Setting up long distance wireless, who do I contact?

[MBony]

This is a follow up to a thread I posted last week. I have an 8 mile stretch that I want to try to connect and I want to get someone with knowledge to help with this. Who would that person be? I mean who are the people who specialize in this sort of thing? What are they called; wireless experts?

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: MBony
This is a follow up to a thread I posted last week. I have an 8 mile stretch that I want to try to connect and I want to get someone with knowledge to help with this. Who would that person be? I mean who are the people who specialize in this sort of thing? What are they called; wireless experts?

wireless/RF experts. see if you have a WISP in your area, they often do not just client to AP setups, but also point-to-point backhauls as well to support their own services. you could also contact network consultant firms and see if they have people qualified for this type of work.

 

[MichaelD]

Are there any legal issues to just doing it yourself? Directional antennas and amplifiers are readily available. Assuming you own the land and can get power to the poles every few miles or so, what other issues are there?

But, if you're trying to run a signal for 8 miles and that land is not privately owned, I could see where it would be a problem.

 

[MBony]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Are there any legal issues to just doing it yourself? Directional antennas and amplifiers are readily available. Assuming you own the land and can get power to the poles every few miles or so, what other issues are there?

But, if you're trying to run a signal for 8 miles and that land is not privately owned, I could see where it would be a problem.

No, I own the land on both ends.

Why would I need power every few miles? I thought you only needed power on the ends? But I'm a novice so what would I know.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: MBony

No, I own the land on both ends.

Why would I need power every few miles? I thought you only needed power on the ends? But I'm a novice so what would I know.

You only need a radio at both ends. As long as they have line of sight they can be 30 miles away and still work great.

You could do it yourself but a link that far usually will involve towers or working on structures high up, so safety is a concern.

I don't know the area you live in but what you are looking for is either wireless internet service providers (wisp) or communications companies. If you can't find a wisp look in the yellow pages under communications. Often companies that handle radio communication for businesses also do wireless internet setups.

Also look at manufacturers sites to see who they recommend.
http://www.trangobroadband.com/ is one of the bigger companies that make gear.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Are there any legal issues to just doing it yourself?

There are license requirements if you use some of the more powerful transmitters. Done to protect interference with other devices.

 

[ScottMac]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Are there any legal issues to just doing it yourself? Directional antennas and amplifiers are readily available. Assuming you own the land and can get power to the poles every few miles or so, what other issues are there?

But, if you're trying to run a signal for 8 miles and that land is not privately owned, I could see where it would be a problem.

Available, but not legal. Every place in the world that permits these systems limit their power (for good reason).

In the USA, any custom system like this requires certification to FCC mandated specs.

When you buy "off the shelf" those systems are pre-approved as a "type" (like airplanes). Changes are permitted, as long as the replaced components are substantially similar to the originals that the system was certified with.

I'm not saying that amplifiers per se are not legal, they can be used to overcome losses in transmission lines and protection components ... you are not permitted to increase the output at the antenna (EIRP) above legal limits.

 

[MBony]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: MBony

No, I own the land on both ends.

Why would I need power every few miles? I thought you only needed power on the ends? But I'm a novice so what would I know.

You only need a radio at both ends. As long as they have line of sight they can be 30 miles away and still work great.

You could do it yourself but a link that far usually will involve towers or working on structures high up, so safety is a concern.

I don't know the area you live in but what you are looking for is either wireless internet service providers (wisp) or communications companies. If you can't find a wisp look in the yellow pages under communications. Often companies that handle radio communication for businesses also do wireless internet setups.

Also look at manufacturers sites to see who they recommend.
http://www.trangobroadband.com/ is one of the bigger companies that make gear.

I actually have a water tower on one end that I can use and own. I'm not 100% sure I have complete line of sight, but it will be real close depending on which direction I need to aim. And I believe the end w/ the water tower is higher elevation than the other end.

Any suggestions on hardware needed would be appreciated.

 

[drebo]

Don't do it yourself. Hire a consultant to do it for you. They'll take care of all calculations and hardware and cabling that you'll need, and they'll do it right (lightning arrestors, etc).

A Cisco Aironet radio with a high-gain dish antenna should be more than sufficient for an 8 mile run. I have one currently going 7 miles through high-tension lines, and the radios are not running at full power. I get full 54mbit and around 3ms ping across the link.

 

[holden j caufield]

In school we ran one did one with a 2 mile range, with a repeater, and dd-wrt, course I think we exceeded FCC limitations.

Don't know what your budget is but there is so much info out there that you might be able to do this yourself. Just find some military grade cables and time.

 

[Modelworks]

Before I went any further I would get on the water tower with binoculars and look at the site I am trying to connect to, to see if I had line of sight.

 

[MBony]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Before I went any further I would get on the water tower with binoculars and look at the site I am trying to connect to, to see if I had line of sight.

Do you think binoculars will be able to see 8 miles? Just curious.

 

[Fardringle]

Originally posted by: MBony

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Before I went any further I would get on the water tower with binoculars and look at the site I am trying to connect to, to see if I had line of sight.

Do you think binoculars will be able to see 8 miles? Just curious.

Maybe not details, but at least well enough to see if there is anything obstructing line of sight to the building at the other end of the planned connection.


Again, don't do this yourself. Hire a professional and have it done correctly, safely, and legally.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: MBony

Originally posted by: Modelworks
Before I went any further I would get on the water tower with binoculars and look at the site I am trying to connect to, to see if I had line of sight.

Do you think binoculars will be able to see 8 miles? Just curious.

It will be enough to see the general area. If you can't see the area then you may need to use a telescope or spyglass. You really need to know if there is anything major , like a building in the way.

Some of the pros use lasers to check the path or with directional antennas that transmit a signal on low frequencies, 49Mhz , then they go along the projected path with a mobile unit to check the signal path.