2.4GHz mess... another WideChannel problem

[sfx2000]

You could also point a high gain at him and set beacon interval to something like 1ms and co-channel with his stuff and turn it on.

Problem with that approach is it would basically affect everyone on that channel - which isn't the real objective...

 

[azazel1024]

If the antennas are high enough gain, it would just nail the one offender. 12/14dBi panel antennas would pretty much just hammer him. Though, anyone "behind" his house might get nailed too, depending on penetration through the house.

 

[thiggins]

You could also point a high gain at him and set beacon interval to something like 1ms and co-channel with his stuff and turn it on.

But that would be WRONG, azazel, correct?

 

[stevech]

Intentional interference is illegal in the US under FCC Part 15.

 

[azazel1024]

Intentional interference is illegal in the US under FCC Part 15.

Intentional interference yes. However, if you are within the FCCs power and gain limits and aren't doing something else non-kosher, like damped emissions, it is not interntional interference even if it does prevent another device from working.

2.4GHz video cameras often prevent anything co-channel from working on those frequencies if anywhere close to them.

You are still complying with 802.11 specifications, even if you are changing the beacon interval. A 14dBi panel antenna at typical basestation radio power limits is likely not exceeding FCCs power limitations. By protocol, it'll likely break another 802.11 network if it is cochannel. It isn't actually jamming anything though.

It would be a grey area though. Marriott (was it Marriott?) just got slapped by the FCC for de-authing wireless access points within their hotel conference centers...but that was also a straight up money grab by the hotel chain. FCC very well might take a dim view of "breaking" someone else's Wifi network. Then again, if they do that, then anything that intentionally interfers with another's wifi network, de-auths, same SSID at higher power levels, but different password, extremely short beacon interval would also probably be considered not okay then.

If you are also co-channel, but 20MHz band and short beacon interval at high power levels, would also likely push the base station to moving to either a different channel or to a narrow channel if it was set to auto (and remotely working okay).

 

[thiggins]

azazel, your original post said

You could also point a high gain at him and set beacon interval to something like 1ms and co-channel with his stuff and turn it on.

I'd define that as intentional interference, spec compliant or not.

 

[sfx2000]

It really does come down to intent - what you had initially proposed could be considered intentional mis-use (basically doing a denial of service on a target AP/Channel) - not only that, but it would impact all users on that channel within the direction of that patch/yagi...

You could also point a high gain at him and set beacon interval to something like 1ms and co-channel with his stuff and turn it on.

Probably not kosher... because nobody could use that channel - as a shared medium, there's no free airtime for anyone...

Setting up an 11b AP with a strong Password and keeping it really busy - that's slightly kosher... but not very friendly.. esp. if one were to set the SSID to the same as the target (which would not be cool)..

 

[sfx2000]

In any event, while it's fun to think of things - esp. when facing a situation like this (a well planned network and neighbors, everyone having good wireless) and then someone setting up a new AP (high power), and then nuking the plan....

It's really hard to coordinate multiple neighbors and convince them that it's better for everyone...

I don't think anyone here, present company included, would even consider doing activities that would harm the shared medium... the last thing anyone wants to be in a situation like this is to be the "bad apple" of the bunch.

 

[azazel1024]

Oh heck. I've never done it nor plan to. I can be annoying, but I am not an actual A-hole.

Back in my townhouse I did talk to my neighbor about him switching channels because there was just no way I could get any kind of workable wifi in half my townhouse because too many neighbors where on the same channel.

He had no idea about anything. "Comcast set it up for me. I guess you can change stuff if my wireless is giving you problems. But I want to look over your shoulder to make sure you aren't breaking my stuff!!!! So...you've made some changes. Uh, I have no idea what you did (me explains)...yeah...ummm...okay. Oh, my phone is still working on my wireless. I guess what you did was fine. Have a good day".

His was running channel 8, 20MHz only, but channel 8. It was knocking everything out for me if I tried to running anything other than channel 1 if I tried to go upstairs or in to my basement. My other next door neighbor was channel 1...which had a similar effect a lot of the day (all morning and most of the evening during the week and from about 7am till 11pm on the weekends). So I moved him to 11 and put my stuff on 6. That worked a lot better as my next closest neighbor on 6 (or an inbetween channel. Half the networks in the neighborhood were on inbetween channels! The hell people!) I think was my neighbor perpendicular to our townhouse row based on some war walking. 40ft of distance and two exterior walls is a lot better than interior partition townhouse walls (with zero insulation and nothing but what appeared to be plywood between the houses, of course the regular 2x4 cavity on each side of the plywood and 1/2" drywall, but no sound/thermal insulation nor firestop beyond the 1/2" drywall on each side of the wall). Even upstairs my network was at least 12-15dB stronger than the cochannel network then (my immediate neighbor's networks were anything from 5dB stronger to 10dB weaker, but then no longer cochannel). Only about 8 visible networks from within my house in that neighborhood using my laptop.

It was also about 3 years ago. When I visited the house to do a little work (renting it), I could see 12 networks from my phone (probably more if I had my laptop).

 

[sfx2000]

Never said that you were being one

Reminds me of an article on the main site - that's what our cul-de-sac was trying to coordinate.

 

[thiggins]

Ok, folks. I think we've driven this one into the ground.