Suggestions for Hardware/driver WIFI combo that allows low level signal access

[Micha Feigin]

On 07/02/2013 01:05 PM, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
> On 7/2/2013 7:49 PM, Micha Feigin wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I'm was wondering if anyone here can recommend a hardware / driver combo
>> for WIFI that allows access to the low level signal. I'm looking to do
>> some non-communication related research (uni stuff) that requires
>> sending custom signals over WIFI frequencies (to avoid FCC limitations),
>> and I was hoping that there is some existing hardware that I can hack at
>> the driver level instead of building complex hardware (which I have, but
>> getting a high enough accuracy starts getting pretty expensive).
>>
>> I'm not looking to bypass power/frequency limitations, just to send
>> custom signals over one of the WIFI channels.
>
> That would not be legal without an amateur radio or experimental 
> transmitter license.
>
> You are not legally permitted to modify a WiFi device to transmit more 
> than 100mW EIRP, operate on the legal 2.4 and 5.8 gHz channels 
> allocated to WIFI and use any other modulation or data encoding.
>
> You mention FCC limitations. They are different than Israeli ones as 
> far as EIRP, but basically the same about modification of devices. Of 
> course ISRAELI laws apply here and region 1 IARC rules.
>
> If you are in an under FCC jurisdiction, that would be covered by 
> region 2 IARC rules and be aware that the FCC has a very active 
> enforcement division and would be glad to slap you with a $10,000 fine 
> for each violation they detect.
>
>
> Sorry.
>
> Geoff.
>

Thanks for the info.

I'm currently working in the states, probably should check Israeli/USA 
law at some point. What I have now is this interesting setup which 
implements narrow bandwidth radar at the 2.4GHz range. As far as I know 
it is legal in the states (it uses readily available hardware as well)

http://www.glcharvat.com/Dr._Gregory_L._Charvat_Projects/Cantenna_Radar.html

It basically connects a signal generator to a voltage controlled 
ocsilator with 200MHz bandwidth around 2.4GHz.
I was looking to expand on this idea in the direction of the work by 
Dina Katabi from MIT CSAIL which require hacking the signal that the 
radar sends

http://people.csail.mit.edu/fadel/wivi/

The trick is not to change spectrum or intensity, but play a bit with 
the signal modulation within the regulated frequency range. Most of the 
stuff could probably also be done within the legal / standard WIFI type 
communication, but I need finer control over timing / encoding which 
would probably be either very hard or impossible to achieve going 
through the regular network stack.

I am also looking at UWB / XBAND but that is a completely different 
discussion that involves people that are allowed to do it and very 
custom (expensive) hardware.

Thanks