Dave Platt wrote:
I've spoken with a guy who has set up a number of reliable
point-to-point links in the Sacramento valley, using standard
unamplified off-the-shelf SOHO-type access points and/or PCI cards or
USB dongles. He said he achieves reliable performance, with a good
margin of signal strength to handle rain fade, etc., with no
amplifiers, over distances of as much as 5 miles.

It's important to point out that using these extreme high gain antennas
with out a license is illegal in the U.S. The guy that invented the
"pringles can" antenna was an FBI agent so he was not prosecuted, but
if he had been an average citizen the FCC would have come after him.

Then the question becomes which if any of the 14 WiFi channels is
actually in the 2.4gHz ham band.

Here in Israel it's even worse. WiFi and terrestrial 2.4gHz ham activity
is limited to 100mw EIRP. If you use a gain antenna, you must reduce
the transmitter power proportionaly.

Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
The trouble with being a futurist is that when people get around to believing
you, it's too late. We lost. Google 2,000,000:Hams 0.