jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA
|  Need Help with extending wireless Range
I have an internet access machine in a hotel. It works great at the machine and wireless w/i about 100 feet which covers restaurant, bar and lobby. What I need is to extend the range to rooms in the hotel. The building I want to reach is about 100 yards with LOS. The machine has a gateway and is located in a hallway about 15 from a door which has LOS on the building. I am pretty low tech so keep it simple if possible.
I have a cable broadband connection. The gateway is special make by AirPath. Thanks for responding  |
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Saleen_4_U
join:2001-09-18
Fredericktown, OH | you need to look into getting some wireless bridge devices. Install them every 100 feet or so. The signal will basically jump from bridge to bridge wirelessly. Or there is also a signal booster you can get but the bridge would be more reliable |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | Thanks for the info. With the layout I have the every 100 feet option is not there. Was hoping to boost signal with an antenna from the router. Just not much knowledge in how to to this. Would like some info before I start spending money. |
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jpg366
join:2004-04-09
Humble, TX | reply to jld1234
The best wireless extender is a wire. Any chance you can have some cat-5 cable run between the buildings? Something wireless may end up costing more than a second broadband cable connection. |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA
| A second broadband connection requires a monthly fee...in this case $95 a month which makes this an expensive option. wiring this situation is also not an option based on the physical attributes involved. I have read about many different wireless applications, don't they apply here? |
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grcore
Power To The People
join:2003-12-06
usa
| reply to jld1234
You can do it wirelessly, like the other poster said you need to get a set of dedicated bridge units to get the signal from one building to the other.
It can be as simple as using a couple of WRT54Gs, install 3rd party firmware with WDS, and running wire from each existing AP to the WRTs.
g |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | Thanks for the input. I am tech challenged and so what you said is not clear to me. Is there somewhere I can go to get the details on what this is and exactly how to set it up?
Again thanks for taking the time to help.
Jim |
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bearcatflex
join:2004-12-06
Fremont, OH
| reply to jld1234
What "Saleen_4_U" and "grcore" are referring to are repeaters and not so much bridges (WDS speaking wise). Repeaters can be placed without any wireless (other then power) so that you could create a powerfull and large ranged wireless network.
If you just want a bigger antenna - try any of these (just make sure to get the correct connector).
»www.sharperconcepts.net/
Go to Antenna for 2.4GHz and look at OMNIs
You could even get a rather large one and hide most of it behind the terminal (just a thought).
More about the repeaters...............
This would work but you will need to know a few things about your internet access terminal. Mainly, the WLAN MAC Address for starters. I have used multiple Linksys WAP54G in repeater mode with my Belkin wireless router without problems. It was a simple as logging into the WAP54G, going to the AP Mode page and setting it to Repeater and entering in the WLAN MAC of my Belkin.
However, I know someone will yell becuase that page says that WAP54G can only repeat for another Linksys device. Well, it works for me!!
The WRT54G is cheaper and with 3rd party software (I use Sveasoft Satori) can be made to repeat.
Hope this helps - Jim F. |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | Very helpfull...Thanks for taking the time to respond. This site is great and the members are very giving of their knowledge. Thanks so much. |
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nexus4
join:2001-03-09
Biloxi, MS
| I would highly recommend the Antenna. If you get one of the omni-directional antennas usually the ones that cost about 80 or 90 dollars they have several DB of gain, and you could easily cover several hundreds of feet of area. You might even be able to cover most of the hotel.
If you use a linksys wireless router they come ready to use these types of antennas with an N or TNC connection on the back. The best thing about linksys is they have 2 antennas. So you could have 2 antennas at different locations within the hotel expanding your range.
Get permission to have 50 ohm coax ran up into the ceiling above your terminal and take it as far up as you can get it then mount your antenna to a part of the building vertically if possible.
These antenna's are about 2 1/2 feet long, fiberglass about the diameter of 1 1/2 inches. with mounting hardware. The link the other person gave you should be good but here's another company friends have used to order antennas to extend their range.
One friend at his residence has a wireless router and wanted to extend the range, so he mounted one of these antennas just outside of his house on a pole up about 10 feet and half of his neighborhood can login to his wireless network now.
check this page out:
»www.hyperlinktech.com/web/omnidi···09um.php
--
We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams ~ Willy Wonka |
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grcore
Power To The People
join:2003-12-06
usa
edit:
January 6th, @06:38AM
| reply to jld1234
said by jld1234  :Thanks for the input. I am tech challenged and so what you said is not clear to me. Is there somewhere I can go to get the details on what this is and exactly how to set it up? Installaitons vary greatly. How you set it up is going to depend on a lot of things such as building construction, distances and actual signal propogation. I don't know of any single source you can go to in order to answer your questions.
