[SOLVED] Wireless-Ethernet Bridge replacement?

[buckthorn]

Current setup: Router (ASUS RT N66U) in house connects wirelessly (pair of D-Link antennas) to LinkSys WET54G Wireless-Ethernet Bridge in barn (~200 feet from the house). A solar power data collection device in the barn connects to the LinkSys bridge via ethernet, connecting it to our wireless network and enabling it to upload data to a remote server.

Problem 1: the old Linksys WET54G is dying and has to be replaced
Problem 2: I want to add a WiFI access point to the barn, so I can use the internet while working in there,

What would people recommend for replacing the WET54G Bridge and adding an access point? There's such a dizzying array of small networking devices out there. I just need the basic functionality and something reliable; nothing fancy or super-performant. Is there a single device out there that can do everything I need, or do I need to buy two devices? The replacement must include an ethernet input for the solar collection device. Also, the barn and house are on different electrical circuits, so network extenders that use the power line will not work. I'd also prefer to stick with OEM firmware; I have neither the time nor patience any more to mess around with third-party firmware.

Thanks in advance!

 

[kanewolf]

Current setup: Router (ASUS RT N66U) in house connects wirelessly (pair of D-Link antennas) to LinkSys WET54G Wireless-Ethernet Bridge in barn (~200 feet from the house). A solar power data collection device in the barn connects to the LinkSys bridge via ethernet, connecting it to our wireless network and enabling it to upload data to a remote server.

Problem 1: the old Linksys WET54G is dying and has to be replaced
Problem 2: I want to add a WiFI access point to the barn, so I can use the internet while working in there,

What would people recommend for replacing the WET54G Bridge and adding an access point? There's such a dizzying array of small networking devices out there. I just need the basic functionality and something reliable; nothing fancy or super-performant. Is there a single device out there that can do everything I need, or do I need to buy two devices? The replacement must include an ethernet input for the solar collection device. Also, the barn and house are on different electrical circuits, so network extenders that use the power line will not work. I'd also prefer to stick with OEM firmware; I have neither the time nor patience any more to mess around with third-party firmware.

Thanks in advance!

For best reliability, a wire to the outside of the house and a pair of wireless bridge devices would be the recommendation. Something like the Ubiquiti NanoAC. They have to be used in pairs, one on the house and one on the barn. That brings an ethernet cable into the barn. An Asus router, configured in access point mode, would provide WIFI and 3 ethernet ports.
What are the temperature extremes in the barn ? High and low temp extremes can be a problem for home network hardware.

 

[buckthorn]

Thanks @kanewolf. Regarding temperatures, it does gets rather cold in the barn during the winter (I'm in Wisconsin). But the Linksys bridge has worked out there for almost 15 years. But good point -- I hadn't considered temperature as a factor.

The current setup using the two D-Link antennas has worked pretty well, too. One is in my office window, and the other is sitting in a tool room window in the barn, so they can "see" each other (there's a pretty clear line of sight) and the link quality seems to have been pretty good.

Are there any decent options that would allow me to retain the current linking setup (the window antennas) and avoid wiring up the outside of the two buildings (which I probably do if I was starting from scratch) ?

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks @kanewolf. Regarding temperatures, it does gets rather cold in the barn during the winter (I'm in Wisconsin). But the Linksys bridge has worked out there for almost 15 years. But good point -- I hadn't considered temperature as a factor.

The current setup using the two D-Link antennas has worked pretty well, too. One is in my office window, and the other is sitting in a tool room window in the barn, so they can "see" each other (there's a pretty clear line of sight) and the link quality seems to have been pretty good.

Are there any decent options that would allow me to retain the current linking setup (the window antennas) and avoid wiring up the outside of the two buildings (which I probably do if I was starting from scratch) ?

Using the remote location for solar monitoring does not require much bandwidth. If you want WIFI for general use, you are going to want higher bandwidth. That is why I recommend using outdoor mounted bridges. Will they work mounted in a window? Probably -- It depends on the construction of the windows.

 

[buckthorn]

Good point. If window-mounting the bridges works, that would be great. Otherwise, it wouldn't be difficult to mount them outside if that's what it comes to. Are there any other bridges you'd recommend? What would be the most important things to look for? Obviously I don't need a lot of range.

 

[kanewolf]

Good point. If window-mounting the bridges works, that would be great. Otherwise, it wouldn't be difficult to mount them outside if that's what it comes to. Are there any other bridges you'd recommend? What would be the most important things to look for? Obviously I don't need a lot of range.

Ubiquti and Engenius are the two big names in the field. TP-Link does make wireless bridge hardware also.
I have used both Engenius and Ubiquiti. Most of the new units are in the 5Ghz band. Windows could impact that more than 2.4Ghz.