Caravanpark WiFi setup

[WernerEenink]

Hi there,

I try to setup a decent wifi network for the people in our caravanpark. I bought new Netcomm - HS1200 Wireless Hotspot with a Netcomm NP731 Accesspoint. The HS1200 allows me to create different packages and configurations regarding to the Hotspot. The NP731 in lab-area is able to reach over 2 kilometers. Were I only get about 2/300 meter at the moment with a clear view. Behind the amenities there is barely any signal.

The size of the park is about 500 by 300 meters. If you look at it as a square block the AP is in the right end corner on top of the office building. There some trees around the park.

How can I improve my network? Would it be range extenders, bigger antennas more AP's?

It would only be to serve about 40 people. The AP I bought is able to handle over 100.. so well I thanks for you time & help.

 

[APassingMe]

Okay, I'll just run over a few things that you should know and might be helpful.

-First, even though the AP is rated for 100+ users that's assuming a fairly low level of traffic and may not offer effective service for your users depending on usage levels.

-Second regardless of the power of the AP, your receiving adapters need to have the power to transmit adequately back to the AP so I would say it's probably best to assume a far smaller usable range for your setup.

-Third, building on the first point and adding into the calculation the distance that the AP will be utilized at(lower speeds/efficiency at a distance), I would recommend getting a least several more APs and distributing throughout your complex for a better coverage pattern.

-Finally I would recommend that you elevate all of your AP installs and ensure that they all have a clear line of sight to any receivers that will be connected to them. Also it might be a good idea to limit max distance between the AP and the receivers to around 150ft if possible although you might be able to get a usable range of up to 200ft with acceptable speeds.

That should cover it, good luck with your install. An alternative to increasing the number of APs would be looking into a commercial point to point wireless system with high power settings and the ability to use a directed signal, I can't say which would be cheaper though. Also... always avoid using range extenders/repeaters in a commercial install, it's just a bad idea.

 

[APassingMe]

I started thinking about it and realized that you would need at least 8 APs to squeeze an acceptable setup (15 would be best but they would start to interfere with each other) in those dimensions, provided I'm not playing it too safe with the max effective range of the APs (pretty sure I'm not). With that in mind I would seriously look at a point to point system as you should be able to manage it with 2 high power omni-directional point to point radios at two elevated/distributed spots when combined with a decent directed signal receivers.

 

[APassingMe]

Another option would be to break the area up into chunks and use directed radios at the top of the office building to connect to directed radios at the clients location while skipping the need for omni-directional setups and the additional elevation of the radios. directed radios == radios with a a directional antenna vs the normal omni.

 

[APassingMe]

Just realized that a permanent setup couldn't be used in your case.... so the 8 to 15 APs distributed across your campus is going to be the best setup.