Draft1 of Project Covac

8/14/2019 Draft1 of Project Covac

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the dimensions of the copper pipe (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Cut a notch into one end of the copper pipe, removing approx 2mm from half the circumference.

A short section of copper pipe, notched at one end (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Drill a hole in the centre of the blank PCB so that the copper pipe is a tight fit in the hole. I found areamer to be very useful for enlarging the hole to the correct size.


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making a hole in the center (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Insert the copper pipe into the hole, with the notched end on the copper side of the blank PCB. Thecopper pipe should be protruding approx 16mm through the hole, measured on the copper side of thePCB.

Insert the copper pipe into the reflector (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Solder the copper pipe to the PCB, to ensure a good physical and electrical connection.

The next Image is on the next page.


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straighten the wire (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Measure the mid-point of the wire, and make a 90 degree bend. The bend should be quite sharp andpronounced.

90 degree bend (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Measure the midpoints of each half, and make two more 90 degree bends in the wire, so that it lookslike that shown in the photo below.


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another two bends (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Once again, measure the midpoints of each section, and make some more 90 degree bends, resulting inwhat is shown below.

bend it some more... (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Do the same to the other side, resulting in the biquad shape.


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make it symetrical... (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)Clean up all your bends, and ensure each side of the element is as straight as possible, and as close to

30.5mm as possible.Note that you may need to trim a small amount off each end of the wire to achieve this.

Assembly:

The element must now be attached to the reflector. Note that only the two "ends" of the copper wire areto be attached to the copper pipe - the centre of the copper wire must not touch the copper pipe (hencethe notch which was cut into the end of the copper pipe.

The copper wire element should be approximately 15mm away from the reflector. Testing antennaperformance while varying the spacing between the copper wire element and the rear reflector indicatesthat a spacing of approx 15mm provides the lowest SWR (test results available

http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45but is not in English).
http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45


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(Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)


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spacers to support the element.

If you intend to mount the biquad outside, I'd recommend you place it into a weather-proof enclosure,to prevent corrosion, and to prevent water ingress into the coax.Numerous people have used small tuppaware containers successfully.

This can be achieved by drilling a hole in one side of the container, and pass the coax tail through thehole, leaving the biquad itself inside the container. Seal up the hole for the coax with some silicone, andyour biquad should be protected against the elements.

another view of the completed biquad (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Testing:

Some very rough initial testing using the biquad as a feed on a 24dBi Conifer dish looks verypromising, with the signal strength being at least as as good as my home made (You can go to theModifying Conifer Antennas for Wireless Networking section for this) Conifer dipole (I was holdingthe biquad at approximately the focal point of the dish, and hadn't even removed the Conifer dipole).

I also managed to get a marginal link to a 180 degree waveguide on an access point 10km away, usingonly the biquad by itself, connected to a 30mW RoamAbout wireless card.

Some more detailed testing (you can go to the Antenna Comparison Testing section for this) withmultiple antennas, including the biquad shown above, indicates the biquad has a gain of approx 11-


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12dBi.

A friend has access to some antenna test equipment, and performed some tests on the biquad featuredon this page.The azimuth plot (ie, radiation pattern) of the biquad is shown below, and shows a 3dB beamwidth ofabout 50 degrees.

azimuth plot of the biquad

Variations:

VariationsA number of people have suggested the spacing between the element and the rear reflector should be a


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1/4 wavelength (ie, 30.5mm) instead of 15mm. However, test results (such ashttp://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45warning notEnglish!) indicate the SWR of the biquad is minimised when the spacing is about 15-17mm. Increasingthe spacing to 30.5mm increases the SWR significantly, thus reducing the efficiency of the biquad.

For a higher-gain variation of the biquad that's virtually just as easy to build, have a look at the Double

Biquad Antenna Section in this document.

Usage:

When using a biquad to establish a link to another wireless device, you should ensure the polarisationof the biquad is the same as the antenna you are connecting to. Similarily, if establishing a link withtwo biquads, ensure they are both oriented for the same polarisation.Failing to match the polarisation will result in significant signal loss.

vertically polarised horizontally polarised(Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Changing the polarisation is just a matter of rotating the entire biquad antenna by 90 degrees.

The biquad antenna is not particularly directional, but has a fairly wide beamwidth.The 3dB beamwidth for a biquad (without side lips) is typically about 40-50 degrees, thus making itideal for any applications where you want fairly wide coverage.

The relatively wide beamwidth also makes a biquad very suitable for war-driving and stumbling,allowing you to pick up signals without having to align the antenna directly with the signal source.

While a directional antenna, such as a Conifer dish (See the Modifying Conifer Antennas for WirelessNetworking Section in this document) (3dB beamwidth of a 24dBi Conifer dish is approx 7 degrees), isbetter suited for point-to-point links, the narrow beamwidth of a Conifer dish requires more precisionwhen aligning the antennas (the narrower the beamwidth, the less susceptible it will be to interferancefrom other sources). An antenna with a wider beamwidth, such as a biquad, doesn't require the sameprecision for alignment, thus making it easier to get a link working.
http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45http://forum.wirelessnederland.nl/viewtopic.php?t=918&postorder=asc&start=45


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double biquad (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Note that the element wires do not touch where they cross over, but are separated with a gap of approx1-2mm.

To provide some more robustness, and to ensure the element doesn't move, I added some spaces at eachend of the element.The spacers are made from a small section cut from a hollow reticulation riser, and attached to thereflector and element using a small wire tie. Measure and cut the spacers to be 14.5mm long, as thisshould result in the element being the correct 15mm from the reflector.


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spacer installed (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

The spacers will ensure the posititioning of the element relative to the reflector will not change, andalso means the antenna is less likely to be damaged while in transit or while being handled.

detail of spacer (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)


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References:

last sectionPhotos of a Double BiQuadDouble Double Quad

Modifying Conifer Antennas for Wireless Networking C.

This page details a method for constructing a new dipole for a Conifer dish, resulting in improvedperformance over the more common dipole modification.

Conifer (ex Galaxy) Antennas:

The antennas we're using are made by Conifer (now known by the name of their parent company,Andrew Corporation ref. www.andrew.com), and were used in Australia by a pay-tv company calledGalaxy.

Galaxy went out of business several years ago, so there are a lot of un-used Conifer antennas onpeople's roofs in Australia.

The most common Conifer antenna used by Galaxy is the 18dBi grid, while the 24dBi grid is a littleless common. Note that both the 18dBi and 24dBi grids use an identical feedhorn, so this page isapplicable for both.

