Wireless Timing & Scoring at Nelson Ledges: UPDATE (Page 1 of 2)

Awesome, I will be sure to pack the laptop.  Thanks Pat.

Thanks Murilee. I'd say go ahead and bring it. The coax I've got to run to the router has an N connection on it too. I just picked up a TrendNet 14dB directional antenna so between the two antennae we should be able to find an option that works well. I'll make sure to pack a tripod. Cheers.

I don't know much about anything especially when it comes to the internets and computers but I have a Linksys Wireless - G Range Extender I will toss in the truck.  It just plugs into a 125v outlet, and spreads the signal further in case its needed to extend the reach of the signal to the further reaches of the paddock and will work with your setup.

If you get to the point that you need serious network engineer help, come find the GT30 team.  One of our crew members is an uber-geek.  Only reason he's going to be at the track this weekend is that he happens to be teaching some sort of certification class in Dublin Ohio this week.  He can probably help if you need him.

we will bing a vcr and porn in case it  doesnt work out

I have Lemons pron on my phone for the flight up there: Truth in 24

See y'all tonight.

Ok, here's the story on what happened with NL wireless T&S. Roland and his wife were very accomodating and helpful, couldn't have asked for better folks to work with. Big big thanks to them for accomodating our efforts.

We were able to get a Lenovo laptop hooked up directly (via hardwire Cat5 network connection) to their T&S equipment during Friday night practice. Their T&S system was upstairs and we were in the room downstairs. Our laptop was able to see the live T&S data that was being produced during night lighting/practice and we don't think that it caused any problem with the T&S. Unfortunately, we couldn't leave that laptop for use by the entire Lemons community, as it was one of my teammates' work computer.

We then tried to configure a WiFi router to receive and rebroadcast the data directly, but when we did that, something about the setup worked against the AMB system and we had to shut it down pronto. The promise that I made to Roland (and everyone else) was that the instant our efforts became a problem in any way, we would immediately cease and desist. After all, the race is the priority; getting wireless T&S working is way less important than getting the race run properly. I think this is the IP addressing conflict that you're referencing.

We think that we've worked out how to prevent this problem in the future. What we think we need (and I'd love to hear from a network engineer on this) is a dedicated laptop that will be wired directly to the main T&S computer. That dedicated laptop can run the MyLapsMonitor software and can serve as a wireless bridge to a wireless router. The wireless router will then rebroadcast the T&S data (and only the T&S data) on a non-conflicting IP address so that we can prevent any backflow to the main T&S scoring laptop.

The problem right now is that we either need some dedicated equipment for this, or equipment that is so valueless that if it is broken or stolen, the owner won't care. The same thing is true of a large LCD that could show the live data to all teams in the paddock: either the tracks or Lemons needs to invest in one of these for each race, or we racers need to provide one. It is entirely possible to show that data using the existing AMB equipment at most tracks (and certainly so at NL) but I don't personally have a large LCD and laptop to donate to the cause and the ability to safely transport said LCD to and from each track. If you have a cheap LCD TV/monitor to donate to the cause and/or a laptop, I can get a pretty good solution put together that could ship from track to track. Barring that, the laptop as wireless bridge and dedicated WiFi server is probably the best short-term solution.

The second problem with that is that Roland at NL T&S has gotten reports that for some reason, 2.4ghz wifi can cause interference with the AMB system; apparently this discussion was all the rage among the T&S folks assembled for the SCCA Runoffs a couple weeks ago. Nobody has any idea why it's causing a problem, but there are many anecdotal reports of it being a problem. The AMB software, while widespread, doesn't seem to get a lot of field testing before being deployed, or so I'm told, so it's not exactly bombproof.

(In regard to the HP laptop, I was informed that either they had someone at NL a couple months ago with an HP laptop near the T&S equipment (or were told by someone with AMB about this problem, my memory's lapsing right now) and something about how that laptop was configured caused all the T&S equipment to go on the fritz. So Roland was particularly sensitive to HP laptops. You couldn't know this before you showed up so don't beat yourself up about it)

Like I mentioned above, I'd love to talk with a network engineer because I think we're on the cusp of being able to solve this problem at all tracks if (and that's a big if) we can get around (or avoid) the 2.4GHz interference issue. Cheers.

Thanks Don! Will shoot you an email momentarily. Cheers.

Sounds like you left the DHCP server on in the router, and when you plugged it into their system there were two DHCP servers and that would cause such an issue.  if this is the case, you should be able to go into the wireless router and disable it, pretty simple.

That's my guess anyhow.

Hey Pat,

Got your email and we'll get it back to you soon with out thoughts.

Two DHCP servers on the same network could cause issues, but only if client devices received the same IP address.  Multiple DHCP servers on a subnet is a common fault tolerance process.

The real issue here is the 2.4 ghz wireless band.  The AMB system uses the 2.4ghz RFID band to transmit information.  This band is unlicensed and all kinds of devices (wireless, phones, blue tooth, scoring devices, RFID) use this band.   Interference ultimately becomes the biggest challenge.

The standard wireless protocols rely on the 2.4ghz band, including 802.11b, 802.11g, and most 802.11n (2 trunked 802.11g channels).  The primary options are:

A.) Hard code a specific 2.4ghz channel that doesn't create too much noise on the AMB RFID channel.

B.) Use 802.11a, or the 802.11n 5ghz band.

Not sure how excited everyone would be about having to pick up new wireless cards for their laptop devices, but it represents the least risk scenario for interference.

Pat, were putting together some options for you, including perhaps a travel kit with a device that could be set up at each event displaying results.

Let us kick it around a bit more and we'll get back to you.

Eh, my spare is a PII and I wouldn't push it past W2K, but I'll keep an eye out.