[MLB-WIRELESS] Setup questions

[Naz Gassiep]

I am currently setting up a network for an Islamic Community Centre in 
Coburg. We are on high ground, and the roof seems to have good line of 
sight for quite a distance.

I need some advice. Please excuse the beginner's questions, as I've only 
ever used wifi in a home and small office setting. Outdoor stuff is all 
new to me.

1. How best to cover a large area with an omni antenna? Is it better to 
get a 60mW AP and a 20dB antenna, or a 200mW AP and a 15dB antenna? Or 
does it not make a difference?

2. If I put a max legal omni on the roof, how much of an area can I 
expect to cover? 100m radius? 1km radius? 10km radius?

3. At present, what are the benefits of joining Melb Wireless? I've been 
a subscriber to the list for some time now, and I've seen lots of talk 
about network topology and link management, but there is very little 
discussion of why someone would want to join. Would our community centre 
benefit from joining MW or is MW just a hobby club for network engineers?

4. I have a home and a small office in two locations and would like to 
join them to MW. What is the sort of cost involved with setting up a MW 
link?

Regards,
- Naz.