extending wifi and creating separate wifi network

[redhilldave]

I need to take our existing WiFi network. Extending it to a separate area 15m away Wirelessly and making it separate to the original WiFi network and keeping it secure.

Can this be done, what hardware do I need

Cheers Dave

 

[bill001g]

No likely a cost effective option it will likely be cheaper to buy either a second internet connection and build a vpn or run some form of private line network.

15 miles is near the limit of almost every technology unless you run on licensed frequencies. You need clear line of sight and at those distances because of the curve of the earth as things you need to be well above the ground. You will likely need 100ft towers on each end.

The towers are what is going to cost you the most and if there are hills or large building in the path you will need to go even higher.

 

[redhilldave]

sorry I wasn't clear 15 meters

My apologies

 

[bicycle_repair_man]

I presume you mean 15 metres rather than 15 miles? If it's miles, just get another connection.

Typically you'd buy a wireless access point and connect it to the router with a CAT5 cable or PowerLine adaptor, but this won't isolate the connection. You can assign a different SSID to the access point, but DHCP, DNS, etc. will still be handled by the router, so security goes out the window.

In my opinion, your best option is to create a private SSID on your router (you may need to replace your current one) and extend that with an access point if necessary. Personally, I'd prefer to put my money into the router rather than buy a cheaper one and have secondary devices hanging off it.

If you can, check the antennae gain of the router, which will give you a better idea of wireless range. This is measured in dbi or dbm. If I remember correctly, dbi is measured from the base of the antennae and dbm is measured from the tip of the antennae. The higher the number, the better the range.

 

[kanewolf]

I need to take our existing WiFi network. Extending it to a separate area 15m away Wirelessly and making it separate to the original WiFi network and keeping it secure.

Can this be done, what hardware do I need

Cheers Dave

What is your main router? The separation of the new WIFI will depend significantly on your main router. A single wireless infrastructure with guest network or multiple SSID would be optimum. Look at the Ubiquiti or Engenius network products. They are intended for small business networking. The Ubiquiti are probably easier to setup. But that might just be my experience.