Wireless near an airport???

[Rob_D]

Hi Guys,

 

My Parents' golf club recently got someone in to look at improving their club-house wifi, and they said that they couldn't do anything because it would be against CAA rules due to proximity to Gatwick airport (they're about 2 miles away as the crow flies). This sounds like nonsense to me, but I wanted to check if any of you guys know anything about such regulations?

 

Thanks!

[JackCPickup]

What sort of improvements are they talking about? Surely nothing more than fitting modern APs?

[pete]

That seems unlikely, given how many buildings around Gatwick (including the terminals themselves) offer WiFi.

 

Unless we're talking heavy-duty ptp links from one end of the course to the other? But I'd assume the clubhouse is also the demarc for the phone/broadband, so that wouldn't be necessary.

 

Was this a paid assessment or a "Bob knows WiFi" and Bob is fed up doing unpaid work?

[Rob_D]

What sort of improvements are they talking about? Surely nothing more than fitting modern APs?

Yeah pretty much. Upgrade to newer APs, and probably put a couple of extra in to improve coverage.

[mikeprice]

That would create uproar around here - Liverpool airport has a lot of housing quite close

 

I can't see that is likely

 

Also - a local aircraft spotter group has some member who seem to live under the flight path very close to the touchdown point - and they seem to be able to get on the WWW quite quickly when 'something interesting' flies past - I assume they are using broadband and wifi so?????????

[HPlum78]

Unless they are installing ILS on the 18th fairway this is nonsense! More a case of cannot be bothered so come up with an excuse not to take on the work.

[Rob_D]

That seems unlikely, given how many buildings around Gatwick (including the terminals themselves) offer WiFi.

Unless we're talking heavy-duty ptp links from one end of the course to the other? But I'd assume the clubhouse is also the demarc for the phone/broadband, so that wouldn't be necessary.

Was this a paid assessment or a "Bob knows WiFi" and Bob is fed up doing unpaid work?

 

Not sure, I hope they didn't pay for it.

[JackCPickup]

The only thing we've had to consider is frequency of point-to-point wifi but they have specific bands that are safe to use. No issue with regular building wifi.

[tg12]

Yeah, I’m going to say this is nonsense. I can’t think of any aircraft equipment that operates at frequencies close to wifi.

[chris_uk]

Hi Guys,

 

My Parents' golf club recently got someone in to look at improving their club-house wifi, and they said that they couldn't do anything because it would be against CAA rules due to proximity to Gatwick airport (they're about 2 miles away as the crow flies). This sounds like nonsense to me, but I wanted to check if any of you guys know anything about such regulations?

 

Thanks!

 

I am 1.2 Miles from Gatwick as the crow flies running unifi inside and one outside. Zero issues. Work is 1.8 Miles from Gatwick with 80ish ruckus access points, internal and external.

Sounds like an easy way out of doing some work without actually saying no!

[MrEprise]

Given that most of Crawley is closer to Gatwick than the Golf Courses I can see on Google Maps, I'd say they're expelling a lot of hot air and not a lot else.

[Roberto]

I don’t have the reference handy on the train but air traffic can interfere with WiFi (note my carefully chosen order of precedence here). We’ve had issues in the London office where our high-rise office is on the flight path for traffic going into London airport. It doesn’t stop you installing WiFi but it does mean you may have issues on certain channels.

[RobD]

This is what DFS is for: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_frequency_selection

[Sonic007]

Sounds like rubbish to me when you think of the amount of hotels around there, not to forget all of the airports numerous Wifi networks too.

 

A proffesionally installed system should be fine.

[msi_school]

This is what DFS is for: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_frequency_selection

 

I have been told that DFS can be a pig to work with because the channels going on and off is fairly random but it is designed to allow you use WiFi near airports and not interfere, obviously licensed radio will need to be in suitable bands but that's what the licensing process is for.

[RobD]

I have been told that DFS can be a pig to work with because the channels going on and off is fairly random but it is designed to allow you use WiFi near airports and not interfere, obviously licensed radio will need to be in suitable bands but that's what the licensing process is for.

 

I think what I'd do is, install some modern aps and check the controller for events to see if it's even an issue.

 

If it is I'd drop the AP power then the channel size to 20mhz so there's more available channels to use and potentially disable the u-nii-2 & 3 channels and just use channels 36, 40, 44 and 48 which are not subject to DFS.

 

Nigel one the UK's cwne's has a great blog on it: The 5GHz “Problem” For Wi-Fi Networks: DFS

[MatthewL]

I'm really curious to see what CAA rules these are or they think they are.

 

I've worked on sites right next door to airports and there be loads of networks visable, several from each business. Unless they have just said it because they are not interested in the work?

[RobD]

Not forgetting all the wireless inside airports.

[FN-GM]

Not forgetting all the wireless inside airports.

 

There is also Wifi on the plane itself. I flew Qantas last night an enjoyed free wifi for the entire trip.

Edited June 11, 2021 by elsiegee40

[JackCPickup]

It's just point-to-point when it has to be considered but they usually scan the 5GHz range for radar and stay out the way, also being unidirectional mostly eliminates concern.

[Jawloms]

I used to work at Felixstowe and we had a point to point link between two sites. I believe there are two version you can get, we got the cheaper one which every now and then would drop off for a minute or two because we were near the docks and theirs had priority for comminucating with the ships. This is what we were always told anyway! @Net-Ctrl may be able to help here. They put that link in.