Long Range wi-fi extender?

[jymbee]

Internet access has finally reached our rural location via the local cable company. When installed I would also like to be able to use wireless in an outbuilding about 300 feet away from the point where the indoor router will be installed. Done a lot of searching and there seems to be a myriad of options out there but not easy getting past all the techno/sales jargon.

Perhaps someone here has direct experience with a similar situation and can point me in the right direction?

 

[newbury]

I have a similar "problem".
A great deals depends on the line of sight.
Can you see the outbuilding from where the indoor router will be installed?

Do you have to go through trees?

MY BIL has an office and about 140 yards away, across a street and through one tree, is his house. About 3 years ago he set up a TP-link outdoor range extender and gets fairy good reception. Works well.

Search on here ther are a few GREAT threads on range extenders.

 

[aczlan]

Get a pair of Ubiquity NanoStation Loco M2 access points and set them up as a wireless bridge (directions here). I have a pair of those linking to my inlaws house (~1/4 mile away) and they have been rock solid since 2011.
Then you just need an access point inside the outbuilding.

Aaron Z

 

[SirReal63]

I would run fiber optic from the router at the house to the outbuilding.

 

[jymbee]

Good line of site but there are some trees close to the outbuilding. I think some low branch trimming could open that up however. I'll look into the extender you mentioned. Thanks for the input!

I have a similar "problem".
A great deals depends on the line of sight.
Can you see the outbuilding from where the indoor router will be installed?

Do you have to go through trees?

MY BIL has an office and about 140 yards away, across a street and through one tree, is his house. About 3 years ago he set up a TP-link outdoor range extender and gets fairy good reception. Works well.

Search on here ther are a few GREAT threads on range extenders.

 

[Gafn]

How much money do you want to spend?

line of sight - trees impact performance
More trees - you need more power to punch through if it is possible....

I have setup several long range network with the EnGenius product line.
They are a bit higher price than most, but they also push more power - the one in the link below pushes 800mw, most only push 200 - 400mw.
This is a good product, I had an issue with one of their first generation outdoor cases, it developed a leak in a casting seam, worked with EnGenius directly, fantastic customer service.... they replaced the version I had, and have now changed the design of the casting.
I normally setup 2 of the units, creating a 5 GHZ bridge between the two, and then enable both devices to be 2.4GHZ access points. You can make a wifi figure 8 of about a 1/2 mile in length.
It also helps to upgrade the antenna on certain devices at the other end...

You may not need a long rang repeater - you may just need a better antenna on the device you are using out in your shop.... (cheaper way to go) - see the 2nd link. The tech support group is fantastic

Amazon.com: EnGenius Enterprise-Class Long-Range High-Capacity Wireless-N Outdoor Access Point (ENH210EXT): Computers & Accessories
2.4 GHz 15 dBi Omnidirectional Antenna - N-Female Connector - HG2415U-PRO

 

[jymbee]

Ah, I think that these gizmos might be what I had read here on TBN in the past but could not find again. I especially like the detailed directions complete with pictures and arrows. :thumbsup: Seems quite economical as well. Thanks much for the info.

Get a pair of Ubiquity NanoStation Loco M2 access points and set them up as a wireless bridge (directions here). I have a pair of those linking to my inlaws house (~1/4 mile away) and they have been rock solid since 2011.
Then you just need an access point inside the outbuilding.

Aaron Z

 

[jymbee]

Probably more than I'd like to spend, but definitely something to keep in mind if other options come up short. Might also be useful info for some friends who are in need of a more powerful range extender of some type. Thanks!

How much money do you want to spend?

line of sight - trees impact performance
More trees - you need more power to punch through if it is possible....

I have setup several long range network with the EnGenius product line.
They are a bit higher price than most, but they also push more power - the one in the link below pushes 800mw, most only push 200 - 400mw.
This is a good product, I had an issue with one of their first generation outdoor cases, it developed a leak in a casting seam, worked with EnGenius directly, fantastic customer service.... they replaced the version I had, and have now changed the design of the casting.
I normally setup 2 of the units, creating a 5 GHZ bridge between the two, and then enable both devices to be 2.4GHZ access points. You can make a wifi figure 8 of about a 1/2 mile in length.
It also helps to upgrade the antenna on certain devices at the other end...

You may not need a long rang repeater - you may just need a better antenna on the device you are using out in your shop.... (cheaper way to go) - see the 2nd link. The tech support group is fantastic

Amazon.com: EnGenius Enterprise-Class Long-Range High-Capacity Wireless-N Outdoor Access Point (ENH210EXT): Computers & Accessories
2.4 GHz 15 dBi Omnidirectional Antenna - N-Female Connector - HG2415U-PRO

 

[Industrial Toys]

I share internet with a neighbour a quarter mile away using Engenious Wireless Links. We have wasted a good part of our lives trying to figure out the configuration. Then had equipment failures. How are the Ubiquity for ease of set up?