18dBi and 24dBi ex-Galaxy antennas made by Conifer,with a 30cm ruler (bottom right) for scale (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)
http://www.vallstedt-networks.de/Fotogalerien/Doppelacht/doppelacht.htmhttp://www.vhfman.freeuk.com/radio/23cmantennas.htmlhttp://www.andrew.com/http://www.vallstedt-networks.de/Fotogalerien/Doppelacht/doppelacht.htmhttp://www.vhfman.freeuk.com/radio/23cmantennas.htmlhttp://www.andrew.com/


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diagram showing components fitted together (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Parts Required:

The materials we used to perform this modification:

Conifer (ex Galaxy) antenna

low-loss coax (such as LMR-400 or CNT-400) 50mm of copper pipe (~10mm internal diameter)

61mm of flat brass bar (~12mm wide by ~0.5mm thick)

30.5mm of brass pipe (~4-4.5mm outer diameter)

female n-connector


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remove the screw holding the reflector onto the feedhorn (Enlarged to show texture and for largerscreens)

Remove the nose cone from the feedhorn. Some people have reported being able to remove the nose

cone after cracking the glue with a hammer and screwdriver.


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I normally use a hacksaw to cut alongthe join to remove the nose cone fromthe feedhorn. Other people havereported carefully squeezing the endof the feedhorn in a vice will crack theglue, allowing the nose cone to be

removed.

cutting the nose cone (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)


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the feedhorn with the nose cone removed (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Remove the nut and washer from the base of the feedhorn, and remove the down-convertor from thefeedhorn.


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drilling out the hole in the base (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

I found a 10mm masonary drill bit at very slow speed works quite well.

Dipole Construction:

Start by cutting off a 50mm length of copper pipe, and cut some slots in one end, making the length ofthe slots as close as possible to 30.5mm.


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cutting the slots (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Clean up the slots with a small needle file (for the car buffs, a points file works quite well too).

Clean up both ends of the pipe with a file, and use some sandpaper to clean up the external surface ofthe copper pipe. Also cleanup the inside of the copper pipe (the cut end, as you'll need to solder it, andthe other end to ensure a good connection to the coax braid.


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cleaning up the copper pipe (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

I clean up the pipe by holding it in the chuck of my drill (holding the drill on the workbench), and thenusing sandpaper and a file on the rotating pipe.

the completed copper pipe with slots

(Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Cut off 30.5mm of the small brass tube to make the balun, and clean up the ends with a file.Using a small drill bit, drill a hole near one end of the brass tube. This hole will make it easier to solderthe coax core into brass tube.


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mark the line to cut (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Now cut the brass plate along the blue line, and clean up the cut ends with a file. I find a juniorhacksaw works quite well for this.

the brass plate after being cut (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Clean up the cut edges, and remove the tarnish with some sandpaper.

the polished brass plate (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

We've used both RG-213 and CNT-400 coax for these modifications, and they require slightly differentapproaches to the coax core.Note that CNT-400 or LMR-400 is recommended, rather than RG-213, due to the lower impedance.


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Strip approx 30mm of the black outer sheath off the coax.

RG-213 coax with the outer sheath stripped off (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Fold the braid back over the remaining outer sheath.

the braid folded back (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Strip off the central insulation, and if using coax with a stranded core (ie, RG-213), double each strandof the core over, and tighten up the bends with a pair of pliers.


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the core folded over (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Fit the brass tube over the coax core, with the hole previously drilled being located closest to the coax.Solder the brass tube to the coax core, using the hole to supply solder onto the join.

the brass tube soldered onto the coax core (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Push the copper pipe over the folded-back braid on the coax, until the brass tube protrudes past the endof the copper pipe by at least a few millimetres.Note that you may need to un-braid the coax braid, to as it is a pretty tight fit.


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the copper pushed onto the coax (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Tin the two pieces of the brass plate where they need to be soldered to the brass tube and the copperpipe.


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the assembled dipole (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Measure the overall length of the brass plate, and trim the length to make it 61mm long. This is thedipole, and its length should be as close to 1/2 wavelength as possible.


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Using the original dipole as a template, measure, mark and drill the the holes in each end of the dipole.These holes are used to locate and hold the dipole in the feedhorn.

If you've got access to a coax crimper, use it to crimp the copper pipe onto the coax braid, to ensure avery firm connection, and trim the excess braid which is still protruding past the end of the copper pipe.

two holes drilled in the dipole, (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)and the copper crimped onto the coax

Reassembly:

The dipole can then be installed into the feedhorn. Use some silocone or hot-melt glue on the ends ofthe dipole, to ensure it won't become dislogded.


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seal the base with silicone (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

Terminate the other end of your coax with a female N connector.

a female N connector (Enlarged to show texture and for larger screens)

To minimise the stress on the coax where it exits the rear of the feedhorn, use a cable tie to firmlyattach it to the antenna mounting bracket, as shown in the photo below.The two U-bolts provide sufficient clearance for the coax between the mast and the bracket, and you


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can use the existing holes in the bracket.

coax cable-tied to the bracket

The cable tie ensures the coax will not move inside the feedhorn. This is particularly important whenusing a fairly stiff coax, such as CNT-400. Failure to properly secure the coax in this way can result inthe coax moving while you mount the antenna on a mast, and this can lead to broken dipoles.

You're now ready to test it!

Note that most people using Conifer antennas for wireless networking have them horizontally polarised- that is, they are rotated 90 degrees compared to the way Galaxy mounted them (ie, long axis of thegrid is vertical for wireless networking, instead of horizontal).


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biquad1

biquad2

Note that biquad1 has not been built optimally, as it is not correctly impedance matched (due to the useof the wire stakes to mount the biquad to the reflector).Biquad2 has been constructedwith the coax extending through the reflector, encased in the copper pipefor additional strength.

The collinear was constructed using 8 elements of CNT-400 coax, as per the details atwireless.gumph.org, with the dimensions appropriately adjusted to suit the velocity factor of CNT-400coax.

the collinear nearly complete

It has been mounted inside a length of 25mm electrical conduit, to provide some physical strength, andto weather-proof it.
http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://wireless.gumph.org/articles/homemadeomni.htmlhttp://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://wireless.gumph.org/articles/homemadeomni.html


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the remote laptop is in the red car (circled), approx 200m distant,with the top of a waveguide shown in the foreground

Each antenna was connected to the wireless card in the other laptop using a 2 metre length of RG213coax (terminated with a male N connector at one end, and a female N connector at the other end), and

an appropriate pigtail, with the wireless cards at both ends configured to operate in ad-hoc mode.

testing the waveguide testing the collinear


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testing the cantenna

Testing Methodology:

The "Link Test" mode in the Enterasys Client Utility was used to monitor the link strength, with eachtest configuration being monitored for a couple of minutes.

the Enterasys Client Utility displaying link statistics

Once the reported link details had stabilised, the SNR, signal strength and noise level were recorded forboth the local and remote ends of the link were recorded.

