Setting a HotSpot - Hardware needed for Long Distance

[Fresh101]

Hello Guys, I want to setup a HotSpot around a gated community that has atleast 100 Buildings, not higher than two floors each, and trees are also on path. I've been looking in different antennas and range extender amplifier and to many to choose from. My main goal is to try to cover as much area as possible without having buy big antennas and etc. This are some example that I have came up with and consideration but if there is any better suggestion please let me know. Remember is a HotSpot, all around 360 degrees. If it matters I have 2 routers, Linksys WRT54G v8 with DD-WRT running at Tx Power 160mw with heatsink and fans and the second one is a Linksys WRT54G-TM with DD-WRT running at Tx Power 251mw with heatsink, fan, W/SD/MMC Support. I live in a second floor apartment.

RadioLabs 500 mWatt 2.4 GHz Wireless Range Extender Amplifier
The antenna that this amplifier is attached with is a 5dbi but want to upgrade them to a 16dbi Antenna.

2.4 GHz 16dBi TNC Wireless WiFi Omni Terminal Antenna
Upgrading the stock antenna of the amplifier for a more sensitive one.

Any suggestion other than this are always welcome. Thank you in advance.

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Edit: The Thread is locked here while the discussion continues here,

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2332363&enterthread=y

JackMDS Moderator

 

[Paperlantern]

100 Buildings? It sounds like you have the start to a decent sized hotspot, but for an entire neighborhood, 2 routers might not make it, are you trying to cover the entire area, or just a nice big radius near the middle? How big exactly IS the area? We talking a square mile or two? Or are these bulding crammed in like sardines and are only covering several acres?

I would suggest wireless repeaters if you are trying to make the wireless go throughout the entire community successfully. Even if you get the hot spot to extend the length of the entire community from a central location, most laptop or wireless devices aren't designed to communicate beyond 50 or 60 feet, 100 with some of the better ones, tops, so they will have signal, but they cant talk back to the router and will have no connectivity. The repeaters scattered strategically around the complex, based on antenna type, will be your best bet.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Fresh101
My main goal is to try to cover as much area as possible without having buy big antennas and etc.

As Paperlantern suggested, repeaters might be a better way to go. To be able to go any reasonable distance you really need line-of-sight, which you won't get with all the trees/buildings that you describe.

How some WISPs (Wireless ISPs) cover an area is to use high gain sector antennas in an array, sometimes with amplification.

 

[JackMDS]

Repeaters would not do either cause each one cuts the bandwidth by half, in addition when the bandwidth is shared with many clients the result at each Wireless client would be pitiful.

A project like this, to be cost effective, you need to run cables to 10 (or more) spots and install an Access Points connected to the main source by cable.

As for your Linksys WRT54G with DD-WRT running at Tx Power 251mw.

It works because it an over kill for what you need. Other for large coverage it probably would Not do well.

RF amps. that were not design for High Output, when pushed the way you pushed the Linksys, amplify the Signal and the Noise. The sweet spot of the WRT54 is about 70mW (in some units even less).

Good RF reception is more an issue of Signal the Noise Ratio (SNR) rather than brute dirty signal.

http://www.ezlan.net/wbars.html

 

[Paperlantern]

Repeaters don't cut down on the bandwidth available by half, thats a little exaggerated, they are nothing more than wireless WAPs. The performance does diminish slightly, but saying half is misleading i think. Usually they communicate back to the main router and with eachother on a different frequency than the clients use. He doesnt need to run cable anywhere, thats a waste of time and money.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Paperlantern
Repeaters don't cut down on the bandwidth available by half, thats a little exaggerated, they are nothing more than wireless WAPs. The performance does diminish slightly, but saying half is misleading i think. Usually they communicate back to the main router and with eachother on a different frequency than the clients use. He doesnt need to run cable anywhere, thats a waste of time and money.

This is simply Not true when we talk about regualr WIFI hardware.

This is true if you set special Two Radios Repeaters that cost almost $1000 each.