8/24/12
tl;dr: TO RECHARGE THE INTERNET CREDIT, take the sim card out of the shiny white VodaFone USB modem and put it into the regular Airtel USB modem. Then plug the regular Airtel modem into the computer, use an Airtel credit voucher to add money, and choose a (volume-based) bundle as usual.
How the system works:
The basic idea is to improve the reception of the USB internet sticks (modems) we normally use to access the Internet. The large antenna mounted on the roof is connected to the USB modem via a large data-carrying cable. The USB modem plugs into a 3G router, which takes the Internet access provided by the sim card inside the modem and produces wireless signal which can be picked up by multiple computers in the area. Since wireless signal does not penetrate solid walls very well, the wireless hotspot created will usually be limited to a single room.
Setup:
The antenna and cable are mounted permanently on the building. One end of the cable is connected to the antenna, and the other end should be connected to a small converter (a short piece of cable with one large end connector and one tiny one) that should be plugged into a port on the side of the shiny white Huawei USB modem. The USB modem should be plugged into the USB port of the black D-Link wireless router. The router needs to be plugged into power in order to work.
How do I know it's operating properly?
INDICATOR LIGHTS:
USB modem:
When the modem is plugged into and receiving power from the router, a light on the top of the modem should be either blinking or steady. A blinking light means it is detecting or attempting to connect to a network, and a steady light means it has successfully registered on a network and is connected to the Internet.
If the light is green, the modem is connected to a 2G (GPRS or EDGE) network, and the connection may be very slow. If it is light blue or dark blue, the modem is connected to a 3G (HSPA/HSDPA or W-CDMA, respectively) network, and the Internet should be fast. The light blue light indicates the fastest type of network.
Router:
When the router is plugged into power, it automatically turns on and begins operating. There are several useful lights on top of the router:
1. The leftmost light, a circle with a check mark inside, is the system check light- it should be green and steady or blinking very slowly at all times, meaning the device is receiving power.
Troubleshooting: If the system check light is not on, check that the power cord is firmly and stably plugged into the socket. If so, check that the extension cord is working, and then check that the power in the room is working.
2. Directly to the right of the system check light is the Internet connection light, which looks like a picture of the earth. When data is being transferred over the Internet connection, the light flickers. Otherwise, as long as the modem is connected to the Internet, it is steady. When there is a 3G connection, the light is green; on a 2G connection, the light is orange.
Troubleshooting: If the Internet connection light is not on, check that the USB modem is plugged firmly into the USB port in the back of the router. If so, check to see if the sim card is still inside the modem. If it is, the sim card may be out of credit. See the credit recharge instructions below, under Maintenance.
To the right of the Internet connection light is the wireless light, which looks like 3 curves next to each other. When data is being transferred over the wireless connection (e.g. when the router is providing Internet to a laptop), the light flickers. Otherwise, as long as the wireless is turned on in the modem configuration, the light is steady.
Troubleshooting: If the wireless light is not on, the wireless capability of the router may have been turned off (allowing Internet access only via Ethernet cable). You can turn the wireless back on by changing the wireless setting in the router configuration.
Specifications:
Antenna: 2.4 GHz 24dBi antenna with an N-type female connector on the end of the cable. Purchased in the US from ZDA Communications for $65 including shipping and brought over in a suitcase.
Data-carrying Cable: LMR-400 coaxial cable with an N-type male connector on one end (mated to the N-type female antenna), and with an N-type female connector on the other end (inside the building).
At the Computer Lab, the cable is a single 12-meter (40-ft) cable.
At the Laguna Beach House, one 12-meter cable was not long enough to reach from the antenna into the office. There is a 12-meter cable attached directly to the antenna, and another 6-meter (20-ft) cable attached to the end of the first cable that extends into the office.
Cables were purchased online from Amazon in the US for $20-$50 each depending on the length, and brought over in a suitcase.
Router: D-Link Wireless Router 113 (DWR-113), purchased for $70 (110 Tzsh) at Sound & Vision in Arusha.
USB modem: Huawei E160E, originally from Vodafone. Purchased from Ebay UK for $37 and ordered to the US, shipped over using DHL or brought over by a volunteer. If you need to use the modem with your computer for some reason, and your computer tells you to install the pre-loaded Vodafone software, please DO NOT do so! The modem is unlocked already, and should be recognized by the older (red) Airtel/Zain interface.
Maintenance:
Data Recharge:
You will not be able to recharge the credit on the sim card using the unlocked VodaFone USB modem. Take the sim card out of the unlocked modem and put it into a regular Airtel USB modem. (There should be one in the router box.) Then plug the Airtel modem into a computer, use an Airtel credit voucher to add money, and choose a (volume-based) bundle as usual.
Router Configuration:
To configure the router, turn the router on and connect an Ethernet cable from one of the Internet ports in the back of the router (numbered 1 through 4) to the Ethernet port on your computer. Open a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome and type in the URL window: http://192.168.0.1; this is the IP address of the router. If it doesn't work, check the Ethernet connection on both ends, and try refreshing the browser a few times. The URL should take you to an admin login page that requires a username and password.