All antennas were tested in both horizontal and vertically polarised orientations.For horizontal polarisation, the waveguides are vertical, the biquad is vertical, the collinear is


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horizontal, the cantenna feed element is horizontal, and the Conifer dish is vertical.For vertical polarisation, all antennas were rotated 90 degrees.

The waveguides were briefly tested on channels 1, 6 and 11, and as they performed best on channel 6,this channel was used for all subsequent testing of the waveguides and all other antennas.

As we wanted to plot azimuth graphs for the two waveguides, we measured the signal, noise and SNRdetails after rotating the waveguides at 10 degree intervals.

testing the waveguides at different angles

Signal readings at different rotation angles of the waveguides were only made with the waveguidehorizontally polarised, as it is designed to operate in this orientation.

Test Results & Calculations:

The tables below show the recorded signal, noise and SNR values for both the local (ie, the laptopconnected to the antenna) and remote (ie, the laptop in the car) ends of the connection.


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To calculate the gain of each antenna, the remote signal readings were normalised, using the recordedresults for the 24dBi Conifer dish.The remote signal readings provide an indication of the transmit performance of each antenna.Note that the gain of the Conifer dish has been conservatively estimated at 22dBi.

The normalised results for each antenna are:

Azimuth plots of the transmit performance have been generated for each of the waveguides, showingthe performance over 360 degrees.Note that testing was only performed over 180 degrees, but some quick tests indicated the results forthe other 180 degrees were within 1 or 2 dB.


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Refer to Marcus'page for more details on the waveguide test results, and additional azimuth plots.

These azimuth plots almost exactly match the theoretical azimuth plots which Trevor Marshall showson his webpage.

Comments & Conclusions:

By testing all the antennas in the same location, on the same day, using the same hardware at both ends,

we've attempted to minimise any factors which may affect the results.

When calculating the normalised gain of the antennas, we assumed the gain of the 24dBi Conifer was22dBi.

Our results generally agree with the antenna gains other people have reported.

Claimed gains for the biquads are typically 10-12dBi, while we measured 8-12dBi.Interestingly enough, biquad1 measured 10-12dBi, while biquad2 measured 2dBi less when verticallypolarised, despite having a stub (the mount between the reflector and the quad itself) which isimpedance matched.

I'd suggest these differences are due to the lips on biquad1, which would reduce the beamwidth of theantenna somewhat.

Various people have reported gains for the 8-element collinear anywhere between 6-10dBi (6dBi forRG-213 construction, while my collinear uses CNT-400), while we measured 8-10dBi.

Similarly, people have reported cantenna with gains varying from 10-14dBi, while my cantennameasured between 12 and 13dBi in these tests.
http://planetaxis-web.sytes.net/wireless/downpipe.cgihttp://trevormarshall.com/waveguides.htmhttp://planetaxis-web.sytes.net/wireless/downpipe.cgihttp://trevormarshall.com/waveguides.htm


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bag containing the kit

Contents of the bag are:

pre-drilled copper PCB (123x123mm)

female panel-mount N-connector with solder lug

approx 350mm 2.5^mm copper wire

short length of silver solder

Apparently these kits normally come with a 1.5m pigtail, but I did not receive a pigtail with my kit.Similarly, I did not receive any instructions, but apparently a printout of my Biquad AntennaConstruction page is normally included with the kit (and is used with my permission).

contents of the kit
http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/


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to the feed on the N-connector.

soldering the biquad element

The Biquad Antenna Construction page mentions the need for a shielded feed to the biquad element (ie,the section between the biquad element and the PCB reflector).

However, the WarDrivingWorld kit only provides components for building a biquad with an unshieldedfeed. An unshielded feed will radiate, and this will have a detrimental impact on the antenna'sperformance.(Refer to the test results below for more details on performance.)

side view of element mounting detailshowing the solder lug attachment on the right
http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/reviews/biquad.cgi#testinghttp://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/reviews/biquad.cgi#testing


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element mounting detail

The resulting biquad antenna is somewhat fragile, as the biquad element can easily be bent or knockedout of shape.

completed biquad antenna

This can be rectified by using a plastic spacer between the edges of the biquad element and the PCBreflector, to securely hold the biquad element in place, and to make the antenna much more robust.

I use plastic spacers, made out of a small section of reticulation riser, with a small cable tie through it.

detail of plastic spacer
http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/double.cgi#spacershttp://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/double.cgi#spacershttp://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/double.cgi#spacers


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Note that the spacers can be made from almost any non-metallic (microwave-transparent) material. Ifdesired, hot-melt glue can be used to attach the spacers, but be aware that the hot-melt glue will getvery soft if you mount your biquad in direct sunlight.

TestingTo test the effectiveness of the WarDrivingWorld biquad, I compared its performance with one of my

martybugs biquad antennas, and with a martybugs double biquad antenna.

Note that the martybugs biquad has a shielded feed, and has a slightly smaller PCB reflector(110x110mm, while the WarDrivingWorld biquad has a 123x123mm biquad). The smaller reflector isdue to the fact that the martybugs biquad was originally built to be used as a feed on a dish.

All antennas were tested by connecting them to an 30mW 802.11b Enterasys RoamAbout wirelessPCMCIA card in a laptop, withNetStumbler 0.4.0 being used to monitor signal, noise and SNR.

Firstly, all antennas were used to establish a connection to the 180 degree slotted waveguide mountedon my roof(aWAFreeNet AP called "SGNet"; which has a Minitar MNWAPB access point), from adistance of approx 50m.

Test results for a client connection to SGNet:

antennaSNR

(dB)signal

(dBm)noise

(dBm)SNR diff

(dBm)

martybugs biquad 47 -54 -101

WarDrivingWorld biquad 46 -55 -101 -1

martybugs double biquad 51 -51 -102 +4

A similar test was performed by establishing a client connection to the 360 degree slotted waveguide on

ArmadaleAP, anotherWAFreeNet access point, approx 300m away (which has an Orinoco RG1000access point).

Test results for a client connection to ArmadaleAP:

antennaSNR

(dB)signal

(dBm)noise

(dBm)SNR diff

(dBm)

martybugs biquad 26 -73 -99

WarDrivingWorld biquad 25 -76 -101 -1

martybugs double biquad 28 -74 -102 +2

The test results indicate that the gain of the WarDrivingWorld biquad is about 1dBi less than that of themartybugs biquad. This is due to the unshielded feed on the WarDrivingWorld biquad, while themartybugs biquad has a shielded feed.Note that the dB scale is logarithmic (where 3dBi is a doubling of signal strength), and 1dBi isapproximately equivalent to 25% of the signal.

