented on my corporate network.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

I have even seen people on the internet using 18 inch dishes to do this as well. I bet the gain would be pretty good with solid (nonmesh) c-band dishes. It dont even look like it is too hard to do. Even if they did encrypt the signal couldnt someone subscribe to the service and receive a good distance away? I have no high speed internet available where I live but there is high speed internet available in a few cities 7 miles from me. There are hills with a good bit of trees on them.


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## mjz (Jul 27, 2002)

The main problem with a c-band dish would be getting up high enough. I mean something like that you can't just nail to the roof. Though I bet you could get a wifi connection with a satellite!


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## ADent (Jul 7, 2002)

Neil Derryberry said:


> I've seen the same done with a pringles can turned into a yagi antenna, but you couldn't get 22db of gain out of a pringles can.


The Super Cantenna ( http://www.wirelessgarden.com/answers.html ) is rated at only 12db.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

What is the farthest away you can pick up WISP from the tower they broadcast from? I seen a directional antenna that looked like the Super Cantenna on TechTV and they said they had one there that worked up to 5 miles. I would figure a Dish antenna would work better but do tubes work even better? It would be great if I could get high speed internet at my house from town if I could get something setup. It would be a great solution for me and others out in the country if I could get it working. How bad of a signal loss would I have?


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## High def mon (Aug 7, 2004)

Jacob S said:


> I have even seen people on the internet using 18 inch dishes to do this as well. I bet the gain would be pretty good with solid (nonmesh) c-band dishes. It dont even look like it is too hard to do. Even if they did encrypt the signal couldnt someone subscribe to the service and receive a good distance away? I have no high speed internet available where I live but there is high speed internet available in a few cities 7 miles from me. There are hills with a good bit of trees on them.


I belong to internet coop and I'm sure you need direct line of sight of the p.o.p. you might be able to receive a signal at 7 miles but you would have to amp. your signal going out. There are strict government regs about how much you can broadcast. We draw the line at 5 miles. Sat. sounds like the best bet for you if you can live with the latency issues. If you can get enough people interested in your area ( and there is l.o.s.) they might be willing to put a pop at a house in line of sight of you. If it happens to be your house you can sometimes get the internet for free. Check out our web site at mric.coop


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Ummm.. Ineresting subject, but the last post in this thread was two years ago almost to the day. I hope the poster has already gotten his answer by now.


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## High def mon (Aug 7, 2004)

sorry saw everthing but the year. but my how time fly's :lol:


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

:lol: I know the feeling. I should try to build one of these things. I could use something that would shoot about 4 - 5 miles like that.  I wonder if Comcast would mind.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I have a range of 3.48 miles as the crow (and the RF) flies.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

"Wireless security is a fallacy, and methods like this are exactly why wireless isn't implemented on my corporate network."

I'm just curious if you still feel that way now that there's WPA2-Enterprise (WPA Enterprise + AES)?


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## Spruceman (Nov 21, 2004)

I used to fasten a cell phone antenna to the focal point of a Dish 500 and got a usable connection at a site in WV where no man has gone to make a cell call before. But the cell company a few months later reoriented the directivity and/or tilt of their antennas so it no longer works. Maybe one of these days, I'll trek a 6-footer and a 3-watt booster to the spot and try that. 

I wonder if rigging up a 18 dbi 800 MHz yagi to the dish so its first element would be at the focal point would help? Probably not as it wouldn't add to the directivity (or concentration) of the signal. Anyone know of the theoretical maximum gain of a yagi by itself. I suspect the marginal gain from each additional element declines to zero rather quickly beyond 15 or 20 elements or so.


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## Ryan (Apr 24, 2002)

Unamplified WiFi distance record set at 125 miles

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000970052590/












> Saturday. Defcon. 11:00am. The (WiFi) shot heard 'round, um, 125 mile stretch of land. That's right, Team PAD fired unamplified WiFi from Vegas to St. George, Utah-that's 125 full miles up in there. Congratulations, boys; now go live it up in Sin City while you've still got a chance, ok? Shooting WiFi signals two hours down the highway doesn't really qualify you to be in a commercial for the whole "What happens here, stays here" thing.


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## Spruceman (Nov 21, 2004)

I wonder what the EIRP was toward St. George? Hope nobody was around to complain to Uncle Charlie (I don't mean Ergen.).


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Ah, kids these days. :lol: I have an old 7.5' c/ku dish sitting around here. Maybe I should assemble it and put it on the roof for my connection. Nah.

More info on the kids. http://www.wifi-toys.com/wi-fi.php?a=articles&id=91 They crossed three states, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, well, a corner of Az. 
http://pasadena.net/shootout05/


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

MarkA said:


> "Wireless security is a fallacy, and methods like this are exactly why wireless isn't implemented on my corporate network."
> 
> I'm just curious if you still feel that way now that there's WPA2-Enterprise (WPA Enterprise + AES)?


I do indeed. Many other corporations also feel the same way as I do.


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