distances for wireless

I am preparing to move to a rural region - another family member will be moving about .25 mile from me - this family member is interested in getting internet via satellite (is this better than dial-up?) and wants to share cost with me and connection as I don't want a dish.

Is there any possibility of sharing a wireless connection at this distance and what type of equipment am I looking at? I assume I am at least looking at a router of some type and wireless access points. I am appealing to the collective wisdom of this forum.

Thanks in advance!

 

Eric,

I'm in the Uk so we may have different legislation on dish types etc but the following should stiil apply :

In order to move data wirelessly over a quarter mile you're going to need something a bit stronger than the usual Access point that you can buy off the shelf.

I've recently done something similar for a client here in order to connect two sites across a river - the antennae you need is a similar sixe to a dish and costs about the same as having your own connection put in !

Unless things are radically different in the US I'm afraid that the benfits you want (no dish and cheaper costs) are just not there

Hope I'm wrong !

 

How about a couple of strands of fiber?
It's getting pretty cheap.

 

smsith10pn : There must be a huge disparity in price between the US and the UK !!!!

 

Eric

This is pretty stright forward if "line of sight" will cost about 100-$150.00 (us) each locaton for the antennas.

I am at home but from work today I will find a link to purchase what you need. Use the link then find a similar product in UK.


Mike

 

Hi Eric

Sorry late getting back to you. Rough long week at work.

The key to understanding what you have to do here is understanding how to do it without antennas.

Remember the below is not details but the basic steps to do this.

So imagine you are just connecting 2 computers togather at your friend/neighbors home. One of these computers is yours.

The reason to do this at your neighbors homes is that is the location of the Dish so that is where the Router/Switch should be.

You will need a way to connect 2 computers and the Dish signal.

So you will need a Routers/Switch combo. The dish is pluged into the WAN port of the Router/Switch, then the 2 computers into the LAN ports.

As a matter of fact I reccomend that you take your computer to his home and make all connections using a network cable.

You would then set everything up get access to the dish confirm it works directly connected.

If you do this there will be no doubt as to everything working. If you do not do this you will be trying to configure the Access points and the connection at the same time and not know which is the problem. Hope you understand the concept of what I am saying.

Now that it works at his home and it is time to take your computer home and put in Access points and antennas. So think about it like this.

You cut the cable from your computer in his house and leave both ends hanging . At your home you wire the end of the loose cable and plug it into an Access point then you run another cable from the access point to outside the house to an antenna mounted on a pole or to the side of your house.

This antenna is pointed directly at your neighbors house and his antenna. He has done the same as you. If the access points are configured properly and the antenna aimed properly you should now have a link.

Notes:
I reccomend the LinkSys BEFSR41 cable/dsl/router switch

I reccomend you not try to use dual NIC's (and therefore ICS) in his PC so as not to use a HUB. Because if you do this it would require his computer to be on all the time for you to have access. Or if his computer fails you are down untill he is fixed.

Using a Router/Switch you would have access even if he was down. As long as the Router/Switch is on.

Here are some links to SMC which have both the Access points and antennas. You may shop for other brands these are what I have used.

NOTE: The rule on suposed antenna distances!! OverKill is good, buy one that is rated twice or more the distance you acctually need. Usually the difference between 1 mile range and 10 miles may only be 50.00 per end.

http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?action=products_show_product&productcode=SMCANT-KIT


http://www.smc.com/drivers_downloads/library/SMC Antenna_DS.pdf


Remember the above is my advice and guidelines only there are many details in between.

The most important reccomendation I gave here is: TAKE YOUR COMPUTER TO HIS HOME AND MAKE THE CONNECTING THERE BEFORE PUTTING IN ACCESS POINTS AND ANTENNAS.

Good luck

Mike