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Hello,

since my current ISP's connection quality has been unsatisfactory lately, I'm considering moving over to another.

I've had 2 technicians here who informed me that their AP is on a high mast about 1,2km away, with unobstructed LOS from the roof of my house.

They use 802.11a, but weren't quite sure what kind of antenna do they actually install, just that they will come with their tools and see how much speed can I have in my location.

However. This time of the year there often is a mist all day long so I can not see their AP. Other than that it could rain heawily or snow.

I have calculated FSPL to be around 108dB (not sure if it's correct though), but I guess the really important values will be Link Budget & Fade Margin.

Could you please advise what minimal values should I be looking for to have a stable connection at the speed we choose ?

It'll either have to be 8mbit or 16mbit as it's half duplex.


Thanks in advance guys !

Matus

mademan,
Using Terrabeams calculator for 5560 MHz, I calculate you'll have an FSPL of 109 dB - not much different than your number. For my 2.4 GHz non-voice links, I like to have a margin of at least 15dB which works with a fair amount of interference.
Both Terrawave, and Connect802 have good calculators online. Cisco has one (or more) too. You'll need some more details about radio sensitivities and antenna dBi ratings to make sensible calculations.