Accessing my WiFi from a neighboring house.

[phroberts]

We're getting ready to move my Mom in to a house a few doors down from our house, and I would like to share my network with her. She doesn't do anything mission critical with her internet... email, checking QVC, VOIP with an Ooma device, and hopefully my 8 year old son will be able to use his tablet there to watch YouTube kids videos and play some simple games...

I can barely pick up my signal from her back porch, and occasionally it'll show up on a list of networks in her house, using my phone - but nothing usable. The houses are separated by two houses, and are about 150 - 200 feet apart. When I use a WiFi analyzer app on my phone, I can get just in to the yellow range on a signal meter, which corresponds to about -85 dBm.

My setup is a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X connected to a UniFi AP-AC-LR fed by Spectrum cable internet.

My thinking is that at a minimum I would need some sort of outdoor antenna at my Mom's place, hooked to another access point. If I buy a WiFi adapter for the Ooma device, I won't need a wired ethernet connection for anything at her house.

What would you guys suggest? Should I plan on going with a full bridge with an outdoor transmitter at my house, or would just an outdoor antenna at her house have a reasonable chance of working given the setup.

Thanks!

Heath

 

[kanewolf]

I would do a point-to-point bridge with outdoor directional units on the roof tops. Since you are already a Ubiquiti users, a pair of nanostation units With ethernet running indoors to an AP for her.

 

[phroberts]

I would do a point-to-point bridge with outdoor directional units on the roof tops. Since you are already a Ubiquiti users, a pair of nanostation units With ethernet running indoors to an AP for her.

Thanks for the input kanewolf! So after doing some research here's what I'm thinking - please let me know if I've missed anything.

2ea) NS-5ACL-US One for each house.
1ea) UAP-AC-LITE-US for my mom's house.
1ea) POE-24-24W-G for my mom's house.

I'll power the NanoStation at the access point side (my house) with the POE that comes with the UAP-AC-LITE. On the Station side (mom's house), I'll power the other NanoStation and the UAP-AC-LITE with the POE-24-24W-G.

Both house are vinyl siding, and the gables have line of sight to each other. The sheathing is some sort of black tar fiber looking stuff, no aluminum foil layer on the sheathing... any thoughts on attic mounting these NanoStations rather than putting them outdoors? I'm going to guess that's a "try it and see" proposition?

 

[bill001g]

At those distances it might work in the attic but as you say you will have to try it.

The one huge complain I have about ubiquiti is they sell both standard 802.3af and proprietary PoE stuff. Some of there equipment works on one or the other and some on both. It makes it massively confusing for even someone who knows about this issue. Be very sure you are getting the correct power. I tend to use only 802.3af stuff since I power them with a switch and not a separate injector. 802.3af is also a lot less risk since it only provides power when a device asks for it so a non compatible device plugged in accidentally will not get power like you do on passive poe stuff.

 

[phroberts]

At those distances it might work in the attic but as you say you will have to try it.

The one huge complain I have about ubiquiti is they sell both standard 802.3af and proprietary PoE stuff. Some of there equipment works on one or the other and some on both. It makes it massively confusing for even someone who knows about this issue. Be very sure you are getting the correct power. I tend to use only 802.3af stuff since I power them with a switch and not a separate injector. 802.3af is also a lot less risk since it only provides power when a device asks for it so a non compatible device plugged in accidentally will not get power like you do on passive poe stuff.

Thanks for bringing this up!

Cutting and pasting from the spec. sheets:

• 
  The UPA-AC-LITE works on both 802.3af/A PoE or 24V Passive PoE (Pairs 4, 5+; 7, 8 Return).
  The NS-5ACL works on Passive PoE (Pairs 4, 5+;7,8 Return).
  The PoE (POE-24-24W-G) has 2 pair powering on Pins 4, 5 (+) and Pins 7, 8 (-).

I assume this means they're compatible?

 

[bill001g]

Yes those units all appear to support ubiquitis form of passive poe.

 

[phroberts]

So I finally remembered to come back post an update. I installed the Nanostations about a month ago, and everything is working well. The attic mount is working fine, seeing through vinyl siding and whatever the fiberous backer board is. My only concern is cooking them in the summer time, but the attics are fairly well ventilated, so I think they'll be ok. I'm getting signals that UNMS classifies as "good" to "excellent" depending on when I look at it... usually in the -40s or -50s with the radios powered at -4dBm over a distance of about 15 feet. Anyhow, thanks for the recommendation for the NanoStations!