Note that the martybugs biquad had a slightly smaller reflector (110x110mm instead of 123x123mm),so the difference in performance between the two biquads may be slightly more than 1dBi if a123x123mm reflector were to be used on the martybugs biquad.
http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/double.cgihttp://netstumbler.com/downloads/http://martybugs.net/wireless/mast.cgihttp://martybugs.net/wireless/mast.cgihttp://wafreenet.org/http://wafreenet.org/http://martybugs.net/wireless/armadale/http://wafreenet.org/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/http://martybugs.net/wireless/biquad/double.cgihttp://netstumbler.com/downloads/http://martybugs.net/wireless/mast.cgihttp://martybugs.net/wireless/mast.cgihttp://wafreenet.org/http://martybugs.net/wireless/armadale/http://wafreenet.org/


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Warning this router may not allow GPL Modifications to it's firmware so hacking the firmware may beonly way to set up the Covac system and is not illegal but will void the warranty unless provided by aactive service then hacking the router may be illegal in your area.

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not illegal but will void the warranty unless provided by a active service then hacking the router may beillegal in your area.

Zyxel NBG-415N Draft 802.11n Wireless Router, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless Technology, 2 x 4dBiDipole Antenna Non-detachable and 1 x 4dBi Dipole Antenna Detachable Antenna, 300Mbps

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WPA and WPA2Wireless Security

Specifications

Wireless Specifications Wireless Technology IEEE 802.11b/g Antenna 2 x 4dBi Dipole Antenna

Non-detachable1 x 4dBi Dipole Antenna Detachable Frequency Band/Bandwidth 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11b/g ISM

Band Transmission Speed 300Mbps Transmission Speed Details 300Mbps

54Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE 802.11g6Mbps IEEE 802.11g

11Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE 802.11b

1Mbps IEEE 802.11b Wireless Security WPAWPA2 Interfaces/Ports Interfaces/Ports 1 x RJ-45 10/100Base-TX Auto MDI/MDI-X WAN

4 x RJ-45 10/100Base-TX Auto MDI/MDI-X LAN Media & Performance Connectivity MediaTwisted Pair Data Transfer Rate 10Mbps Ethernet Full-duplex

100Mbps Fast Ethernet Full-duplex Management & Protocols Management StreamEnginefor QoS

DHCP Server/ClientEmbedded Web GUI Security SPI Firewall

DMZVPN pass-through Power Description Input Voltage 5 V DC Device Physical Characteristics

Dimensions 1.3" Height x 5.91" Width x 7.48" Depth Weight 14.53 oz

Source: http://salestores.com/zyxelnbg.html
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Antenna 3 x Detachable

FrequencyBand/Bandwidth 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11b/g ISM Band

TransmissionSpeed 54Mbps

Details 54Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE 802.11g6Mbps IEEE 802.11g

11Mbps Auto-fallback IEEE 802.11b1Mbps IEEE 802.11b

WirelessSecurity Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2)WEP encryption length: 64/128-bit

Interfaces/PortsInterfaces/Ports 4 x RJ-45 LAN

Media & Performance

ConnectivityMedia Category 5 Twisted PairData Transfer Rate 10Mbps Ethernet

100Mbps Fast Ethernet1Gbps Gigabit Ethernet

Management & Protocols

Security Network Address Translation (NAT)Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)

VPN pass-through/multi-session PPTP/L2TP/IP SecPhysicalCharacteristics

FormFactor Wall-mountableWeight 0.7 lbDimensions 1.2" Height x 4.6" Width x 7.6" Depth

Source: http://salestores.com/dlink862.html

This is all I will bring out in this version of Covac backup communication systems and more will comeand/or bad pages will be taken out in next version but this information is to educate users reading thisdocument on specific Wireless N routers, I recommend getting a router that allows modifying of thesource code even if it doesn't have a detachable antenna because antennas can always be modified and

any attempt of converting your router to be apart of Covac systems will void your warranty regardlessof whether you modify the firmware or antenna but firmwares are hard to hack and could void thefunctionality of your router but it all is a chance you will have to take by creating a peer to peermininet.

I again warn you that Covac will be super slow if it was to be used nationally but with enough hackingand modification by hackers around the fields Covac can eventually become a mainstream alternativeto the Internet.

Anyways The parts and routers needed for Covac are simply, just follow these guidelines and anythingimproved will improve the network but needs to be compatiable with other Covac systems or else it

may lead to peer and peer network problems.
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Complete Guidelines for parts and routers

Quantity product/Part Description/Specific Instructions

1, 4 for multi-directinal peersharing systems, more then 8 forgeneral backups

Wireless N/G The router that uses the Covacsystem will be used to both shareand receive communications/data

1, 4 for multi-directional sharingand receiving of Wireless data, 8for spares and backups

Biquad Antenna all put together This will be what you hookup tothe router and then set itsomewhere high enough toaccept communications fromnext satellite.

1 Programming software goodenough for recompiling firmwaresource code

Visual programming or otherprogramming software capableof modifing the source codes ofrouter firmware

1, or more because the morecomputers means more power,speed and data distribution.

1 computer (optional unless youwant type of data, dns, or anyother servicing for your Covacrouting system)

The computer will be used tohost servers, such as personalDNS/Domain Services,web/secure Servers, InstantMessenger services, etc etc.

1 Clean electric generator (Optional)

This will be what will keep yourelectric bills from skyrockingfrom use of the Covac system

1 or more depending on licenses SSH Server or Modified Torsoftware

You should use encryptionbecause anybody can tap intoyour communications. Torshould be modified to work as aserver and connect other nodessince the usual Tor softwareconnects to a remote list, andwon't work on Covac unless auser is connected to the net aswell as the Covac.

1 per connection to anotherCovac router for syncing data

transfers and systems, also 1 percomputer/Server connection

Cat5/6 Ethernet Cables The cables will be used toconnect Computer servicing,

and/or non servicing systems andalso be used to connect extraCovac routers to sync databetween them and sync thesoftware and may be consideredas data intersects

1 or more as licensed Protocol blocking software Should only be used at the firststage because Any Bittorrent orP2P system used may crash the


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The software needed (All open source) to help construct the system G. and II. The software and systems in plan for the routing andnetwork operations

Now the very important part of Covac is the software, and now the software hasn't been developed yetbut once the best Covac software can be developed then that developher may contact me and I shall addhis/her system to the guidelines in this document.

So now this is the guidelines of the Covac software system:

SD Modification memory Must be less then 1GB and must allow expansionso maximum operating system memory should beat least 700MB and allow firmware expansions.

