I have several ITX based sites, none of them have any temperature related issues. I believe that I had some flaky part, and I'm still not sure if it's a radio or the RB14. This system ran flawlessly all summer in this exact config, and the VIA Epia that I replaced has been in place for at least 3 or 4 years. I don't think anything's wrong with it, actually. It's not a power supply issue, since I ran both boards directly off a 12V deep cycle, and the voltage is right there where it should be.
However, I am dropping the Epia's for ALIX boards. Faster, nicer form factor, cheaper since I don't need an ATX PS or ram, and they seem to be much faster. I have one site with 5 radios... One in the ALIX board, 4 in the RB14.... It's absolutely rock solid, never locks, crashes, or anything,. I'm adding a second 5 radio setup to that site this week. Or maybe next week. I just used up a bunch of my spare parts :( -------------------------------------------------- From: "Josh Luthman" <j...@imaginenetworksllc.com> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 11:43 AM To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Subject: Re: [WISPA] One long @#$%& day! > I have RB333, 532, 433 and 411 survive without issue last winter when it > hit > -10F. Non temperature controlled environments - freezing their chips off > on > water towers and towers. > > I'd take the suggestion provided and just use a Routerboard. ITX is > decent > but I've seen several scenarios frown upon it in cold weather (like > carputers)? > > Josh Luthman > Office: 937-552-2340 > Direct: 937-552-2343 > 1100 Wayne St > Suite 1337 > Troy, OH 45373 > > "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." > --- Albert Einstein > > > On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 12:54 PM, Mike Hammett > <wispawirel...@ics-il.net>wrote: > >> MT provides a specially modified RB14 (at least they did a few years ago) >> that handles multiple high power cards. >> >> >> ----- >> Mike Hammett >> Intelligent Computing Solutions >> http://www.ics-il.com >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From: "jp" <j...@saucer.midcoast.com> >> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 11:17 AM >> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] One long @#$%& day! >> >> > I don't think an rb14 can handle the power need of multiple XR cards. >> > >> > I'd suggest unless you have a good reason besides saving $100, either >> > use routerboards or stick to manufactured radio systems from a >> > reputable >> > and reliable manufacturer. >> > >> > You pay more money or give up a little flexibility, but it gives YOU >> > more time to gain customers, sleep, etc... I love tinkering as much as >> > the next guy, and I have a a variety of MT links, but I stick to >> > familiar and trusted components despite the alluring variety of parts >> > out there. Far Far outnumbering MT radios on my network are brand name >> > radios from folks like Alvarion, Trango, and others. If I built all my >> > radios and APs, I'd be out of business in a hurry as I'd be working >> > full >> > time tinkering instead of running an ISP, or hiring staff to build >> > radio equipment instead of installing and taking care of customers. >> > >> > >> > On Mon, Dec 07, 2009 at 03:49:59AM -0800, MDK wrote: >> >> It's 2:30 AM... >> >> >> >> I just drove up to the house, and walked VERY fast inside. After >> >> all, >> >> weather.com says that it's 12 degrees and an 8 MPH wind. In their >> head, >> >> maybe. Outside of the little valley I live in, the wind's more like >> 25 >> >> mph. There's no snow on the ground. >> >> >> >> I don't make a habit of staying up late, but last night, I was doing >> one >> >> of >> >> those "let's just have some fun" looking around sessions on EBAY. >> >> Next >> >> thing I knew, it was nearly 3AM. Without shutting anything down, I >> just >> >> crawled into bed. At 8:45 my cell phone rang... I didn't answer it, >> >> but I >> >> did get up. Looked at my computer and Peer Monitor says... nothing is >> >> connected. Now, I have had some issues with one of the dist points >> >> a >> >> few >> >> miles outside of town. It had randomly locked up 3 times last week. >> >> Each time, I thought I had found the problem and not worried about it. >> >> >> >> The first time for instance, it was extremely dense fog, and I found >> >> the >> >> ventilation fan running in the box. Thinking I had sucked in too >> >> much >> >> damp, I just shut it off and rebooted. The locked up