[PVRCNC] looking to borrow spectrum analyzer

[Joseph Mack NA3T]

I'm helping (ie for free) a non computer literate friend 
install 2.54 GHz wifi at a store in Eastgate C.H. There 
seems to be intermod/interference as the wap is dead 
whenever it has its antennas, but when I pull the antennas 
off, it starts beaconning again and I can associate with it 
(at least till I'm about 10' away). Using a paperclip as a 
short antenna on the wap, I can associate upto about 20' 
away. I tried a pair of 15dbi antennas on the wap, hoping to 
point them away from the interference, but no matter what 
direction (az,el) I point them, the wap stays dead, only to 
come alive when I disconnect the antennas again.

I get the same results with 3 different waps (admittedly all 
the same brand, LinkSys, but different versions - presumably 
all with the same RF front ends). The waps all work at home, 
before I take them to the shop and again on my return.

The interference at the shop is continuous.

The business has 5.8GHz phones which when turned off don't 
fix the problem.

My laptop can pick up 3 other waps in the area so the laptop 
end of the link is not being interferred with.  I've tried 2 
different brands of pcmcia cards on the laptops with the 
same results. I presume the pcmcia card, which is not being 
interferred with, has a filter in the front end while the 
wap doesn't. That would mean that the interference is out of 
band and a filter on the wap might help.

However since microwave ovens are at the top end of the wifi 
band, it's possible that there are some in the adjacent 
businesses, which are interferring (why they seem to be 
running continuously is not obvious). I'd guess in this case 
I should use an attentuator on the wap.

Does anyone have access to a spectrum analyzer, to do a scan 
for me? I'd like to resolve whether I'm getting interference 
and whether it's in- or out-of band. I realise spectrum 
analyzers are valuable pieces of equipment and time is 
equally so, so I'm happy to contribute $, whiskey, beer or 
pastries in return.

Alternately, does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to 
diagnose/fix the situation?

Thanks Joe NA3T

-- 
Joseph Mack NA3T EME(B,D), FM05lw North Carolina
jmack (at) wm7d (dot) net - azimuthal equidistant map
generator at http://www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml
Homepage http://www.austintek.com/ It's GNU/Linux!