Wireless Operations Link for the Field (WOLF) - Survey and Design

This post will discuss the design I put together for a portable, solar-powered, easy-to-use wireless solution for Toolik research plots located outside of the camp's immediate wireless range.

First I'll summarize deployment procedure:

PROCEDURE: Overall, the WOLF rig went in pretty smoothly. We did a little bit of engineering hacking to find a good stand (surveyors tripod), grounding method (wire and rebar), and extra insurance against the elements (battery went partially in a plastic bag). We also did a rough wifi signal survey to find the edge of the existing Toolik wifi network to figure out the best location for the rig. The prep done with the router/AP itself was minimal. I changed the admin password, connected to the existing Toolik wifi in AP mode, and upgraded the firmware. I didn't bother with security on the wifi as the Toolik network is open.

Design

 The WOLF rig was intentionally designed to be a "bare minimum" outfit that any researcher, regardless of networking expertise, could put together. There was also significant consideration given to the portability of the rig as some researchers expressed interest in temporary wifi setups that could be brought into the field and taken down the same day. Components of the setup that were easy to purchase and intended for consumer-level experience were preferred over components that required more technological expertise to work with. Finally, reasonable cost for performance was a significant factor in component choices. **Note: 2.4GHz was chosen intentionally for 2 reasons: 1 - backwards compatibility if the Toolik wifi hadn't yet been upgraded to 5Ghz. 2 - Physically limit bandwidth consumption from the WOLF network into the Toolik network to prevent disruptions of the camp's wifi service.

** Cooler was not used given warm temperatures **

Cost Breakdown

Router/AP: $214
High Gain Antenna: $120
Battery / Generator: $230
Solar Panel: $89
Waterproof Ethernet, Antenna, Adapter Cables: $58

(does not include stand or grounding supplies)

Total Setup Cost: $711

Specifications

The following are specifications for each of the major components of the WOLF rig.

-- Router/AP --

Model: Hawking Technology HOW2R1

Network Specifications	IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Frequency	2.4000~2.4835GHz
Speed	Up to 300Mbps
Interface	Wireless 802.11 b/g/n or Ethernet 10/100M
Power	48V, 0.5A Switching Power Adapter (PoE)
Security	WPA, WPA2, WEP Full Router Security Features: Firewall, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), URL Blocking, Network Address Translation, MAC Address Filtering, IP Address Filtering, Access Control, Denial of Service (DoS)
Receiving Radio	Antenna: 1 x 11dBi Directional Antenna Output Power: 11n:18 ±1.5dBm 11g:21±1.5dBm 11b:23±1.5dBm
Broadcasting Radio	Antenna: 2 x External 5dBi Omni-Directional Antennas Output Power: 11n: 15±1dBm 11g: 15±1dBm 11b: 18±1dBm Broadband Router Features: DHCP Server, Firewall, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), URL Blocking, QoS (Quality of Service), Virtual Servers/Port Forwarding, Network Address Translation, MAC Address Filtering, IP Address Filtering, Access Control, Denial of Service (DoS), Remote Management
Hardware	Repeater:  Antenna Jacks: Two N-Type Connetors One 10/100M Ethernet Ports PoE Injector: Power + Data Out Port DC 48V LAN Port
Product Weight	Repeater: 481g or 1.06 lb Antenna: 68g or .15lb (each Onmi-Directional Antenna) PoE Injector: 6g or 0.1 lb
Product Dimension	Repeater:6.9(H) x 5.5 (W)x 3.5 (D) in Antenna: 8(H) x 5.25(W) , Base: 3.5(D) in PoE Injector: 3(L)x 2.7 (W)x .75(H)in
Temperature	Operating: -20~70° Storage: -40~80°C
Humidity	Operating: 10~90% (Noncondensing) Storage: 5~95% (Noncondensing)

Manufacturer Website: http://hawkingtech.com/products/hi-gain_wireless_networking/high_power_wi-fi_solutions/how2r1.html

-- High Gain Antenna --

Model: Hawking Technology HAO15SIP

Network Specifications:

•  IIEEE 802.11b/g
  

Electrical Properties

•  Frequency: 2.4~2.4835 Ghz
•  Impedence: 50 Ohms Nominal
•  Gain: 15dBi
•  Radiation: Omni
•  Polorization: Vertical
•  H-Plan:360º
•  E-Plan: 30º

Manufacturer Website:http://hawkingtech.com/products/hawking_products/outdoor_wireless_solutions/hao15sip.html

-- Solar Battery + Panel --

Model: Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator / Battery

• Cell Type: AGM Lead-Acid
• Peak Capacity: 168Wh (12V, 14Ah)
• Lifecycles: hundreds of cycles
• Shelf-life: Keep plugged in, or charge every 3-6 months
• Fuses: 20A, user replaceable fuse
• Management system Charging and low-battery protection built-in
• USB port (output): 5V, up to 2.1A (10W max), regulated
• 6mm port (output, 6mm, green, hexagon): 12V, up to 10A (120W max), regulated
• 12V car port (output): 12V, up to 10A (120W max)
• AC inverter US (output, 60Hz, modified sine wave): 110V, 0.7A (80W continuous, 160W surge max)
• charging port (input, 8mm, blue, circle):14-29V, up to 5A (60W max)
• Operating usage temp.: 32-104 F (0-40 C)

Model: Boulder 15 Solar Panel

• USB Port: 5V, up to 1A (5W max) regulated
• Solar port (blue, 8mm): 14-22V, up to 1A (15W max)
• Rated Power: 15W
• Open Circuit Voltage: 18-22V
• Cell Type: Monocrystalline

Manufacturer Website:
http://www.goalzero.com/p/164/goal-zero-yeti-150-solar-generator
http://www.goalzero.com/p/20/boulder-15-solar-panel

Deployed!

(Tripod is a repurposed surveyor tripod.)

Next post on this subject will discuss the results of this experiment....