system is a >> >> mini-itx >> >> board and RB 14 adapter card W/4 radios... >> >> >> >> Obviously, I was wrong. Something was wrong. It had run since >> Friday, >> >> but now it's Sun AM and PM says I've been off for 3 hours. It's died >> >> 2 >> >> other times since the fog incident, so... Houston, we have a >> >> problem... >> >> >> >> I quick yanked on some clothes and drove up the mountain to the site, >> >> used >> >> the step ladder to get to the box lid and looked in. Restarted and >> >> everything went off just fine. But, it's now done this several >> times. >> >> And that's not good or right. I look in the van. Spare mini-ITX >> >> board, >> >> licensed. Spare RB14, 2 spare radios, including an XR5, just like >> >> what's >> >> up there. Anyway, morning zips by, and I have an appointment in the >> >> afternoon to switch a family friend's computer out for her. So, I go >> to >> >> do >> >> that and she's not home. That's odd. I could have sworn she said >> she'd >> >> be >> >> there at 2... I wanted to be home, nice and warm and setting up the >> new >> >> board so I could change in in daylight tomorrow. >> >> >> >> So, I go to the workshop and do some stuff I've been putting off and >> >> ... >> >> fall asleep, waiting for an OS install to finish. When I wake up, >> >> it's >> >> after 5. Must have slept at least 15 min... Sheesh. So, I get up, >> >> drive >> >> over to house, start the project. 30 min later, my phone beeps. >> >> Text >> >> message... Site's down. ARRRGGH. >> >> >> >> 25 minute drive to the site and I reboot it. Go home, pull out the >> >> parts >> >> and start to assemble the whole thing. It goes down again . Drive >> >> back >> >> up, restart. This time, nothing will coax it into running. >> >> Finally, >> I >> >> pull everything out, and take it home. Now the phone's going nuts. >> >> I >> >> just >> >> put 60 customers down. I take it home, cause it's COLD out there on >> the >> >> hillside... and everything runs flawlessly. Just to be judicious, I >> >> grab a >> >> config backup off of it, 'cause it's changed lately and my last backup >> is >> >> a >> >> few weeks old. >> >> >> >> I haul it up the mountain, put it back in place... No run. >> >> So, I go home, grab the spare mini-itx, use the backup config and haul >> it >> >> up >> >> the mountain. >> >> >> >> Won't boot. Doesn't even beep. Power comes on, but no beep. >> >> >> >> Haul it down the mountain, back home (this is .7 miles of rocky >> >> pasture >> I >> >> drive through at idle in 1st gear, then 5 miles of paved road. Takes >> >> 20 >> >> min >> >> round trip) with all the parts. Runs flawlessly. Haul it back up >> >> the >> >> mountain, plug it in, boots, but locks 5 to 60 seconds after booting. >> >> >> >> Inspect EVERYTHING (it's dark, so had to do it all by flashlight) >> >> again. >> >> I >> >> see nothing. So, I grab the spare RB14, switch the radios over and >> plug >> >> it >> >> in. Boots. Lights flash. Fire up the laptop and no. It's not >> >> working. >> >> log in through ethernet port... NO RADIOS DETECTED. >> >> >> >> Put old RB14 back in, change one radio. Boots up. Logs in. all >> >> radios >> >> detect, data flowing to customers. >> >> >> >> Drive home. Try to thaw out. The wind up there is 25 mph and it >> >> cuts >> >> like a knife through you. Log in from home and watch everything, >> >> suddenly >> >> noticed one of the ap radios has no clients. Odd. Look at config, >> >> looks >> >> ok, reset radio, clients begin to associate. As they slowly hop on, >> I'm >> >> sitting there wondering why this... and just then, PM suddenly starts >> >> popping up red. Sure enough. System locked. >> >> >> >> Drive up the mountain, put in second spare radio in place of XR5 and >> >> boot. >> >> (Spare XR5, was used for 2 weeks in temp site). System boots and >> >> runs >> >> and >> >> ... No link to the XR5. Try new pigtail. Dead. How strange. >> >> It >> >> worked fine just 9 days ago, and it's been stored in the ALIX board it >> >> was >> >> installed and working in all this time. >> >> >> >> As I'm sitting and watching while sitting in the van, trying to stop >> >> shivering with the heat on full blast, It locks up again. I reboot. >> >> Everything comes up, I had put the old XR5 in, and everything starts >> >> working - apparently it wasn't the pigtail, just the replacement XR5 >> that >> >> had no output. Waited 15 min, still running. Go home. Look at >> >> Peer >> >> Monitor. All Green. Suddenly, a bunch of stuff goes red, and >> >> it's >> >> all >> >> far away. Call partner. He's a whole state away, forgot he wasn't >> >> coming >> >> back from his relatives until Mon night... But the red stuff's near >> him. >> >> As is the workshop. >> >> >> >> It's now almost 11 pm. The van has almost no gas left, the nearest >> >> open >> >> gas station is 23 miles away. So, I drive to the workshop, to find >> out >> >> why on earth the shop and some other stuff was red, and everything's >> fine >> >> when I get there. Finally decided that I must have removed a >> >> routing >> >> statement earlier that I needed instead of the right one. Started >> going >> >> up >> >> the chain, looking at all the routing. No routing errors located, >> >> but >> >> the >> >> very last device before the backhaul to the site that feeds my >> >> town.... >> >> shows no link. I call home, son verifies... Site's down again. >> >> >> >> Said a few angry outbursts... Looked around found another new RB14, >> >> put >> >> ALL new radios in it. Determine the new RB14 doesn't look anything >> >> like >> >> the >> >> old one. Determined which slots are numbered which, so I can know >> which >> >> pigtails go where... Go to gas station, get gas. Stop at Walmart >> >> on >> >> the >> >> way back, get REALLY WARM HAT for the head, and drive back to the >> >> mountain. >> >> Somewhere in there I stopped and got junk food to eat too. Hadn't >> >> had >> >> food >> >> since 1:30 PM. Was feeling faint. That took over an hour. >> >> >> >> Drive back up the mountain, remove old RB14 and old radios, put in >> >> new. >> >> System wont' start now. >> >> >> >> Pull board and everyting, look at it in the light. See no problem. >> >> Put >> >> it back in, plug everything in, then I found I had bumped the "off" >> >> switch >> >> on the #$%&^ power strip. Flip switch, plug in PS, lights come on. >> >> >> >> Since no XR9 is in use now, a pigtail is wrong, so I get a new piggy >> >> and >> >> replace the old one with a UFL/NFBulkhead... Piggy is cold and it >> >> takes >> >> about 30 tries to get the UFL connector on, even tried "warming" it >> >> with >> >> my >> >> hands. Err, my hand shaped chunks of ice. It takes 3 sessions to >> get >> >> the pigtail in place on the bulkhead end. It took several to get the >> >> UFL >> >> end >> >> on. I was able to stand outside just long enough to push the >> >> threaded >> >> end >> >> through the hole. Go sit in van. Get out, get nut properly >> >> threaded. >> >> Get back in van. Tighten nut with fingers. Can't find tools I >> >> had >> >> earlier. Get in van. Finally, get out of van with gloves on, and >> >> hand >> >> tighten the n connector. Get back in van. Can't feel my hand touch >> my >> >> face. My hand can't feel the difference betwene inside the glove, in >> >> front >> >> of the incredibly hot air coming out of the heater, or touching the >> >> cold >> >> glass window beside me. I could not even get 2 minutes outside before >> >> pain >> >> so intense from the cold wind drove me back inside. Drive home. >> >> >> >> EVERYTHING IS UP. Oh, wait. Several sites are going >> >> yellow/red/yellow/green/yellow/red repeat adnauseum... >> >> >> >> So, I start looking. Finally, discover that the 3.65 backhaul has >> >> 120 >> >> to >> >> 400 ms ping times across it. Even though it's passing just 40 to >> >> 100KB >> >> of >> >> data. Restart both ends. No help. Then, I noticed that quality >> on >> >> end is zilch, but the other end is running 18 to 36 speed, instead of >> 54. >> >> Lock back faster end to 36 and pings drop to 2-8 ms. Great. >> >> Another >> >> bad >> >> XR3... This one's up on a pole, about 18 feet off the ground, on top >> of >> >> a >> >> hill at a wind powered site. I think it'll wait until tomorrow. >> >> >> >> Oh, wait... I ##$%%^ forgot to close the danged gate, so I drove back >> >> up >> >> the >> >> mountain. Closed gate. Wind is 5 mph stronger AT LEAST and 2-4 >> >> degrees >> >> COLDER than it was last time I was up there. The moon is pretty. >> >> Stars >> >> are awesome. I can't stand outside to admire them. >> >> >> >> Ok, the system's been up for long enough. I'm going to bed. Now >> >> it's >> >> 3:30 and I can't keep my eyes open. I hope I'm forgiven if I turn >> >> off >> >> the >> >> cell phone and hope to sleep in.... And I still DON"T KNOW WHICH >> PARTS >> >> ARE GOOD OR BAD!!!!!!! >> >> >> >> I'm going to have nightmares. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wants You! 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