WIFI Range Extender for camera system at apartment complex

[danub358]

Hi, I own a 100+ unit apartment complex and have purchased a set of YI Outdoor cameras to place around the property.

The issue is that my leasing office with the internet access is at one end of the complex and I need the signal to reach a few thousand feet to cover the 8acres of grounds. What options do I have to achieve this assuming i have a budget of around $1,000 give or take.

Thank you

 

[bicycle_repair_man]

You need to connect the cameras to an Internet connection at the apartment complex. Trying to get multiple live video feeds back to your office just isn't going to work.

 

[kanewolf]

You will probably have to install a wired network and a few outdoor WIFI access points. But WIFI in an apartment environment will have horrible performance because of the competing WIFI signals and the lack of clear channels.

Wired POE cameras would provide much better performance and security.

 

[danub358]

You will probably have to install a wired network and a few outdoor WIFI access points. But WIFI in an apartment environment will have horrible performance because of the competing WIFI signals and the lack of clear channels.

Wired POE cameras would provide much better performance and security.

Thank you - its not really an option to hard wire cameras around the entire place given parking lots and the lack of ways to get the wires back to one location.

 

[kanewolf]

You may need to re-plan your cameras. Have more of them on buildings, etc.

But for cameras that you are putting on light poles, I would recommend you use 5Ghz point-to-point network hardware back the nearest building. You can't use 2.4Ghz because of the competition from tenant WIFI. Pairing two Ubiquiti 5Ghz Nano -- https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/nanostationm/ units in bridge configuration. One at the camera location and one on a nearby building. That link, then comes into a wired network.

 

[danub358]

You may need to re-plan your cameras. Have more of them on buildings, etc.

But for cameras that you are putting on light poles, I would recommend you use 5Ghz point-to-point network hardware back the nearest building. You can't use 2.4Ghz because of the competition from tenant WIFI. Pairing two Ubiquiti 5Ghz Nano -- https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/nanostationm/ units in bridge configuration. One at the camera location and one on a nearby building. That link, then comes into a wired network.

Thank you - That is one option I was thinking about - I guess I was just hoping there would be some type of commercial product that could cover a large area or have main hub that communicates with other smaller units that can plug in near each camera. Most of what I have read about feels like it would be a good product to solve smaller home WIFI issues.

- Another option i was considering was giving certain tenants in key locations a small discount on rent to basically use their WIFI for a camera or two. YI cameras can connect to different WIFI networks but still belong to a single account to review footage.

 

[kanewolf]

If it was my property, I would never trust tenants. They don't have your best interest. This is a business expense. You will deduct it from your taxes. If you can't afford to do it right, you should scale back and add on later. To me, even those cameras don't seem very "business" like. They seem like cheap home cameras.

 

[danub358]

If it was my property, I would never trust tenants. They don't have your best interest. This is a business expense. You will deduct it from your taxes. If you can't afford to do it right, you should scale back and add on later. To me, even those cameras don't seem very "business" like. They seem like cheap home cameras.

They are actually not bad at all - we have had them around the office already and provide great detail and record exactly as expected. Naturally there is always a cost benefit of any purchase - and the benefit from adding these cameras is not very high as I don't have any real issues. It is a nice to have on the occasion something does come up. Therefore the benefit of throwing money away on a highly advanced monitoring system is not worth the cost even though you can "deduct it from your taxes" lol