Shawn's blog

Air-Stream Modbury North's Live Logical Network Map :)
(This image is automatically updated every 5 minutes, so what you are looking at is live traffic data! :) )

Created using Network Weathermap

Technology gets old, it gets depreciated, upgraded and discarded.

So what happens when someone picks up an old Dual Speed 100mbit HUB during a network upgrade?

They turn it into an epic POE injector of course!

So you've seen Panoramic Pictures, you've even found some on websites that are interactive! But alas when you've looked into the program that creates them, its been expensive and difficult to create.

Well no more! Microsoft have added some functionality to their FREE Panoramic stitching utility called 'Microsoft ICE' (Image Composition Editor), which now lets you export into a format called 'HD ViewDeep Zoom'.

This allows you to create an html webpage in which you can view your panoramic image interactively.

Microsoft also give you the code to embed your Interactive Panoramic Image into another webpage... like this one!

(Note: You will need to download the HD View plugin to see these, you will be prompted when you load the image)

For better viewing, adjust the following: (I Personally pick the last option)


Tone Adjustment:

There are three tone adjustment modes. You can switch between modes with
the following icons in the upper right corner of the screen or by using
the 'T' or 'shift'-'T' short-cut key.

	No Adjustment
	Exposure Only Adjustment
	Compress or Expand the Dynamic Range as necessary

So I present a couple of Interactive Panoramic Images from two of our Sites on Air-Stream. I have many, many more Panoramic sets from the sites over the years... but here is a teaser to get you excited :)

So what does any hardcore Air-Stream member do when they get their hands on some hardware?

They look for ways to mod it of course!

The RB/SXT was Mikrotik's first outdoor, integrated CPE solution.

It is a 5ghz, Dual Polarity, 802.11n, MIMO radio device. It is capable of 200mbit throughput (100mbit in each way simultaneously) while maintaining a neat small package which is weather proof and coax free!

It has a 16dBi dual polarity panel antenna inside the case with POE Ethernet socket and a USB socket for 3G modems.

We have interesting plans for this device, in true Air-Stream style, but that is reserved for the next post on the SXT, for now the pictures!

Another Hardware Tear Down for you :)

Note the UFL connectors for the antenna..... re-boxing an M900 anyone..?

Also the unusual Antenna array... someone care to enlighten us?

You didn't think I'd leave without a face off did you? :)

Here are some comparison shots between the devices. Amazing how similar they are, no? :)

I've had a few emails off the back of the Groove picture Reviews, asking "Will the Groove work on an Omni?"

To which technically I can reply 'Yes!', however the 'Omni' everyone thinks of is a 2.4GHz Omni for client access. To which the Groove will not work with, as it is 5GHz only.

So what else is out there? Well in the Integrated Space, the only current option is a product by Ubiquiti, called the 'Bullet'. Put simply, its a 2.4GHz version of the Groove. More technically the operating system is far different.

The current offering from Ubiquiti is the Ubiquiti AirMax Bullet M2 HP (M2 = 802.11n single stream)(HP = High Power).

The sun finally came out, so I jumped on the roof and installed the Groove.

This is the Direct-To-Dish method, you can also have a short run of coax and mount it to the pole. Mikrotik have stated they support both this configuration and mounted to a pole, but not with the Ethernet port facing up (As there are some air vents there).

It was very sturdy and fits quite well. This is installed on a kenbotong 25dBi 5ghz Parabolic Grid. I will swap it for a hills soon to show this form of mounting on both grid's.

Shots of the install after the break :)

Well I just received my new Mikrotik Groove 5Hn.

For those familiar with Mikrotik's recent 711 series, this hardware is identical to the RB711-5Hn-M which has been proven, on the Air-Stream network, to perform at 100mbit speeds (11MB/s throughput). So the Groove is an excellent advance as its not only smaller, but fully contained inside a weather proof enclosure!

So the testing will be later, for now here is a few shots of the unit enjoy!