Need help with 2 building home project.

[Schroom]

The project: Wired & wireless network off of Wildblue satellite modem.
Satellite (install on 1/24/08) will feed building 1 (only option, but can put modem at either end.)

The 2 buildings are rectangles oriented end to end with 65' open space between them and 185? overall.
Building 1 is a 40' metal building with apt. on far end.
End closest to building 2 has 1 man door and no windows.
Apt. will have a ?P4 2.8 w/2g ddr? desktop (wired) and 1 laptop (wireless)
Building 2 is a log home (approx 80' long) with office at far end.
Office will have ?c2d on p35 board w/2g ddr2? desktop and possible laptop.
All computers will have win XP home sp2.
Budget is a consideration but we want to get the maximum speed we can for all computers on network. We do have a Dlink Dl-524 wireless router but are thinking about using ?N? type router (leaning toward Linksys) with ?N? type wireless adapter on office desktop. I can build a computer but my understanding of networking is weak so please don?t get too technical.

Questions:
1. Will I need an outside antenna to get through the metal on the end of blg. 1 and if so, how does it connect to router and still provide wireless inside blg. 1?
2. Should I consider running cat5 cable to office desktop in blg. 2? Will that mean slower speeds? Plus we still may have a wireless laptop in blg. 2.
3. Other options?
Your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please let me know if I have forgotten any information. Thanks.

 

[JackMDS]

Welcome to AnandTech's Networking Forum.

The of the Wireless inside each building on its own, I doubt that you would be able to reach from inside one building to the other.

Lay a Cat5e cable in each site to spots that facing one the other and Bridge with two Access Points (if it does not working well ypu would need to install External Directional Antenna).

Otherwise, if you want to play around, http://www.ezlan.net/bridging.html

 

[Schroom]

Thanks for the welcome Jack and the link. I will read up on bridging. Do you think I would need to use wireless "N" for this or will wireless "G" be enough?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Welcome to AnandTech's Networking Forum.

The of the Wireless inside each building on its own, I doubt that you would be able to reach from inside one building to the other.

Lay a Cat5e cable in each site to spots that facing one the other and Bridge with two Access Points (if it does not working well ypu would need to install External Directional Antenna).

Otherwise, if you want to play around, http://www.ezlan.net/bridging.html

when i worked for a wISP in kansas i had a customer with the following situation:

one house, and one metal building shop, about 150' from one another.

we were *supposed* to provide a wireless solution for him to reach between the two points, long story short, sales guy dropped the ball and this customer went with WildBlue and ditched us, and had *them* provide the solution:

an N router inside the house, with an N card in the rear of his shop (so more like 175' between the two points). I asked how well it worked when we picked up our equipment (our solution was going to mount an external 2.4 antenna/radio on each building and run cat5 to the pc's inside)

he said it worked perfectly, and his only complaint was that wildblue wasnt as fast as our service. all of the antennas used with his N gear were omni's

 

[JackMDS]

There currently No selection of Draft-N hardware to do Bridging.

In addition this type of Networking is so dependent on the specific environment that there is Not real countable way to know by conversing over the Internet.

That said if you want to spend money on Draft-N with the idea that it would find its way from inside your building to inside the other building you can try, but be sure that you can return the hardware because the probability is on the side that it would Not work.

 

[Schroom]

Thank you both for your input.
xSauronx, your example seens very close to what I have except I have to transmit from the metal shop blg. I did think about 2 antennas. My choice will probably come down to cost and what I feel comfortabe in trying. I still don't understand about the external antennas and how they connect into the router without taking away your wireless signal inside the blg.
JackMDS, I understand that any of you can only give best guess on actual results and that I may have to play around with whatever plan I implement.
Thanks again, your ideas are appreciated.

 

[JackMDS]

xSauronx, a story like this does not necessarily teach anything about technology.

Could be that the competition undercut your price and try first the simple N approach with the idea that if it would not work they can do the same thing that you suggest.

They end up that the environment cooperate and they got lucky.

If it did not work they can use the N equipment else where. Other market consideration can play as well, like getting the draft-N from a vendor very cheap, or free, to introduce it into the market, it might be even subsidized to try the N so if it does not work and they have to find another solution and it does not cost them more.

I can keep speculating more, and may be I am even wrong so there is No further point to go on.

When giving advice to an End_User such considerations do not play part.

We know for sure that regular Bridging would work.

If the OP wants to buy draft N devices for few hundred $$ and try, why not it is his prerogative. Hopefully now he knows the score.