If you had a layout of the facility you want to connect, it would be easier to reccomend.
From what I read, you need to get the signal from one building to another. So you need a bridge of sorts to get across the outdoor space. The best way to do it is to set up AP/bridges with clear LOS to each other. Then connect them via cat5 to the internal network for each building.
Then depending on the size of area you want to cover inside, what the building materials are, and how many users you want to support, this will determine the best placment of AP's inside.
g |
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Anav
Sarcastic Llama? Naw, Just Acerbic
Premium
join:2001-07-16
Dartmouth, NS
| reply to jld1234
What I recommend are two setups.
a. pair of ethernet bridges, one wired to the airpath gateway and at the other end wired to an AP or switch etc
(not sure how your getting internet to rooms), OR
b. single bridge at originating point and at far end repeater with dual radios
c. In either case, a pair of matching directional antennas.
You probably/should want to have WPA security between the buildings.
I am assuming the internet machine is wired from a LAN port on the Airpath gateway. Tell me more about the airpath gateway, ie how many lan ports it has etc.
Model/manufacturer of airpath unit as well??
--
Ain't nuthin but the blues! "Albert Collins". Leave your troubles at the door! "Pepe Peregil" De Sevilla. Just Don't Wifi without WPA, "Yul Brenner" - (Llama Works Equipment ) - |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA
| The AirPath gateway has 4 ports. Dual antennas that project from the top of the machine.
The make is AirPath...they must have had them made for them as they are not in the mfg of equipment. I can run cat5 wire to one building with a bank of rooms. The other building is going to have to be transmitted with good LOS about 200 feet away.
The wired option will get me started and appears to be the easiest. Can I run a cat5 from the port of the gateway some 150 feet to this section of rooms and then attach an AP which would broadcast a wireless signal to these rooms? The hotel is brick and block construction.
The wireless part could be handled with antennas pointing at each other with an AP in the other building to transmit to the rooms?
Jim |
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grcore
Power To The People
join:2003-12-06
usa
| said by jld1234 :The wired option will get me started and appears to be the easiest. Can I run a cat5 from the port of the gateway some 150 feet to this section of rooms and then attach an AP which would broadcast a wireless signal to these rooms? Yes, that's the way you would do it.
said by jld1234 :The hotel is brick and block construction. Brick and block are not great for wireless signals. You will have to do a site survey to see how many AP's you will need in this location. Maybe only 1, possibly two (maybe more).
said by jld1234 :The wireless part could be handled with antennas pointing at each other with an AP in the other building to transmit to the rooms? Now you will also need andother AP/Bridge to broadcast the signal to the other building, and a Client/Bridge on the other building to receive the signal. The Client/Bridge in the "other" building should be wired to an AP internally that broadcasts the signal inside.
It possibly could be done using repeaters, and it might be something you could try but there are a lot of factors that may cause trouble with that.
And remember POE is your friend Use it, it makes things a lot easier.
G |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | Sorry for the ignorance.... POE???
I know you are not referring the Edgar Allen Poe but not sure what this means. |
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No_Strings
Premium,Mod
join:2001-11-22
The OC | Power over Ethernet - using a spare pair of wires in the cat5 cable to carry low-voltage DC to power an access point. |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | POE is great......I didn't know something like this exists. Is it readily available and how does it hook up, etc.
Am I understanding this right, that I would not have to run a power line to the AP if I use this cable? |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA | reply to grcore
You mention a site survey to test wireless internet access. How do you go about this. Take a laptop to various parts of the area and test signal strength? or is there more to it?
Thanks for all of your help...
Jim |
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grcore
Power To The People
join:2003-12-06
usa
| You can buy POE gear, or you can roll-you-own POE (If you are handy). I have made my own, and as long as you are not going long distances with your cat5, it should be fine.
Doing a site survey can be as simple as setting up an temporary AP and see where the signal reaches, checking signal levels in various situations, channels etc.
g |
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jld1234
join:2004-12-26
Orwigsburg, PA
| What type of AP should I get? I assume I will need several due to the construction of the hotel. Can they be set up in series with each other? Cat5 from gateway to AP then wire from AP to AP to AP? Does this affect speed?
Once this building is up and running and I can get wireless signal in each room I will tackle the wireless LOS building.
Jim |
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