[NoCatNet] Help with Distance

[John Pearce]

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to help a Priest in a small Yaqui Indian community create a
wireless network he wishes to use for a school he is starting.  It is a
small town, the homes are all single story and construction varies from
block to wood frame with cardboard walls. He would like to have 4 or 5
students have internet access in their homes.  The cable connection would be
at the church and all of the homes would be within 500 feet or so.  Some 2
streets away with homes in between.  Trees exist.

I purchased a book, Jeff Duntemann's "Wifi Guide".  It is good book but
mostly talks about extending ranges for large ranch style homes and does not
go into enough detail for the project I am working on.

Money is limited so I can not afford to do a great deal of experimentation.
However from reading the book some is required in almost every case.

I am hoping that I can use a Linksys WRT54G wireless router, put a 18 or
20dbi Omni antenna on a poll at the church and have Cantennas or some type
of directional antenna on the desktops at the kids homes, and maybe have to
put those on the roof.  However so far it appears that all of the homes have
a window facing the church and if we get the antenna up high enough they may
have line of sight with the church antenna without having to loose signal to
coax at the house level.  We will already loose some to coax at the church.
I feel that putting the router up on the pole with the antenna and using
power over ethernet would not be acceptable in the hot climate of the
central Arizona deserts.  We have months of 110 degree F temperatures here.

Can anyone tell me if this is a sound approach or know of a book which deals
with requirements for projects such as I am attempting?

Thank you so much for any assistance anyone can be.

John Pearce
Phx, AZ