IP Address System Should be based off of special coordinates but still

should at least be based off of the old IP/4 systemsto ensure compatibility with older and neweroperating systems

255.255.255.255

# of router. ext of # of router. Ext of $ of router.Special area code or made up unique area code ofrouter not above IP Address standard number

Load Balancing All wireless systems must be balanced to allowcommunications from all side, recom,mendations

are extra backup active satellites for extrabandwidth improvements and software mustbalance all systems in the same area to loadeverything equally and allows communicationsfrom all sides without error

Router Syncing and Secure Connection -Modification for allows router to connect withother routers

The firmware system needs to allow connectionswith other Covac routers to allow larger arraycommunications in wider areas but the morelarger the array the slower the bandwidth andspeed for everybody unless the system is upgradedwith more seperate router systems. This is a very

advenaced protocol system not yet invented.Secure Connection means that if you connect to aprotected router under Secure Connection youmust request permission for a encrypted passcodeor if you already have the passcode then enter it tofully sync and connect with the neighboringrouter.

Firmware enabled encryption This will allow communications between router


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Optic or Cable, or if it is connected to asingle/multiple cable modem/s connection thenthis is a optional system to allow communicationsthrough cable to allow peer and peer controlledcable and fiber optic systems in case the wirelessgets really swamped with data transfers and high

volumes of traffic.Ethernet Syncing support It also allows not just syncing of both Wireless

and Fiber/Coaxial Cable syncing but allowsneighboring routers to connect using high speedEthernet from gigabit to megabit Ethernetsystems.

External HD, and Custom driver Support Allows users to connect and/or share resourceswith Hard Drives shared from computers and harddrives connected to the network, and also allowsother devices to be connected to the system thatare custom made byvenders/technicians/users/Admins drivers to beused, it is optional that the custom made driverscan be imported/exported and can be shared withother router admins upon request.

These are all the guidelines for the software system to be used, it is recommended that all intersects useCoaxial or Special Fiber optic cables between neighboring routers because it would increase the speedsof both users, Router Admins and allow extra systems in case one of them goes down during naturaldisasters, power outages in certain areas, thunder storms, and other reasons.

I have even designed a few example images of how the system will load and work:


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Anyways the software that is needed to help construct the system is open source software because itcan be modified to work for anything on any system so heres the list of software recommended to helpbuild your Covac system:

1. Linux/Minix (Minix is good for OLPC style laptops, and should work good on lower systemssuch as mobile devices and routers with modified memory cells to allow larger systems otherthen just firmware)

2. BIND/OpenDNS To allow a user to host their own local server/service DNS system withouthosting it on a computer and allows local routers tying into the DNS Domain Name System

3. Apache Web Server and SSL Extension (To allow the Admins and permitted users to access apage that allows configurations to be worked with on the system)

4. Jabber (for communications and relaying messages to other routers)5. Eraser (Since it's open source it can be modified to erase free space and temp space not used on

the router to protect security, and privacy6. SmoothWall, pfSense (Both open source firewalls and shouldn't have to be fancy just enough to

guard the router/routers against attacks and unauthorized intrusion.


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So looks like I talked about everything until now explains how the system shall work and what parts itshall use. It should not be used as a replacement for the Internet and just as a backup, covert, and othergood uses if anything happens to the Internet. It allos private communications but phone use might betoo much for heavily used Covac Routers until the routers are ungraded into better wireless, bettersystems, and better models.

There is one more thing I like to talk about one way to modify a router to accept a SD Card memorychipping system that will hold the operating system data.

Details for one type of router (could be used to help with all type of routers but be aware of theconsequences if you screw up

Source: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod

SD/MMC Modification for the Buffalo WHR-G54S and WHR-HP-G54 Wireless Router

Update: 2007-11The prior edition of this tutorial was attempted, by at least two users, specifically on WHR-HP-G54's.Of a variety of SD and MMC cards, none worked. Since then, the missing tags in the tutorial have beenadded and it works! Have Fun! Mega-shouts to Iron for an extensive tutorial.

Introduction

This tutorial guides you through adding a SD orMMC interface to the Buffalo WHR-G54S andBuffalo WHR-HP-G54 router and gives some general information and tips to help you to do the samewith other DD-WRT routers. The DD-WRT V2.4 firmware supports this modification, so there is no

need to install modules or packages. All configurations can be done from the web interface.

The modification will allow you to add non-volatile memory to your router. I recommend using a SDcard up to 1GB. Some forum users reported that they got 2GB working, but both my 2GB cards failedto work. This might be solved in future with an updated MMC driver, but probably my SD cards are toblaim. The problem is that there are quite a number of incompatible 2GB cards around.

This modification might also work with MMC cards, but the used communication protocol(SPI) isoptional for MMC cards. It is only required for SD and mini-SD cards. So start with a SD card of1GB or less to confirm that everything is working. 1GB does perhaps not sound like a lot, but forthis application it is huge!

So what can you do with this added storage capacity:

Store your own custom programs, scripts and packages (standard oroptware)

Store communication and packet logs

Store your e-mail database for your e-mail server

Store your files for your web server

Store your files for your ftp server
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_modhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_modhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_cardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MultiMediaCardhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Optwarehttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Optwarehttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_modhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_modhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_cardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MultiMediaCardhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Optware


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Store all /jffs content on the card, instead of a network share

Provide (very slow) swap space

There is another way to add storage capacity to your router, and that is by mounting a shared directoryon your computer. DD-WRT supports Samba shares, which is the default Windows sharing mechanism.

Samba shares can also be made with Linux. Mounting a shared directory will make the available harddisk space accessible to your router.

Compared to the SD/MMC modification using Samba this has some disadvantages:

Samba only works over a wired connection (so a wire between the PC and router is required)

Your PC needs to be powered up for the storage capacity to be available

You can read more about how to mount a directory with Samba here: The Samba Filesystem

Note: The Samba tutorial is outdated. I will add a section to it to show you how to mount a Samba

share with the V2.4 firmwares.The modification is not difficult to implement, but some decent soldering skills are required andknowing how to operate a multi-meter would be very handy.

[edit] The SD card

Let's have a look at the requirements to access an SD card via the simplest available protocol: SPI(Serial Peripheral Interface).

SD Pin SD function(SPI Mode) Direction The SD Card pin assignment

1 Chip Select (CS) * IN2 Data In (DI) IN

3 Ground -

4 Vcc (3.3v) -

5 Clock (CLK) IN

6 Ground -

7 Data Out (DO) OUT

8 Reserved -

9 Reserved -

(*) A low level on "Chip Select" selects the chip

From this we can see what is needed:
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Ground

Power, 3.3 volt

3 outputs (that are going to control the 3 inputs of the SD card)

1 input (that is going to read the data from the SD card output)

In fact we do not actually need to actively select the SD card via the Chip Select line. We can justalways select it by grounding the signal. So in that case we only need 2 outputs. Now let's get to it andopen our router to find what we need.