My Internet comes in on a seventy foot tower some five hundred feet from my house. It used to go via radio to my neighbour and back to me, as I can't see my own tower.

Now I use RG 59 coax with media converters to Eithernet and I couldn't be happier! Plug and play, no reduction in speed, robust and reliable!Meanwhile my neighbour still struggles with that stupid Engenious stuff!

 

[aczlan]

I share internet with a neighbour a quarter mile away using Engenious Wireless Links. We have wasted a good part of our lives trying to figure out the configuration. Then had equipment failures. How are the Ubiquity for ease of set up?

I found them pretty easy (but I am a computer guy). Directions are here: https://wiki.ubnt.com/How_to_bridge_internet_connections (the new config website looks a little different but its pretty much the same steps).

Aaron Z

 

[Gafn]

I share internet with a neighbour a quarter mile away using Engenious Wireless Links. We have wasted a good part of our lives trying to figure out the configuration. Meanwhile my neighbour still struggles with that stupid Engenious stuff!

Same as Arron Z - I drive a keyboard way more than anything else. The configuration is fairly standard among enterprise level devices, so it can be complex in all that it offers.
I have never had an issue once the configuration of the Engenius equipment is locked down. They are a config and forget device. The systems I have installed have logged thousands upon thousands of trouble free hours.

On the note of reception - a high gain antenna may be all you really need.
I have one site that pushes well beyond the standard range of the Engenius devices - I change from the stock antenna to a high gain antenna, and the device performs flawlessly.
If you are on the edge of the WiFi bubble - a better antenna is all you need, most stock antenna are really cheap.
If you have an Android phone, or tablet this app will allow you to see the signal strength of your available WiFi signals.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en

I hope that helps

 

[ustmd]

Do you have any point between the two buildings that has access to power and is in range of wireless signal? If so, most wireless routers can be configured as repeaters/range extenders. This is what I did to get wireless to my workshop. The wireless from the house makes it to the barn which has a repeater in it that is in range of the shop.

The downside of this set up, is that every time you go through a repeater, your "speed" is halved...no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[jymbee]

Interesting app. I'll download and check it out. Thanks for the tip re. antennas too.

If you are on the edge of the WiFi bubble - a better antenna is all you need, most stock antenna are really cheap.
If you have an Android phone, or tablet this app will allow you to see the signal strength of your available WiFi signals.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en

I hope that helps

 

[jymbee]

There's a pond, stream, and driveway between the two points which pretty much leaves out the possibility of a cable between the points as well as additional hardware along the way.

Do you have any point between the two buildings that has access to power and is in range of wireless signal? If so, most wireless routers can be configured as repeaters/range extenders. This is what I did to get wireless to my workshop. The wireless from the house makes it to the barn which has a repeater in it that is in range of the shop.

The downside of this set up, is that every time you go through a repeater, your "speed" is halved...no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[California]

Get a pair of Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M2 access points and set them up as a wireless bridge (directions here). I have a pair of those linking to my inlaws house (~1/4 mile away) and they have been rock solid since 2011.
Then you just need an access point inside the outbuilding.

Aaron Z

I dug into the TBN catacombs and found this old, relevant thread mentioning Ubiquiti applications. Maybe someone here has an answer:

I found one Ubiquiti Powerstation5 PS5-22V amplifier/directional antenna at Goodwill for $8. New in box. New toy!

I'm considering beaming it at the ranch guest cabin, or perhaps locating it there as an AP and aimed back at the house. I know enough networking to set it up. But after online research I see this is so old that there is no discussion online anywhere aside from a couple of requests about repair several years ago that went unanswered.

There's nothing relevant on Ubiquiti's site. There's a link to their EndOfLife list ... that link hangs my browser without showing me anything! I get the impression Ubiquiti has completely abandoned their older products that preceded their "M' era.

Question: Is this worth playing with? Clearly I need to turn down the transmitter output, I don't want the 50km claimed transmit range! But is this Powerstation5's receiver capable of reception range exceeding an ordinary router?

Any security concerns? Worthwhile to proceed with this toy, or just put it on Ebay?

All comments welcome!

 

[MNBobcat]

I bought 2 Ubiquiti NBE-M5-16 High-Performance airMAX Bridge NanoBeam M5 16dBi for $140 in 2014 and they will by far be your easiest and best solution. I've not so much as had a hiccup with them. They are outstanding. Essentially they work as a wireless bridge which means they act like a cable running between 2 locations without the need for the cable.

