Question Extend wifi signal

[Farm help]

We need to extend our wifi signal about a 1/2 mile. Can this be done? If so, how and what do we need to do it?

 

[Rogue Leader]

The simplest way is something like this:

https://smile.amazon.com/Amped-Wire...encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&ie=UTF8

However I'd question its reliability.

Your second option would be to run some cat5 cable outside to wifi access points that are out a bit from your home.

 

[bill001g]

What do you mean "extend". If you mean you have a remote building that you want to connect that you can use point to point bridge units. Things like nano station m2 but there are many more options.

If you mean you want to use your cell phone or laptop on your internet 1/2 mile away that is not going to happen. Even if you put a monster illegal radio at the central site the radios in the end equipment will still not be able to transmit that data back

 

[Farm help]

We r needing to put up solar wifi security cameras on our farm but need to be able to monitor them through wifi at the house.

 

[bill001g]

It will depend on the details how many cameras and if they are all need direct connections or if you can run just 1 connection back.

In any case you want to look at outdoor wifi bridges. Ubiquiti has many, you can also look at engenius. Most bridge units are dc powered so you might be able to run them with solar if you can get the correct voltages.

 

[Farm help]

Thanks.
How many bridges would be need? Where would i need to place them? We r looking at about 8 cameras

 

[Farm help]

Can you please explain how wifi bridges work? Neither of us know anything about them. Thanks

 

[bill001g]

Going to be tough with that many cameras.

This is a random gif file I found that shows the concept.

http://afar.net/wp-content/themes/afar/assets/pmp.gif

If there is any way to connect some of the cameras together so they share a common connection. Maybe you could put a AP in somewhere close to them that their radios are strong enough to connect to and then connect that AP to a bridge going back to the main site.

It of course can be done but I suspect the costs are going to be a issue.

 

[Farm help]

If we only did one or two cameras would we need two bridges or would a booster, extender work?

 

[kanewolf]

Can you run a cable? There are bridges that allow coax or cat5 to run that distance. Using a direct burial cable, you only need a spade or vibrating plow to install the cable 6 inches underground.

 

[bill001g]

There really is no such thing as a booster. The power output is limited by the government and most routers already put out the maximum. Your cameras are hard to say you would have to look them up in the fcc database or see if the camera manufacture tells the output. Still there likely no simple way to increase the output on the camera itself if it does not output the legal maximum. The signal is still going to be too weak to go 1/2 mile.


A extender is a generic name for many devices. The bridge units are one form of "extender" but I suspect you mean a repeater. At shorter distance it might work to put a repeater out in the middle of a field on a tall pole. At 1/2 mile you are way over the distance. The recommended maximum wifi distance is not much over 100 meters. There is just too much background interference for it to work farther than that.

Bridge unit work because they concentrate the signal into a narrow beam. This means there is more signal compared to the random noise.