- How do I capture a command session into a file?
- How do I capture a Diagnostic file?
- How do I get a command window on Windows?
- How do I update firmware on a remote network ?
- How do I avoid interference from WiFi radios
- How do I setup a simple three radio Linear Network?
How do I capture a command session into a file?
You may want to capture a full command session into a file, either for your records, or to email it to us for analysis in case you are experiencing a problem.
One easy way to achieve this is using our ECON program, which you can download from our support page. Once installed, open a DOS command window and invoke ECON with the following command:
> econ –o logfile.txt
the program first performs a discovery of any Afar devices it can reach over the Ethernet (including remote radios over RF). If there is more than one device, ECON gives you a list to choose from. Select one of the devices to initiate a command session. Any commands you give, and the responses, will be written into the file “logfile.txt”. On a windows PC you can press [F4] to switch between the various devices. When you are done press [F3] to exit econ. All the command sessions will have been recorded in the logfile.txt file.
How do I capture a Diagnostic file to help you analyze my problem?
When you are having a problem that you want us to analyze, the first thing to do is capture a “diagnostic file” which will contain the configuration of every radio and performance data for the complete network. You do this as follows:
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Start Econsole and verify that it lists all radios in the network.
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Log onto one of the radios and set the date and time. If you have an NTP server in your network the date and time in the radios is already set and you can skip this step. Otherwise type the current date and time in the following format:
> date 10-dec-2022 17:23
That radio will broadcast the date and time to the other radios so that they are all synchronized. -
Logout of the radio. At the Econsole prompt type:
Econsole> set output=filename.txt (use any filename you want)
Econsole> diagnose all
Econsole will now log onto each radio sequentially and issue several commands. This may take a few minutes. The command session results are shown on the screen and are also being written to the filename.txt. Save a copy of this file and send it to Afar for analysis.
How do I get a command window on Windows?
More…
How do I update firmware on a remote network ?
Of the three mechanisms for downloading firmware updates into Afar radios and gateways, only TELNET is viable for performing firmware updates when you are not at the site of the network.If the equipment is properly set up to accept your connections, telnet allows you to connect across the internet, and to update the firmware, using the following procedure.
More…
How do I avoid interference from WiFi radios
Our radios operate in the same license-exempt 2.4GHz band as WiFi (802.11b / 802.11g), so when you are planning your wireless network, you must be aware of what other equipment is operating nearby, which may interfere with your reception. One of the features of our radios that allows us to operate robustly in the presence of other radios, such a WiFi is that our radios occupy a narrower band that can fit in the spaces between the broader WiFi signals.
The 2.4GHz band extends from 2400 MHz to 2483 MHz. A WiFi channel is about 20MHz wide, which means that a maximum of 3 WiFi systems can operate in separate (non-overlapping) channels in the band. To make use of the 3 non-overlapping channles WiFi equipment is typically configured to operate on channels 1, 6 or 11 which correspond to the following frequencies:
- Channel 1: 2402-2422 MHz
- Channel 6: 2427-2447 MHz
- Channel 11: 2452-2472 MHz
The spectrum for a WiFi signal is not rectangular, it has less energy near the edges than at the center of the channel. The signal from the PulsAR-24027 is about 4.5MHz wide, and will mostly fit between the standard WiFi channels. The PulsAR-24027’s channel 12 is centered at 2424 MHz and fits between WiFi channels 1 and 6, while the PulsAR-24027 channel 25 is centered at 2450 MHz and fits between WiFi channels 6 and 11. Finally the PulsAR-24027 channel 37 is centered at 2474 MHz and fits above WiFi channel 11.
Using these channels, you can run 3 PulsAR-24027 links even if there are already 3 WiFi systems “using all the available spectrum” in the area. Note that with version 6.00 of the PulsAR-24027 software we are changing the default channels to 12 and 25.
How do I setup a simple three radio Linear Network?
This is a Linear Network with three radios, 1, 2, and 3. The RF channels in the example are 20 between radios 1 and 2, and 25 between radios 2 and 3. At installation you should do a spectrum analysis at each site (use the spectrum-analysis command) and select channels that show no activity.
Radio 1: (“Left” node of Linear Network) Directional antenna on Port B pointing to middle radio (right neighbor)
>load factory
>node type=left
>rf-left re-ch=3 (radio has no left neighbor:set to receive on an unused channel)
>rf-right re-ch=20 tr-ch=20 power=23
>save
Radio 2: (Middle node in the Linear Network)
One directional antenna on port A pointing to Radio 1 (left neighbor)
One directional antenna on port B pointing to Radio 3 (right neighbor)
>load factory
>rf-left re-ch=20 power=23
>rf-right re-ch=25 tr-cha=25 power=23
>save
Radio 3: (“Right” node in the network) One directional antenna on port A pointing to radio 2 (left neighbor)
>load factory
>node type=right
>rf-left re-ch=25 power=23
>rf-right re-ch=37 tr-cha=37 (has no right neighbor; set channels to unused numbers)
>save
Once the network is up, use the “>show radios” command to get a view of the complete network. Use the “>show” to get the status of the links with the direct neighbors.