[edit] How to open your router

Check this Wiki How to open the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 to see how to open a WHR-G54S or WHR-HP-G54 router without breaking it. Inside you will find a Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

Finding suitable IO points

Once you have opened the router you will have access to the PCB. We need to find several points on

the board that we are going to use to build our SD/MMC interface. To find these points we will needour general purpose friend, the multi-meter.

[edit] Finding Ground

It is very easy to find a grounded point, because ground is present all over the PCB. In most cases theinput power ground will also be the ground for the whole PCB. So start looking at the input powerconnector. This connector has quite big soldering pads, which makes it easy to add an extra wire. Oncethis point is found, verify it by checking big metal object on the PCB. Usually the metal housingaround the transmitter (see pictures below to find it) will be grounded too. To verify that the points areconnected use the conductivity check of the multi-meter. Make sure the router is powered down. The

connection between the points should give you a very low resistance, about the same resistance as whatyou would get when just shorting the multi-meter probes. With the Buffalo WHR-G54S I found that themetal mounting pins for the AOSS switch are also grounded(indicated with SD3/6 in the picturebelow). This gave me an easy ground access point, and is also a nice point for the routing of the wires.

[edit] Finding power, 3.3 volt

Once a grounded point is found we can start looking for the 3.3 volt power supply that we need. Checkyour power supply specification that is written on it. Check if it provides AC or DC at the output. Often

AC is indicated with a wavy line: ~. DC is indicated like this: . Verify the information on thepower supply with a multi-meter.

If the power supply output is 3.3 volt DC (WHR-G54S), then check the power socket connection at thePCB for 3.3 volt. To verify this you need to power up the router. Be very careful with this, as it is veryeasy to short circuit the board with some parts lying around. Switch the multi-meter to DC voltmeasurement, range 0-20 volt. The actual value that you find might be slightly higher or lower than 3.3volt(3.1-3.5 volt). If you power supply states an output voltage higher than 3.3 volt (WHR-HP-G54,+5v, others usually 5 or 12 volts) then the PCB contains a power regulator to lower the input voltage to3.3 volt DC. You will need to find this power converter, and it's 3.3 volt DC output. The powerconverter is a big component, usually close to the input power socket. Power up the router and connectone multimeter probe to a grounded point. Then carefully use the other probe to check the voltage at
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big pads of the big components close to the power socket until you find the 3.3 volt DC power supply.Below you can see what is printed on a WHR-G54S power supply. It states that it delivers 3.3 voltsDC, and maximal 2 amps. How convenient!

Image of a WHR-G54S Power Supply (a WHR-HP-G54 is different, supplying +5v).

[edit] Finding general IO output points

To control the SD card we need some outputs, which are connected to the inputs of the SD card.Routers usually contain LED's to signal their status. This gives us a easy opportunity to find someoutput points. The only disadvantage of this is that we will lose the signalling functionality of theLED's because they are now used for the SD card communication. What we first should establish iswhich LED's we can control by software. To do this login to the router and use the "gpio" command. Sounder Windows type in your dos box:

telnet

The default IP address is 192.168.1.1. Telnet needs to be enabled for this, which it is by default. Youcan enable or disabled it in the services tab of the web interface.

The login name is: "root", even if you changed the router name. The default password is "admin".

The syntax of the gpio command is like this:

gpio enable # to enable a IO pin, which switches the LED off

gpio disable # to disable a IO pin, which switches the LED on

gpio poll # to read the status of a switch

For the use numbers between 0 and 14. So watch the LED's closely while giving thegpio commands. You can also use this little command line to make your life easier:

while true; do gpio disable 1; sleep 3; gpio enable 1; sleep 3; done
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It will switch on the LED for 3 seconds, then switch if off for 3 seconds, and so on. You will need topress + "c" to exit from this command.

Replace the "1" in two places to change it for other IO pin numbers. In the screen capture below youcan see how it should look.

There is one important thing to consider! The IO pins can be used for input and for output purposes,and as you might know, there is usually a reset switch on a router. So what would happen if you writethe status of the pin that is used to see if the reset button was pressed!? Right, you create a reset. Youlose your settings as if you pressed the reset button. You will lose the telnet connection and see the

LED's flashing. When the router restarts it can happen that the reset button is still "pressed", which willcause the router to reset the NVRAM to factory default values. It should be clear that you cannot usethis IO pin for the SD card interface.

Now go through all the IO numbers and record accurately which LED's are software controllable bywhich IO pin number. In many cases you will not see a LED changing. This means that the IO is not inuse, or perhaps is used for input purposes. A WHR-G54S yielded this:

GPIO 1 - Bridge LED (Green, 3rd LED from top on front panel

GPIO 2 - WLAN LED (Green)

GPIO 3 - Extra or Missing LED, between bridge and WLAN (Green if present, not

visible when case is on)

GPIO 6 - AOSS LED (Orange, on top)

GPIO 7 - Diag LED (Red)

And I found that the reset button is using GPIO 4:

GPIO 4 - Reset Button

The power LED is not software controllable in my routers. We need 2 or 3 outputs and we 5 found, solet's make some choices. Let's use the extra LED and the AOSS LED, the Bridge LED is optional.

So now we have found some LED's that we can control by software. Each LED has 2 connections, a
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positive site (anode) and a negative site (cathode). So an important question arises. Which side of theLED do we need to connect to?

To answer this we need to use the multi-meter again. Send the command described above to make theLED that needs to be analyzed flash on-off-on. Ground one probe and measure the voltage on each sideof the LED. We need to use the side of the LED that that changes between about 0.2 volt when it is on,and 3.3 volt when it is off. The wrong side will be at about 2 volts when the LED is on, and 3.3 volt

when it is off.

In the Buffalo router one side of the LED is marked with a "+", we will need to use the other side ofthe LED.

[edit] Finding a general IO input point

We need to find 1 input. The switches on the router are the candidates for this. The Buffalo WHR-G54Sor WHR-HP-G54 routers have 3 switches:

A reset switch, which is not suitable to use as it has some side effects ;)

The AOSS switch

The Auto/Bridged switch

We can use the "gpio" command again, this time to read the IO status:

gpio poll # to read the status of a switch

This command will wait until a change in the switch position is detected and signal this by printing"00" or "01". So execute the command and press all (except reset) switches and check if you see someoutput on the screen.

