Need Help with Extended Range Config

[johnsofats]

Here is the issue: my in-laws have a vacation home and on the back side of the property is a small cottage that they rent in the summer. The issue is that Verizon will not hardwire the cottage (plus my MIL doesn't want to pay for internet when the house is not in house 3/4 of the year). As a result, we are trying to come up with a solution to get a signal up there. We've considered devices that convert LTE to wifi but there is very little cellular signal at the cottage so that was a non-starter. We've also tried range extenders but the signals are typically too weak and/or the devices are just too finicky and stop working half the time.

Here is a pic of the distance between the houses: http://imgur.com/k53MHgU Maybe about 50 yards between existing router placement and the cottage. Red arrow is router placement, blue is where it needs to get.

We are going to try upgrading router to a surfboard and pairing it with Netgear EX6200 (wirecutter pick). The biggest issue is that the extender has to be in the big house because the only building in between is a small shed that is not wired for power.

Any thoughts? Is there a better way to do this? Is Verizon required to hardwire the cottage if requested? If so, will they let us turn off internet from Sept to May?

Thanks in advance.

-FATS

 

[frowertr]

So the big house has internet?

If you have line of sight to the cottage from the large house you could do a PtP link with a pair of Ubiquity Nanobeams. You could then setup an access point (or hardwire lan) in the cottage that would use the PtP link as it's connection back to the internet in your main house.

 

[JackMDS]

If you have line of sight to the cottage from the large house you could do a PtP link with a pair of Ubiquity Nanobeams. You could then setup an access point (or hardwire lan) in the cottage that would use the PtP link as it's connection back to the internet in your main house.

This.

However, it looks from the picture that you don't have line of sight.

That means that the two nanobeams have to be installed on Masts (One at each location) high enough to create Clear Line of Sight for the signal.

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You can not transmit WIFI such a distance from inside a house to inside another house.

In most cases you have to be prepared to use Outdoor (weather proof) Wireless Access Point on installed on a mast out side each house looking one at the other via High gain directional Antenna.

The Access point are fed the signal from the Inside Network via Cat6 with a POE to provide the DC power to the Access point.

This pages have example to type of hardware that might be of help.

http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Nanobeam-NBE-M5-19-High-Performance/dp/B00JFQV6GC

http://www.data-alliance.net/roof-mounts/

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P.S. Extender is a nice word in English. It use in WIFI is grossly deceiving. In most cases it is useless for WIFI purposes because it is too weak and cuts the whatever signal is available at its spot by 50%.

 

[johnsofats]

Incredibly helpful. Thanks to you both.

So the big house has internet?

If you have line of sight to the cottage from the large house you could do a PtP link with a pair of Ubiquity Nanobeams. You could then setup an access point (or hardwire lan) in the cottage that would use the PtP link as it's connection back to the internet in your main house.

Big House has internet. There is line of sight between big house and cottage - may be obstructed by tree branches, leaves, etc. but def a clear line of sight. No structures in between.

 

[frowertr]

Tree branches will degrade the signal but you won't know how much until you actually install it and begin testing.

I have an Axis IP cam mounted up on a sign at my business that is 50' in the air. I use a pair Nanobeams (one on the sign and the other on my building) to create the wireless "bridge" in order to connect that camera to my LAN. Works flawlessly. Ubiquity makes rock solid gear. You can't go wrong here.

 

[WelshBloke]

Could you use powerline networking to get to the cottage?
Because they have powerline wifi access points that might do the job.

 

[johnsofats]

Could you use powerline networking to get to the cottage?
Because they have powerline wifi access points that might do the job.

Do you have an example of that type of product?

 

[WelshBloke]

Do you have an example of that type of product?

This sort of thing.

http://www.devolo.co.uk/article/dlan-1200-wifi-ac-starter-kit-powerline-adapter/

Just don't get the 1200ac one, get a cheaper one.

 

[frowertr]

Could you use powerline networking to get to the cottage?
Because they have powerline wifi access points that might do the job.

Only if you want headaches.

 

[WelshBloke]

Only if you want headaches.

Mine works fine, I use it for pretty much exactly what the OP wants just at a shorter range.

I wanted wifi at the end of my garden and access to my home network in some outbuildings.

It depends on how your electrical wiring is set up but if it suits your setup it works fine.

 

[johnsofats]

Mine works fine, I use it for pretty much exactly what the OP wants just at a shorter range.

I wanted wifi at the end of my garden and access to my home network in some outbuildings.

It depends on how your electrical wiring is set up but if it suits your setup it works fine.

Essentially an extender though yes? I think there is too much distance between the buildings to for an extender type arrangement.

 

[WelshBloke]

Essentially an extender though yes? I think there is too much distance between the buildings to for an extender type arrangement.

It uses your electrical power circuit as a wired connection then has a wifi access point at the end. It should be good for up to 200m or so depending on circuits.

