Enhancing WiFi reception?

[ericm979]

Your neighbor is very trusting to give you his wifi password. So much can go wrong with that for both of you. For example the neighbor's kid searches for jihadi material or kiddie **** and now everyone whose devices have used that wifi are suspect.

What you need is internet service to your house. It's separate from cell phone service(*). Depending on what's available in your location you can go with DSL, Comcast, some form of radio, or satellite. Internet is a requirement for both me and my wife to work from home. Being in a remote area it's been a challenge at times. 21 years ago it was not easily available in our area and I had to purchase a commercial connection and gear. The phone company had five trucks on our road for a week to drag special wires a couple miles up the road. Currently we're using a radio based deal that hits a repeater antenna on the next ridge which sends it up a canyon to another antenna.

Once you have internet service you can use whatever router you want to get Wifi to your end devices. Some wifi routers have multiple transmitters that communicate between themselves on a different frequency. So if you have a big house or want to cover the barn or back yard you can add a transmitter near by. We're using Netgear Orbi units and they work well.

(*) there are also cellular data plans and most cell phones can be turned into wifi hotspots for your laptop to connect to. You say you have poor coverage but that often differs between carriers. I find that Verizon has the widest network but in an specific spot it could be any of the carriers that covers you best.

 

[ultrarunner]

Hi Eric...

Vacant property... no one lives there... it is just a place where I store some of my antique cars.

These days I am lucky if I can spend a couple of hours on a Saturday morning there.

The neighbors are a retired couple that built their home years ago... they do have two adult grand daughters that visited for Christmas... so no little kids around or people coming and going.

Last year I used my Deere Backhoe to dig a pad for their 5,000 gallon water tank and rough in a trail they had been trying to do it all by hand and my Backhoe made short work of it... they were just being neighborly offering their WiFi.

Having Internet where I store my cars would be a huge convenience but paying for it doesn't pencil out.

On a separate note... I do have a rental in Washington State where I rented to the kids of the family up at the road... they set up a sky bridge for Internet and when it worked it worked well... the downside was several times a month they would need to reset the Router so it was not dependable... and if the parents were away or late at night it was just an imposition.

When they vacated I had Comcast run underground to my rental for the price of 14k... but was able to roll the cost into a long-term $290 monthly provider contract which is still in my name.

 

[Diggin It]

I will need to re-read as there are many good suggestions.

I'm afraid if I modify or add anything at the source (Neighbor) that I will be involved anytime should something happen...

Right now I can use my laptop perfectly on his property like his driveway... and this is why he gave me the password.

My laptop gets real shaky when I go inside my barn and the connection drops out all the time and I can only get it with the barn doors open... or near the one window.

My thought is to see if a simple inexpensive device to enhance the signal emanating from my neighbor on my end so it would be strong enough so I could use the lap top at my property reliably...

There is always the option for me to subscribe to my own service but so far I only need 10-15 minutes in a week and basically frugal when it comes to recurring expense...

I do have power and there is a Fry's store that I visit... I bought my laptop at Fry's...

They should have devices from the manufacturers I mentioned, or from others.

 

[SirMaxwell]

Hi Eric...

Vacant property... no one lives there... it is just a place where I store some of my antique cars.

These days I am lucky if I can spend a couple of hours on a Saturday morning there.

The neighbors are a retired couple that built their home years ago... they do have two adult grand daughters that visited for Christmas... so no little kids around or people coming and going.

Last year I used my Deere Backhoe to dig a pad for their 5,000 gallon water tank and rough in a trail they had been trying to do it all by hand and my Backhoe made short work of it... they were just being neighborly offering their WiFi.

Having Internet where I store my cars would be a huge convenience but paying for it doesn't pencil out.

On a separate note... I do have a rental in Washington State where I rented to the kids of the family up at the road... they set up a sky bridge for Internet and when it worked it worked well... the downside was several times a month they would need to reset the Router so it was not dependable... and if the parents were away or late at night it was just an imposition.