We will need to press + "c" to exit from this command. Try this with all IO numbers that were

not connected to a LED.In my case this yielded:

GPIO 0 - AOSS button on top (State 00 is down, state 01 is up)

GPIO 5 - Auto/Bridge Switch (State 00 is "bridge", state 01 is "Auto")

I already knew that the reset switch was behind GPIO 4. I choose to use the Auto/Bridge switchbecause this switch is not very useful. With the DD-WRT firmware it not used anyway; the router modeis defined by the software settings, not by the switch.

The switch has several leads going into the PCB. So we need to find out which lead/soldering pad weneed to access so the system can read the IO status from the pin. To find this pad we need a multi-meter

again. We need to find the soldering pad that is at about 3.3 volt when the switch is in 1 position, andclose to 0 volt when it is the other position. See the pictures below to see which solder pad I found.

It is very important to leave the switch in the position where the multi-meter reads 3.3 volt,

otherwise the switch is forcing the IO line to a certain level, which makes it unusable. Leave the

switch in the "Auto" position.

[edit] The wiring layout

In total this yielded the following wiring layout:
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SD CARD Router The SD card pin assignment

PinFunction(SPI Mode)

Direction IO Function Direction

1

Chip

Select(CS) *

IN

Ground

(orGPIO 1)

(BridgeLED) OUT

2Data In(DI)

IN GPIO 6AOSSLED

OUT

3 Ground - Ground Ground -

4 Vcc (3.3v) -Vcc(3.3v)

Vcc(3.3v)

-

5Clock

(CLK)

IN GPIO 3Extra

LED

OUT

6 Ground - Ground Ground -

7Data Out(DO)

OUT GPIO 5Bridge/Autoswitch

IN

8 Reserved - - - -

9 Reserved - - - -

(*) A low level on "Chip Select" selects the chip

The use of GPIO 1 for the "Chip Select" signal is optional. If you don't use it then just ground

SD pin 1. You might swap around the LED's any way you like, but make sure to reflect this also in theDD-WRT Gui(see below). I've seen that some people build this modification and connect routeroutputs to the SD card output. This is confirmed to work too, but is not recommended! It mightdestroy your router and/or your SD card. The reason why it works is because the IO's are generalpurpose IO's, which means that they can be reconfigured in software to work as an input or output. Butwhat happens during boot up, when the LED's are flashing!? Just don't do this!

[edit] Implementing the modification

[edit] Requirements & Parts

Now it's time to implement the modification. For this we need:

A multi-meter

some pieces of thin wire (stranded ethernet wire, or wire diameter about 0.18mm)

some soldering tin (fine electrical solder)

and a soldering iron with a small tip. Recommended soldering irons of 15-20 watts, or betterirons with a controllable temperature. If only "lead free" solder is available, use 400 degree
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setting, which is quite high, but needed because the solder used has a higher melting point.

a small piece of natural sponge, wet, to clean the tip of the soldering iron, and any othernormal soldering accessories. See these links if you are new to soldering electronics [1][2].

Some glue to fixate the wires and parts (I recommend rubber glue)

An SD card (1GB or less is recommended at first)

An SD card socket or adapter (see below for some suggestions)

The modification is not difficult to implement, but some decent soldering skills are required andknowing how to operate a multi-meter would be very handy.

[edit] Getting an SD Card socket

It is possible to directly solder the wires to the SD card, but I recommend against this as it reducesflexibility a lot. I recommend getting a SD card adapter. Of course one can buy a socket only, howeverthere are (cheaper) alternatives:

1) Use a mini-SD to SD card adapter. In many cases this adapter comes for free with a mini-SD card,

but one sometimes can buy them separately too. The wires can be soldered to the adapter. This is not avery sturdy solution.

2) Disassemble a 'USB-to-SD Card' adapter. These are usually less expensive than buying only thesocket. This is what I did. I bought a tiny adapter for15 rmb (about 1.5 euro or 2 US$) anddisassembled it. The adapter is so tiny that I did not need to remove the adapter from the circuit boardat all. I just removed all components that were not needed(smd resistors, LED, USB connector, x-tal).The USB-SD card adapter I used is shown below.
http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htmhttp://www.google.com/search?q=soldering+tipshttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=12http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=15&from=CNY&to=EUR&submit=Convert%7Chttp://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htmhttp://www.google.com/search?q=soldering+tipshttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=12http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=15&from=CNY&to=EUR&submit=Convert%7C


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3) Use a 5.25 inch floppy disk cable connector. The pitch of this cable is the same as what is used withSD cards. This is quite a bulky solution, but it works ok. I'm not sure if you will be able to close yourrouter when choosing this solution.

[edit] Wiring Points

Note: The WHR-G54S wiring points are different than the WHR-HP-G54. The WHR-G54Suses a +3.3v power supply, and it's LED's do not require resistors to drop the voltage. TheWHR-HP-G54 uses a +5.0v power supply. The wiring points for the WHR-HP-G54 are beforethe resistor, on the side away from the LED. Refer to the WHR-HP-G54 image below, it is veryaccurate.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=13http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-5.25_Inch_floppy_connector.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-SD_Adapter.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=13


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WHR-HP-G54 wiring points:Note - All the WHR-HP-G54 wiring points are on the component side.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-PCB_Backside2.png


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[edit] Setting up DD-WRT to support the modification

We will need to configure the MMC interface in the DD-WRT GUI (firmware V2.4). Set it up asindicated in the screenshot of the Administration screen below. If you soldered SD Pin 1(Chip Select)to ground then you can use any(0-9) unused GPIO output number in the CS field. The screenshot alsoindicates that modification is working, the available disk space is shown. In case something is wrong Iusually found that 3,008.00 KB is reported. This also happens if no SD card is inserted.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=14http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_HP_G54_SD_MOD-Component_Side.pnghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=14


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Be careful now, all data on the SD card will be erased without warning once you boot the router.

If everything works correctly then DD-WRT will format the SD card with the EXT2 file system if thisfile system in not present on the card. This will take some time, so be patient. If everything works, thenthe DD-WRT gui will report the available disk space. An extra reboot might be required for this.

User Mcta Comments: If, for some reason the DD-WRT format process doesn't work, you cantry formatting the card externally. To do this you'll need a Linux package. For Windows onlyusers you can download a CD bootable version of Knoppix linux. When you format the cardmake sure the block size is 1024 bytes or smaller. For a 1 GB SD flash card Knoppix chooses adefault block size of 4096 bytes. To format the card with a 1024 byte block size use thefollowing command:

sudo mke2fs -b 1024 /dev/sda1 (change the /dev/sda1 as appropriate)

[edit] Editing files and folders on the card

The SD card is automatically mounted at: "/mmc".

