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Author Topic: Alternative connections to the www  (Read 7803 times)

Contro

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Alternative connections to the www
« on: October 19, 2011, 03:26 PM »
I have the opportunity to have options.
I have my own line of internet.
But may be fails some times.
I have access with an external wifi antenna to three OPN wifi

I would like a soft to decide when shut up a connection an open the next one . So I will have connection all the time.

Do you know anyone ?

Best Regards

4wd

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2011, 10:57 PM »
ZeroShell, (free), and WinRoute, (€199).

ZeroShell requires another PC since it's a Linux LiveCD which basically turns the PC into a super-router.  But it has the facility to provide connection failover, (switch to another when one fails).

A few hardware routers also allow for connection failover, mostly to another ADSL line or 3G wireless.

There might be a free proxy server available on Windows that will allow failover also.

I'm not saying it should be easy, (or even that I want to attempt it :P ), but in theory you could write a program that periodically pings somewhere, (say Google DNS), then following three consecutive fails it toggles the connection by disabling the failing one and enabling the other.

Sh!t, that almost seems to be too easy....time to fire up AutoIt..... :-\

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2011, 09:07 AM »
TY 4wd
I'll take a look
and will comment.
Best Regards

4wd

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2011, 02:52 AM »
Here's a simple, and I mean simple, connection failover done in AutoIt.

I've called it....... iFallover :P

Single file executable, put it wherever you like.  When you run it the first time, two files will be extracted - devcon.exe and EULA.TXT - if you've run it previously, there will also be iFallover.ini.

What it does:
Every preset interval, (set in config), it tries to connect to one of the given web addresses, the next interval, the next address and so on - just cycling through the given three addresses.  After three consecutive connection attempts have failed it will disable that particular network connection and enable the other - then the process starts again.

So it could keep toggling between the two connections if they both happen to be SNAFU.

It uses devcon.exe to disable/enable the interfaces.  Devcon.exe causes a processor spike when it disables/enables things, so don't be surprised when the CPU shoots up to 30% if the connection needs to be swapped - it's only for a second or two.

The tray icon has three states:
0 = No network connection, you will only see this if the program starts and there is no internet connection at all.
1 = Currently using primary network connection.
2 = Currently using secondary network connection.

You can manually switch between the connections using the tray icon menu, (but it will switch them back after three failures if there is no internet connection).

The first time the program starts and there is no settings file it will open the config dialog where you can select your two network interfaces, the web addresses to use for testing and the interval between connection attempts.

NOTE: There is no input checking of either the Interval or the web addresses.  If you put a number in the web address or put letters for the Interval the program won't care.  There is very basic input checking: No empty fields and the two connections can't be the same.  Minimum interval is 15 seconds.  Consider yourself warned!

ANOTHER NOTE: This has only been tested on Windows 7 HP x64 and only by swapping a network cable between two NICs.  I've got no idea if it will work for wireless, (as in GSM/3G), but it should be fine switching between Ethernet and WiFi, (as in a laptop).

FINAL NOTE: Both the program and I assume the connections you want to switch between are already set up and work and that a simple enabling of them will establish a connection - that is all.  I won't be doing anything that requires setting connection parameters, dialling numbers, moving satellite dishes to new co-ordinates, etc - you're on your own in that case.

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2011, 06:24 AM »
Ouwwwwwwwwwwwww. Take gold to home.
At the present moment I am fighting with two antennas to captura open wifi signals.
I take the program and try later.
At the present moment seems impossible to connect two antennas to an alfa 1000 mW. May be with two connectors.

Only for two connection : main and alternative ?

Best Regards
 :)

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2011, 06:30 AM »
I have first execution.
If I have two antennas, I will have two alfa adapters :
By example alfa 1000 mW for the omnidirectional (I have only this at the present moment)
and alfa 2000 mW for the directional one.
If an open net fails I will obtain the second with your program.
I'll try in the future.
At the present moment I have the official paid connection. And the omni or the unidirectional to try open channels. So in the future I will have three connections until the moment to give down the official one.
The experts say me that I can't use a T connection with only one wifi adapter.....
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/1600/con168502.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

Best Regards

P.D. I live in a skycrape.....

4wd

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2011, 01:48 AM »
The experts say me that I can't use a T connection with only one wifi adapter.....

No, you'd need an antenna switcher and that will increase signal attenuation unless you also use an signal amplifier at the antenna to overcome cable loss.

What antennas are you using?

I've done this kind of set up so I could pull in a marginal signal, (WokFiw), based on articles in the local electronics magazine by Stan Swan.

usbscoop.jpgAlternative connections to the www

The main advantage is no signal loss over a length of coax cable but you can locate the adapter up to 5 meters away, (longest USB cable within spec).

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2011, 05:28 AM »
The experts say me that I can't use a T connection with only one wifi adapter.....

No, you'd need an antenna switcher and that will increase signal attenuation unless you also use an signal amplifier at the antenna to overcome cable loss.

What antennas are you using?

I've done this kind of set up so I could pull in a marginal signal, (WokFiw), based on articles in the local electronics magazine by Stan Swan.
 (see attachment in previous post)
The main advantage is no signal loss over a length of coax cable but you can locate the adapter up to 5 meters away, (longest USB cable within spec).

Owww an image is better than 1.000 words. I'll take photos of my real equipment and my new ideas.

I wait for your help.

Best Regards

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2011, 05:37 AM »
These are the photos :

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/5606/dscf2906w.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

An Alfa Omnidirectional antenna of 10 dBi
I don't get enough open nets with this antenna.
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5706/dscf2907z.jpg
Alternative connections to the www


http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/3580/dscf2908.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

A directional antenna Yagi of 18 dBi. I don get my target. My target is the castle where I study some years ago with an open net : Escuelas Pías. There must be about 4 kms. I presume.
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/986/dscf2909o.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/6716/dscf2910z.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

The Yagi es about three meters (use this cable length) from the usb adapter.
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8880/dscf2911v.jpg
Alternative connections to the www

The wifi adapter with a Realtek RTL8187 chipset of 1000 mW

Next I will put the next equipment consisting of a Alfa Network wifi adapter of 2000 mW and a parabolic antenna.....
I'll put the characteristics of the parabolic antenna.

All the equipment 2.4 GHz.

Best Regards

« Last Edit: October 23, 2011, 05:43 AM by Contro »

Contro

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Re: Alternative connections to the www
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2011, 07:20 AM »
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/325/mozart23102011115634.png
Alternative connections to the www

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/8048/mozart23102011120020.png
Alternative connections to the www


Two possible parabolic. One of them is from a local dealer, but I don't have the range....
 :P