When they vacated I had Comcast run underground to my rental for the price of 14k... but was able to roll the cost into a long-term $290 monthly provider contract which is still in my name.

Yea, sounds like you can do with just a repeater/booster that has POE. Now us tech folks would like to do all kinds of nifty things, but I'm betting you just wan a basic reliable WiFi.

So get a device like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KYDRHGQ/ref=twister_B07N2LD4CK?_encoding=UTF8&th=1


Mount it, plug in 120VAC Power, Configure.

All you need to do is put it up as high and clear of obstructions, as close to neighbor source as possible. Run a single Ethernet cable within a 200- 300 hundred feet (POE - power over Ethernet). Ethernet cable runs into place/Barn with power, plugs into a POE adapter. Adapter plugs into wall. You configure as Repeater/Booster and Bobs your Uncle.

Basically it will get the WiFi out of the air and boost it, then re-transmit. Will cost you some speed but likely not noticeable. Device's like that Wavlink are a Full Watt+ (1000 mW), vs the Comcast box which could easily be 100mW or less). So you will probably gain Smart Phone WiFi access as well.

If that doesn't work, you could try configuring as an A/P (Access Point) and adding your own network switch. or router, or wireless, but likely just repeating/boosting will do you for 100 bucks. and an hour or so.

 

[ultrarunner]

Sounds like it will do the job and easy for me to take with me later.

Several reviews said it was good around pool areas to boost WiFi...

 

[aczlan]

Personally, I would put a Ubiquity Nanostation M2 Loco ($46 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-locoM2-2-4GHz-Outdoor/dp/B00DCNRTAG/ ) on the wall of the shop pointing towards the neighbors house in client mode. That is powered over the Ethernet cable that connects to it, so you can snake the cable into the shop.
Bring the cable inside, then connect it to a $20 router inside the shop https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N300-Wireless-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR841N/dp/B001FWYGJS
That is how I setup a guy at work who has a pole barn style shop across the street from his house. He now has a very good wireless connection in the shop.

Aaron Z

 

[ultrarunner]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J65G9D...&pd_rd_r=4dc0c092-2816-11e9-bd5b-dfbc5f26256b

Something like this?

 

[aczlan]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J65G9D...&pd_rd_r=4dc0c092-2816-11e9-bd5b-dfbc5f26256b

Something like this?

I would avoid that, its probbaly a cheap piece of junk.
If you want to go that route, just get the $20 router I linked to ( https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N300-Wireless-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR841N/dp/B001FWYGJS ), update it to the latest firmware and set it up as a wireless repeater.

Aaron Z

 

[SirMaxwell]

Personally, I would put a Ubiquity Nanostation M2 Loco ($46 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-locoM2-2-4GHz-Outdoor/dp/B00DCNRTAG/ ) on the wall of the shop pointing towards the neighbors house in client mode. That is powered over the Ethernet cable that connects to it, so you can snake the cable into the shop.
Bring the cable inside, then connect it to a $20 router inside the shop https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-N300-Wireless-Wi-Fi-Router-TL-WR841N/dp/B001FWYGJS
That is how I setup a guy at work who has a pole barn style shop across the street from his house. He now has a very good wireless connection in the shop.

Aaron Z

No disagreement with me, if it was mine, personally, I'd do it quite different. I was under the impression that the OP wanted minimum parts, minimum effort, minimum knowledge, minimal cost, and would like to still use WiFi around the property, not only the Barn. In which case, can't beat 1 Part plus a cable, which will likley give him 500-1000 ft around the device. Assuming it is relatively clear.

 

[SirMaxwell]

I'm with Aaron on this. Be careful, I've seen most of these types of devices work no better than, and sometimes worse, than the internal radio. How much quality radio tech can be had for 20 bucks, as well, how much power can it transmit with? Might be 5dbi gain on receive, but you gotta send.....Though might work, and only cost 20 bones. :/