If CIFS/SAMBA doesn't work, or you just want to store all the JFFS/IPKG content on theRouter, JFFS space can be moved onto the card. To do this, turn on JFFS in the WebAdministration page, mkdir /mmc/jffs and put the command in your startup: mount --bind /mmc/

jffs /jffs. Now anything written into /jffs is actually being stored on the SD card, in /mmc/jffs.JFFS now also shows the same free space as the SD card in the Web interface.

It is possible to automatically run a script from the SD card. To do this create a executable scriptin: "/mmc/etc/config". SeeStartup_Scripts#Save_the_Script andScript_Execution

Windows does not support the EXT2 file system, but this can be solved with a driver that can befound here: http://www.fs-driver.org

To access the router file system and SD card from any computer which can SSH into the router,you can use SCP. For Windows XP (or 2K) users, WinSCP.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=15http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Startup_Scripts#Save_the_Scripthttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Startup_Scripts#Save_the_Scripthttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Script_Executionhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Script_Executionhttp://www.fs-driver.org/http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WinSCPhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-Management_Screen3.pnghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=15http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Startup_Scripts#Save_the_Scripthttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Script_Executionhttp://www.fs-driver.org/http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WinSCP


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[edit] Some pictures of the modification on a WHR-G54S
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=16http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-Inside_view1.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-Secure_Shell.pnghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=16


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http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-Outside_view.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR_G54S_SD_MOD-Inside_view2.jpg


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[edit] Pictures of the modification on a WHR-HP-G54
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=17http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR-HP-G54%2C_SDMMC_-_GPIO5_Auto-Bridge_R151_Closeup.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR-HP-G54%2C_SDMMC_-_GPIO1%2C_GPIO3%2C_GPIO6.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=17


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http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR-HP-G54%2C_SDMMC_-_%2B3.3v_Closeup.jpg


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[edit] Credits

Your feedback, questions and remarks are welcome, just dropIron a message in the forum.

Missing tags/info/additional photos/very minor structural changes by sdoboze

Kudos to JohnS

Another source is: http://www.blog.lausdahl.com/post/Linksys-WRT150N-v1-SD-Mod-Guide.aspx

So if you can modify the source code of the firmware then you can add capabilities for SD Cardmemory for the SD Card to be the chip to hold the operating system and then main chip for thefirmware that extends the capabilities for the operating system that manages the Covac Internet System.

III. Ways to build communities and selected peers for the

system

Now it isn't too hard to persuade your neighbor and others to participate in this so called peer to peersystem, it can be as easy as knocking on your neighbors door and when the door is open say hello andthat you brought cookies and when you come in just start up the conversation if he/she likes to run apiece of the Covac Internet System and even offer to pay for it if you really want your neighbors toparticipate. If your neighbor agrees give him something in return such as him/her being able to run aserver and have their website available to all peers connected to the Covac system connected to theserver the neighbors are running.
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR-HP-G54%2C_SDMMC_-_socket_closeup.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=18http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=20181http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=20181https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2384https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2384http://forum.openwrt.org/profile.php?id=7533http://www.blog.lausdahl.com/post/Linksys-WRT150N-v1-SD-Mod-Guide.aspxhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Image:WHR-HP-G54%2C_SDMMC_-_socket_closeup.jpghttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=Buffalo_WHR-G54S_and_WHR-HP-G54_SD/MMC_mod&action=edit&section=18http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=20181https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/profile_sec.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2384http://forum.openwrt.org/profile.php?id=7533http://www.blog.lausdahl.com/post/Linksys-WRT150N-v1-SD-Mod-Guide.aspx


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You don't lie to them, Don't make false promises, just tell them the truth and what Covac is for(Although you can take out the political talk since talking about politics can sometimes lead to troubleor a slammed door on your face) and so just tell them that it's a backup Internet and that the satellitecan go uo to up to a lot of miles of distance using a Biquad antenna and that it's not hard to make andeven help with it.

The community is like a system, it needs to work together or else it's not a community but adysfunctional system that isn't worth building infrastructure. So this is really all you need to know anduse your imagination to help build your community, why should you read a document to know that?

IV. Protocols listing

Here are the protocols for the Covac system:

Covac Encryption Protocol CEP is a special protocol that routes all data in encryption once the data

becomes encrypted it should only use one port such as 3455 and still allow people to access services onother ports because when it first gets encrypted it sends information like this for example:

PORT:00000-TRANSMISSION-TO-IP-???.???.???.???---FROM-IP-???.???.???.???:::{DATA}

So after it goes through all decrypted data should go through the regular port that was originally usedbefore the data was encrypted through the routers.

Covac Location Awareness Protocol CLAP is another special Covac Protocol that allows those thatdecide to want to share which address they live can use this protocol, the software for it has not beenspecified yet because it is suppose to be covert and not reveal peoples addresses but this is only for

those who develop a addon for this but will reveal peoples locations and can lead to tracks peopleactivities and should not be used at all except for a few occasions.

This protocol works in this way:

TRANSMITTING INFO FROM IP ???.???.???.??? TO IP ???.???.???.??? ABOUT IP???.???.???.???ADDING ADDRESS FOUND IN RECORD 449 SOUTH AVENUE STREET ZIP CODE 12345STATE NJ PHONE NUMBER 123-123-4321 NAME JACKOP PHILIPS [END TRASMISSION]

So it works like a IP lookup except it is not in a database you have to request it manually from therouter but not a user using that router because a regular user is not a manager of that router and only the

router admins can input the CLAP information

Covac Operating System Protocol COSP is a protocol that allows you to send what type, version andcompany of the operating system you have to another user or router and can be used to configure theconnection to work at it's best with the Covac system. You can choose a custom name as well to foolhackers but may lead to connection and other problems.

Covac Time Protocol CTP is the time of the current system (Router/user) and is the same as NTP butexcept it produces the Time zone, area code, the day/month/year and hour/minute/second/millisecond


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and so it is a very advanced time protocol and can convert CTP to NTP and with the proper software itcan even edit your computers clock to match the time of your intersect or providers CTP time andshould include the new changes for daylight savings time so computer patches may not be necessary

These are just a few of the protocols Covac can have, work with, and can use and so these are all thingsit can use to make Covac one of the best backups and Alternatives to the Internet.


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This is how the system built is going to work


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All Power of the router is concentrated into a beam making wider communications without boostingthe power of the broadcasting wifi or receiving dish clients. That means that this dish system does notviolate any FCC codes and will effectively give us an network not under federal or presidential control.This system will be attacked by government authorities and secret societies one after another but those

who can fight will have to fight for this system to be allowed. I don't condone acts of terrorist or civilwars because doing so would get me called a terrorist and I made this in case the president goes insaneand shuts down our Internet and crashes the stock market.

Documents

Draft1 of Project Covac