User Manual:
Documentation for the router can be found on Computer X (to be filled in later), or with Andy the volunteer if he is around.
tl;dr: TO RECHARGE THE INTERNET CREDIT, take the sim card out of the shiny white VodaFone USB modem and put it into the regular Airtel USB modem. Then plug the regular Airtel modem into the computer, use an Airtel credit voucher to add money, and choose a (volume-based) bundle as usual.
How the system works:
The basic idea is to improve the reception of the USB internet sticks (modems) we normally use to access the Internet. The large antenna mounted on the roof is connected to the USB modem via a large data-carrying cable. The USB modem plugs into a 3G router, which takes the Internet access provided by the sim card inside the modem and produces wireless signal which can be picked up by multiple computers in the area. Since wireless signal does not penetrate solid walls very well, the wireless hotspot created will usually be limited to a single room.
Setup:
The antenna and cable are mounted permanently on the building. One end of the cable is connected to the antenna, and the other end should be connected to a small converter (a short piece of cable with one large end connector and one tiny one) that should be plugged into a port on the side of the shiny white Huawei USB modem. The USB modem should be plugged into the USB port of the black D-Link wireless router. The router needs to be plugged into power in order to work.
How do I know it's operating properly?
INDICATOR LIGHTS:
USB modem:
When the modem is plugged into and receiving power from the router, a light on the top of the modem should be either blinking or steady. A blinking light means it is detecting or attempting to connect to a network, and a steady light means it has successfully registered on a network and is connected to the Internet.
If the light is green, the modem is connected to a 2G (GPRS or EDGE) network, and the connection may be very slow. If it is light blue or dark blue, the modem is connected to a 3G (HSPA/HSDPA or W-CDMA, respectively) network, and the Internet should be fast. The light blue light indicates the fastest type of network.
Router:
When the router is plugged into power, it automatically turns on and begins operating. There are several useful lights on top of the router:
1. The leftmost light, a circle with a check mark inside, is the system check light- it should be green and steady or blinking very slowly at all times, meaning the device is receiving power.
Troubleshooting: If the system check light is not on, check that the power cord is firmly and stably plugged into the socket. If so, check that the extension cord is working, and then check that the power in the room is working.
2. Directly to the right of the system check light is the Internet connection light, which looks like a picture of the earth. When data is being transferred over the Internet connection, the light flickers. Otherwise, as long as the modem is connected to the Internet, it is steady. When there is a 3G connection, the light is green; on a 2G connection, the light is orange.
Troubleshooting: If the Internet connection light is not on, check that the USB modem is plugged firmly into the USB port in the back of the router. If so, check to see if the sim card is still inside the modem. If it is, the sim card may be out of credit. See the credit recharge instructions below, under Maintenance.
To the right of the Internet connection light is the wireless light, which looks like 3 curves next to each other. When data is being transferred over the wireless connection (e.g. when the router is providing Internet to a laptop), the light flickers. Otherwise, as long as the wireless is turned on in the modem configuration, the light is steady.
Troubleshooting: If the wireless light is not on, the wireless capability of the router may have been turned off (allowing Internet access only via Ethernet cable). You can turn the wireless back on by changing the wireless setting in the router configuration.
Specifications:
Antenna: 2.4 GHz 24dBi antenna with an N-type female connector on the end of the cable. Purchased in the US from ZDA Communications for $65 including shipping and brought over in a suitcase.
Data-carrying Cable: LMR-400 coaxial cable with an N-type male connector on one end (mated to the N-type female antenna), and with an N-type female connector on the other end (inside the building).
At the Computer Lab, the cable is a single 12-meter (40-ft) cable.
At the Laguna Beach House, one 12-meter cable was not long enough to reach from the antenna into the office. There is a 12-meter cable attached directly to the antenna, and another 6-meter (20-ft) cable attached to the end of the first cable that extends into the office.
Cables were purchased online from Amazon in the US for $20-$50 each depending on the length, and brought over in a suitcase.
Router: D-Link Wireless Router 113 (DWR-113), purchased for $70 (110 Tzsh) at Sound & Vision in Arusha.
USB modem: Huawei E160E, originally from Vodafone. Purchased from Ebay UK for $37 and ordered to the US, shipped over using DHL or brought over by a volunteer. If you need to use the modem with your computer for some reason, and your computer tells you to install the pre-loaded Vodafone software, please DO NOT do so! The modem is unlocked already, and should be recognized by the older (red) Airtel/Zain interface.
Maintenance:
Data Recharge:
You will not be able to recharge the credit on the sim card using the unlocked VodaFone USB modem. Take the sim card out of the unlocked modem and put it into a regular Airtel USB modem. (There should be one in the router box.) Then plug the Airtel modem into a computer, use an Airtel credit voucher to add money, and choose a (volume-based) bundle as usual.
Router Configuration:
To configure the router, turn the router on and connect an Ethernet cable from one of the Internet ports in the back of the router (numbered 1 through 4) to the Ethernet port on your computer. Open a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome and type in the URL window: http://192.168.0.1; this is the IP address of the router. If it doesn't work, check the Ethernet connection on both ends, and try refreshing the browser a few times. The URL should take you to an admin login page that requires a username and password.
User Manual:
Documentation for the router can be found on Computer X (to be filled in later), or with Andy the volunteer if he is around.
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