Long range home network (or increased) - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jsmith · #16 02-24-2003, 09:53 AM

There are turnkey solutions used for wireless building to building applications but they cost around $1k. You could lay down some fiber in a conduit - again not inexpensive but doable. The home brewed directional antenna or something along those lines will work and is probably the cheapest way to do it...

Ken300D · #17 02-24-2003, 10:26 AM

If you want to throw some bucks at the problem, you can find commercial antennas made by SMC.

Go to http://www.smc.com/

Click on North America

Click on "At Work"

Under Products click on "Wireless"

Under Step 1 of product selection choose "Antennas"

At this point under Step 2 you have a number of choices, from a parabolic dish to something that looks like it might be a loop antenna inside a plastic case (they call that a radome).

May I suggest the antennas, Model DI135 or DI145.

If you get the data sheet on one of these, it includes details on all of them in PDF format.

With an antenna at each end, you'd be looking at about $400 to $500 just for the antennas.

Personally, I'd try the juice can and old PrimeStar (or DirecTV) dish at each end first. It may work with just the juice can waveguides at each end, or a dish at one end and a juice can at the other.

Ken300D

Ashman · #18 02-24-2003, 02:52 PM

it can be done. wifi devices using 2.4 ghz or 5.2ghz have ranges up to 300 feet. you could extend the range by using access points, but you are looking at expensive equipment costs for the wifi stuff.

Best bet is to look into a long range wireless system. I would check with starband, which is a satellite internet service provider.

Equipment cost is around $700 or so plus install, but you should get something like 400k per sec up and downloads.

Alon

#19 02-24-2003, 04:34 PM

My neighbour and I have a similar setup. Cat5E cable will not work. Distance is 300 feet without a repeater. Look at Linksys and similar brand 2.4 and 5 gig wireless bridges. I personally recommend the 5 gig unit to avoid the interference from cordless phones, that we sometimes enounter. Look closely at the boxes as the specs will be posted. The equipment we used will max out right about at your distance. Get a distance wheel to verify the space you are bridging. We were out some $300 to get set up, including setting up wired networks at the two houses.

I also recommend setting them up as a wireless bridge. It is a bit more secure than a totally wireless system that is constantly polling for new ports. The two sides of the bridge store the opposite sides MAC address, and will only speak to it. Make sure that you have a good line of sight, especially at that distance. Trees will interfere with the signal, and cause the bridge to slow thruput.

You will have enough b/w to run DSL speed internet, file sharing, and streaming audio. We bog down when we try to play one of my compiled MPEG movies - too much data across the line.