WiFi For Large Open Area - 2.4 or 5Ghz?

[PCThieme]

Good morning!

I live in a semi-rural area and am switching my farm over from DSL to a microwave link for internet access. I am putting the microwave transceiver on top of a 75ft silo to link to a hub a mile or so away.

I want to put a WiFi AP at this site also, with the goal of covering the area in the immediate vicinity of my home with internet access. We have animals in a barn near by, and having internet at this location would be useful as well.

My question is, should I go with a 2.4Ghz or a 5Ghz system? I'm currently considering the Ubiquiti UAP-Outdoor outdoor AP, and will most likely use two high gain antennas. The ones that look like fluorescent light bulb tubes.

Attached is a photo for clarification. Thank you!

 

[kanewolf]

I would put TWO directional WIFI units on the silo pointing to where you want the signal. I would do a 5Ghz point to point link to the house and bring the signal inside on cat5e to switch an access point(s). For the barn I would do a directional 2.4Ghz AP pointed at the barn.

House: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168114

Barn: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168115

 

[PCThieme]

I would put TWO directional WIFI units on the silo pointing to where you want the signal. I would do a 5Ghz point to point link to the house and bring the signal inside on cat5e to switch an access point(s). For the barn I would do a directional 2.4Ghz AP pointed at the barn.

House: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168114

Barn: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168115

Thanks for the help. What is your reasoning for selecting a 5gig link to the house and a 2.4gig link to the barn? Also, do you not think omnis would get adequate coverage to the areas in the photo that are line-of-sight?

 

[kanewolf]

5Ghz to the house because it is being setup as a point to point (between the two devices I linked to) and is more immune to interference. 2.4 to the barn so that devices can connect directly to it.

The house segment is just being used as a link rather than an access point.

I don't know about coverage. You can try it but there is no way to estimate.

You are going to have to get power to the silo. Conduit from the silo to the barn and house is another option. Rent a ditch-witch. You only need to bury a foot or so down. You have 100m in each direction with standard copper ethernet.

I believe in putting the WIFI access points as close as possible, because devices keep reducing the power used for WIFI and therefore the range gets reduced. Blasting a signal from the silo doesn't do any good if the other end can't broadcast back.