WUG rant

[s0lar]

So after always wanting to get onto the local WUG from years back. I finally moved into an area where I have a few peers to connect to. Few weeks after settling into my my place I checked the KML and hooked up a small desktop dipole antennae to go on a WUG hunt quest. Yep, got WUG signal but very faint. Went onto the IRC channel for a few weeks to get some background info on what the WUG community is about, advice on kit, how to go about connecting etc.

A "senior" member advised me to get propper kit before I connect so as to not degrade the mesh to this site because of how the site I will be connecting is meshed. blah blah. Granted R2500 later, 21db grib, routerboard, ducting, POE, blood and sweat in and on top of the roof etc. later. I was told there is politics with the site owner and I cant connect until this is resolved internally. (4 months ago) Sorry for you!

If I sell the kit secondhand I will get less than half my purchase price I am in a semi-fortunate position. I will be donating the kit to a rural community project other side of Magaliesburg.

For anybody else that is thinking of connecting, DONT take anybody else's advice except from whoever manages the site you are connecting to. No matter how recognized they are in the WUG community.

 

[Shake&Bake]

Jeez man, sorry to hear that.

That does suck...

And you couldn't get in touch with the site owner you're making mention of?

 

[gripen]

I'd support that. Deal directly with the Go to Guy or equivalent if you can. He/she/they are your first line of support and are there to try to keep your connection as good as it can be. Granted, they are not all as active and helpful as possible but that's life.

I'd suggest trying to make a plan by connecting to another site, or another user (active node). Failing that, jump in and find out what these "politics" are. Perhaps work with a few of the others in your situation to find an alternative site. Sometimes this needs to be done but that's part of WUGing unfortunately.

Good luck and don't give up on the WUG because of a few "bad apples". That's not what getting involved in a WUG is about.

 

[rpm]

That is definitely not good, but I also dont think it is typical of what most wug members experience. All the WUG guys I have met are really nice and noble guys, going out of their way to help others.

 

[protzkrog]

A "senior" member advised me to get propper kit before I connect so as to not degrade the mesh to this site because of how the site I will be connecting is meshed. blah blah. Granted R2500 later, 21db grib, routerboard, ducting, POE, blood and sweat in and on top of the roof etc. later. I was told there is politics with the site owner and I cant connect until this is resolved internally. (4 months ago) Sorry for you!

If I sell the kit secondhand I will get less than half my purchase price I am in a semi-fortunate position. I will be donating the kit to a rural community project other side of Magaliesburg.

Why did you pay R2500 for kit ? 21 dbi grid ?
Is this the Groenkloof site ? It is not indicated on the PTAWUG KMZ on wug.za.net as it is not linked to the rest of PTAWUG, it still broadcast's intermittently it seems, when it is on, some days. If you asked about Groenkloof highsite on IRC we would have told you that it has been decomissioned.
What is your node name on the wug.za.net KMZ ?

 

[j@w]

R2500 for that kit..... what a joke. RIPPED OFF . com

 

[s0lar]

Why did you pay R2500 for kit ? 21 dbi grid ?
Is this the Groenkloof site ? It is not indicated on the PTAWUG KMZ on wug.za.net as it is not linked to the rest of PTAWUG, it still broadcast's intermittently it seems, when it is on, some days. If you asked about Groenkloof highsite on IRC we would have told you that it has been decomissioned.
What is your node name on the wug.za.net KMZ ?

Nope its not the Groenkloof site, I am in JHB. As for the cost its roughly as follow's these are rounded off and dont count things I bought like crimping tool, concrete drill, cable ties etc. Yes I went for openwrt by choice over Mikrotik:

24db grib R400
Outdoor encolsure R280
1M LMR400 R30
TNC male to female R115
Crimp connector R60
10M CATe R100 odd??
POE injector kit R300
Linksys WRT R720
Ducting R200
Pole and mounting kit R150
Devliery R90

R2445 Total

I am not on a mission to smear the WUG. Disappointed yes. New members should take note from my experience to speak to the site owner and not somebody who claims they have access and will connect me. I can name atleast 5 guys on IRC who went out of there way to try and help me. But in the end they could do nothing as they cant access the site. The other two signals are to poor due to trees and interference and the third has a huge ass 3 story house behind me in the LOS.

 

[ambo]

Nope its not the Groenkloof site, I am in JHB

What is your node name? And which node were you planning to connect to?

 

[protzkrog]

Mikrotik kit would have given you the option to use 2.4ghz or 5.8ghz
Maybe there are other 5.8ghz signals that you can't pick up now because of the WRT.

 

[s0lar]

What is your node name? And which node were you planning to connect to?

solarc and wanted to connect to any of the apollo's being apollo, apollo3 or apollo4.

Perhaps I should have gone Mikrotik but I prefer to go open source when I have the option. Mikrotik prolly would have been cheaper, doesnt matter now.

 

[DenSweep]

I'm really sorry to hear about this. But like Gripen says, get involved. I know you had a bad experience, but don't let that stop you. Find out from the guys what can you do and what your options are. Explore all your avenues before giving up, because if you can make it happen, it really is worth it.

 

[j@w]

Mikrotik kit would have given you the option to use 2.4ghz or 5.8ghz
Maybe there are other 5.8ghz signals that you can't pick up now because of the WRT.

What does the WRT54GL have to do with anything ?

I wonder why he even got sold one. Could have gotten a R195 TP-Link Wifi AP.

 

[s0lar]

What does the WRT54GL have to do with anything ?

I wonder why he even got sold one. Could have gotten a R195 TP-Link Wifi AP.

I got the WRT by choice, I did a uclibc cross-compile of a custom WRT image as this acts as a openser SIPSEC router on one of the VLAN too. I over clocked it to 300mhz , added more cooling and did a SD card hack got 2g of space to play with. It was just a way more flexible router than the Mikrotik or other would have offered with the exception of 5ghz.

I'll give the WUG another shot at some stage in the future, perhaps donate some of my time and skill to the rural projects rather than kit.

 

[Pilgrim]

You do know you can install OpenWRT on a Mikrotik?

Not that you would want to, but you can

 

[Atti2de]

S0lar,

afaik there were some issues and we got someone to go sort it out. I think Ryder is the right man to speak to about that site, he will be able to tell you what is happening.

He did mention that we can upgrade that site so that we can have 1) more backbone links and 2) better equipment giving us increased throughput.

See you around soon