I had to turn the power down on them because I didn't want them broadcasting a mile away from my house. I have them on their lowest power setting and it provides internet between my house and my pole building which is about 300 feet away. They can be installed and you up and running in under an hour. I added a router inside the pole building which provides wifi to my phone and anything else when I'm in the pole building. I have a wifi thermostat in the pole building which means I can turn on the heat from my iphone and warm up the shop before I go out there.

Also, it allows for a security system in the building which could alert me over wifi if there are problems.

Do not go through the hassle of running actual wire or fiber. Its not worth the headache.

 

[California]

I bought 2 Ubiquiti NBE-M5-16 High-Performance airMAX Bridge NanoBeam M5 16dBi for $140 in 2014 and they will by far be your easiest and best solution.

That's doing it right. I've read many favorable comments about Ubiquiti's modern gear. If I needed to do it right I would follow your example.

So far I'm mostly playing with this ancient unsupported $8 toy I found. I wish Ubiquiti still had manuals online for it, but no, it's a complete orphan.


I'm home in town at the moment. I set up the Powerstation5 last night and turned it face-down, to not beam signal to its 35 mile(!) range. With output set minimum it shows signal strength lower than a wifi repeater at the other end of the house so I'm not blasting the neighbors. I configured it as an Access Point then linked my phone through it and out to the Internet. Everything works as expected.

So far it seems this will do what I want to accomplish, broadcast wifi to the ranch's guest cabin from the ranch house. I'll see if the 3 degree beam width is a limitation there. I might need to add a repeater to re-broadcast signal into all corners of the cabin. And I don't know if its receive sensitivity is sufficient for this one-way service. I think in theory, slow inbound signal won't be a significant limitation but we'll see. If this works, it should make Roku practical at the cabin along with general internet for my kids. And there should be a sweet, narrow spot for hundreds of ft out into the orchard beyond.

I've always liked playing around with network stuff. I started before wifi and when Ethernet card ip's were set with jumpers. Now, playing with obsolete network gear is a cheap hobby.

One question: I set up a device access password. Next to the Ethernet input there's what looks like a reset button that hopefully would restore defaults. But with no documentation - I don't want to brick the thing. On your later Ubiquiti gear is that a reset button? Does it need to be pressed before power-on, or some other magic that isn't obvious?

 

[PEJ5]

Ubitquiti is a quality brand. I installed this pair of enGenius ENH500 units four years ago and they have been rock solid. They are both inside shooting through windows. If you are rural then 300Mbps is plenty fast enough.
https://www.amazon.com/EnGenius-dir...=1569098797&s=gateway&sprefix=engenius&sr=8-3

If you have to get signal through the woods then yes, burying a fiber optic cable (in some water pipe) is the best plan. You can buy pre-connectorized fiber and the optic electronics for each end are not to pricey.

 

[Reload5]

I bought 2 Ubiquiti NBE-M5-16 High-Performance airMAX Bridge NanoBeam M5 16dBi for $140 in 2014 and they will by far be your easiest and best solution. I've not so much as had a hiccup with them. They are outstanding. Essentially they work as a wireless bridge which means they act like a cable running between 2 locations without the need for the cable.

I had to turn the power down on them because I didn't want them broadcasting a mile away from my house. I have them on their lowest power setting and it provides internet between my house and my pole building which is about 300 feet away. They can be installed and you up and running in under an hour. I added a router inside the pole building which provides wifi to my phone and anything else when I'm in the pole building. I have a wifi thermostat in the pole building which means I can turn on the heat from my iphone and warm up the shop before I go out there.

Also, it allows for a security system in the building which could alert me over wifi if there are problems.

Do not go through the hassle of running actual wire or fiber. Its not worth the headache.

I recently installed the same NanoBeam products for just about that same distance... Works very well.

 

[California]

I tried the Ubiquiti Powerstation5 PS5-22V amplifier/directional antenna -very obsolete - that I described above. I set it up as an Accesss Point and aimed it at the ranch guest cabin for a trial.

It tested over 30 mbps, but didn't improve service to the ranch guest cabin compared to the Netgear wifi repeater already there. The rural DSL based in the house is only 10 mbps and that speed is already repeated within in the cabin so using more hardware is pointless. Its going on Ebay.


Another new toy! A T-Mobile Personal Cellspot TM-AC1900 (ASUS Router) from Goodwill for $4.20. Basically a premium router with one of its Guest Access logins replaced by priority routing to T-Mobile, in effect similar to having a phone cell tower at the router. It claims some magic exceeding the ordinary capability of any phone to route through wifi. Anybody have experience with these?