It's very dependent on how your wiring is set up so if you do go for it get it from somewhere that you can return it if it doesn't suit.

 

[JackMDS]

In the Good WIFI world "Powerline" and "Extenders" strongly competing on which one is the Worse Solution.

 

[johnsofats]

In the Good WIFI world "Powerline" and "Extenders" strongly competing on which one is the Worse Solution.

Yikes. Trying at all costs to avoid headaches. I don't mind an involved setup but I want to be able to forget about it once it's up and running.

 

[WelshBloke]

In the Good WIFI world "Powerline" and "Extenders" strongly competing on which one is the Worse Solution.

It's a lot easier to try rather than dicking around with masts and cutting tree branches down.

Plug one in near your router, attach the network cable, plug the other one in at the cottage and see if it works. If not take it back and you haven't lost any costs at all.

 

[JackMDS]

When I have to take my In laws to eat out I do not take them to Burger King.

D:--:sneaky:---:biggrin:.

 

[WelshBloke]

When I have to take my In laws to eat out I do not take them to Burger King.

D:--:sneaky:---:biggrin:.

Neither do I. I don't expect them to trap and kill their own dinner either.

;p

 

[johnsofats]

When I have to take my In laws to eat out I do not take them to Burger King.

D:--:sneaky:---:biggrin:.

Do you have any idea of whether we could force Verizon or Comcast to wire that house? It's not a rural area and there are houses all around it that are wired for cable and, I'm assuming, internet? Getting them to agree to do it and getting them to actually do it are entirely different beasts I suppose.

 

[frowertr]

If you want cable and there is cable at the road/overhead/close by they will wire it to the outside wall for you. It's typically up to you to get the inside wiring done via an electrician or low voltage installer although I think Comcast will do it for a fee. Call them up.

 

[JackMDS]

Do you have any idea of whether we could force Verizon or Comcast to wire that house? It's not a rural area and there are houses all around it that are wired for cable and, I'm assuming, internet? Getting them to agree to do it and getting them to actually do it are entirely different beasts I suppose.

All I can tell you that in New York State after Super Storm Sandy (Oct, 2012) Verizon refused to rewire some locations. Many people complained to the State agencies and Verizon was "strong Armed" by the State to provide service to everyone.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

Do you have any idea of whether we could force Verizon or Comcast to wire that house? It's not a rural area and there are houses all around it that are wired for cable and, I'm assuming, internet? Getting them to agree to do it and getting them to actually do it are entirely different beasts I suppose.

Depends on what agreements Comcast and Verizon signed with the municipality to get the right of way for their systems. I believe the typical requirement is that they connect you for no fee if you're within 300' of the road.

 

[QuietDad]

As a former Subcontractor for Comcast, when you order Comcast for the first time for a house, the drop to the house and a line for a modem and one for the TV are usually free and there may be a fee for additional lines. Wall fishing costs money regardless. Free lines are stapled to the side of your house.

 

[johnsofats]

So we've more or less decided on the Nanobeam option. Just so I'm not missing anything, here is what I'm planning to purchase. I may not fully understand the setup so let me know if I'm missing anything.

New Modem (we're renting one now)
New Routers x 2 (assuming we need one for cottage?)
Ethernet Cables x 2 (Cat6? weatherproof?)
POE x 2
Nanobeam x 2
Mounts x 2

Anything I'm missing?

 

[frowertr]

Why a new modem? Just to dump the rental fee? You only need one modem in total so getting rid of the rental and getting another is fine. You will use a switch at the cottage and not a modem or router. You whole network will be "flat" (one single subnet). So only a single router is needed where you have your internet drop coming in at the big house and you will use switches to connect your devices to the network.

Only need one router. If you internet is coming in at the big house, that is where your router will live. A lot of the of the modems double as routers so you don't necessarily need a standalone router if your modem can do this.

Cat5e would be fine but nothing wrong with Cat6. Yes, you need outdoor/shielded network cable (STP) if putting it outside.

I'm pretty sure those Nanobeams come with their own PoE adapter. They don't use standard 802.af PoE power. They operate at a lower voltage. They also come with pole mounts as well. So you just need a mast/pole of some sort.

Remember you need to enable the Nanobeams to bridge mode in order to create a "wireless bridge" between the house and cottage. That basically just turns them into a wireless point-to-point Ethernet cable. So no matter how fancy they look, in bridge mode they are no different than stringing a long Cat5e cable from one house to the other. Don't let the project overwhelm you. It's not complicated once you lay everything out and understand how it all fits together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zKNIveuCxM
https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/102255-point-to-point-wireless-bridge-with-ubiquiti

 

[johnsofats]

So you just need a mast/pole of some sort.

Any reason for a pole/mast if we can find somewhere on each house within line of sight?

Also: forgive my ignorance. What's a switch?