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Thread: Wireless network in a car? Possible?

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    Wireless network in a car? Possible?

    Would an 802.11b/g wireless network opertae in a car? I realise there's quite alot of electronica going on in the dashboard and engine, would this interfere too much?

    I'm looking at putting one of the ASUS Hard Drive Boxes (WL-HDD 2.5) in my glovebox and using it as an MP3 jukebox. Would be great if it worked, I could even upload new tunes to my car from the wireless net in the house!

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    I would have thought that it would work. The distances are pretty short. When you were at home, the engine wouldn't be running. The ISM band that Wireless LAN operates in is already pretty crowded (microwave ovens, bluetooth, etc.) so the protocol is pretty robust to interference.

    How would you connect the box to your stereo?

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    Remember you'd need a DC/AC mains convertor.

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    Hexus.net Troll Dougal's Avatar
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    This has been done before. www.hackaday.com had it I think.

    You can easily connect the box to the amp in your system using a simple cable.

    IF you have a shielded or heated windscreen (mainly BMW's IIRC) you'll need to put the aerial by an unshielded/heated window.

    It will work, get a unit with a SMA aerial, make your own cable easily and put the aerial on the roof.
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    Almost in control. autopilot's Avatar
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    Lots of people have been doing this for quite some time. There is quite a big and growing in-car-PC scene going on with some good websites. Lost all my bookmarks, but have a google. I'm going to put a PC in my next car with a 7" touch screen It might be a MCE windows install or maybe use one of the dedicated in-car frontends skined to my cars make that seem to poping up more and more. Then I will auto synch my MP3s/DVD's etc as soon as i roll onto my drive. Sorry, getting carried away....

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    Sounds encouraging - what's an SMA aerial, just an external one?

    I was planning on just using the wireless unit as a file server and playing the MP3's from a PDA into the standard car hifi. (hence my other post about pda sound quality)

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    Hexus.net Troll Dougal's Avatar
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    SMA is a small gold coloured connector, like a bolt style system.

    More Expensive wifi gear has it, but some have reverse SMA, do not get reverse sma
    Quote Originally Posted by Errr...me
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    ...it's a reference to the connection type. See http://www.coax-connectors.com/sma-connectors.htm

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    yeah itd work

    i wouldnt run a dc-ac converter and back - personally i'd use a micro atx (or similar) psu that takes 12v input. saves a lot of power
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    They exist? Cool!

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    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
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    remeber some cars electronic entry system don't like 802.11b/g/a

    i belive the MR2 is one such example. I remeber reading something about someones wireless going down when ever the car was parked outside, it shouldn't be on the same frequency thou.
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

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    WLan ? sensetive to outside influences ?
    surely not
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moby-Dick
    WLan ? sensetive to outside influences ?
    surely not
    Only to big things, like flies.
    Quote Originally Posted by Errr...me
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