Wireless in a mobile home with steel roof & sides?

[outskirts123]

I have a mobile home with steel roof,and sides.I need wireless internet ....i live in a rural area.The main tower is less than 1/4 mile away.I intend to hard wire the computer from the antenna mounted on the roof,,,,,,,,(if that is possable)
Can you tell me how to install a wi fi antenna on a steel roof so i can wire it directly to my desktop?

I had a cable provider to my home,and they got really good signal,but it was bouncy,and noise.They told me to contact them after the leaves were out....and they left. (dunno)

Anyway......Is there a way possable to get an antenna on the roof to get a strong clear signal,...there must be! Would a very long antenna post do the trick? Would coating my roof with roof coating do it?..I really need this internet,,please help.Any advice would be great!
Thanks!

 

[corroded]

look at EnGenius stuff... Outdoor WiFi rigs, you want a WiFi bridge

like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168093

 

[bill001g]

Be sure to ask the ISP what type of wireless they use. If you could connect with a normal PC or phone then they are using standard 802.11 wireless signals. Generally to improve the performance wireless ISP tend to use a special radio system, one of the more common is motorola canopy.

If it is normal wireless a outdoor wireless bridge from engenius or ubiquiti will work very well, you need to have clear sight and be above the trees if possible but at 1/4 mile clear site of the antenna on the tower will likely be good enough.

 

[outskirts123]

Thanks i also forgot to meantion,they had an antenna with them (the wireless company) a Directional one,i think, (one they use for installation)held it against the mobile home,and tried it at each end..and one end was better giving a strong signal,but after a few min it dropped a bit.So,a wireless bridge would work...with "their antenna"?Also i have a main tower 1/4 mile from me and one about 4 miles from me,,and i live on a hill that one tower is on.
Thanks again!

 

[outskirts123]

Also can you explain how this will work,how do i connect the bridge etc...i am new to all this...So,,the metal roof and sides "wont affect" the signal with a bridge installed? And i can wire direct to the PC?
Thanks!

 

[corroded]

EnGenius Support is great. They will help you get the correct unit as well as proper deployment. Call or email them tomorrow. It will take them a day or 2 to get back but they will get you in the right direction.

 

[bill001g]

When a bridge is running in the simplest mode..ie only a single PC behind it...it is pretty simple. You can pretty much think of the bridge as a wireless nic card that is connected via a ethernet cable. The wireless part is in the bridge but all it is doing is converting wireless packets to ethernet...ie why it is called a bridge. The wireless setup in the bridge is very similar to how you do it in the network setup on a pc. The tricky part is when you first start you do not have any IP addresses so you need to follow the manufactures instructions for the bridge. But eventually you get web page and you select the SSID and put in encryption,passwords etc just as you would on a PC.

I guess part of the confusion is the devices can actually do much more than just a simple bridge so there is instructions on how to set it up for some of the other options. This is nice because the unit can work in many different situations but it also tends to be confusing when you just want a simple bridge. They are not real hard to setup.

It depends on your ISP I would hope they would be willing to help you to get you as a customer...assuming this is a internet connection you have to pay for. I can see them charging a fee if they had to provide the equipment or climb up on the roof to mount it but configuration help you would think they would work with you either in person or on the phone for very little.

 

[Pooneil]

I am not yet clear on what type of signal is available from Outskirts' tower. It seem unlikely to me it is WiFi and far more likely it is cellular. Establishing that first is important for to him getting the right equipment to bring the internet into his Faraday cage.

Outskirts, when you say a tower, do you mean a cell phone tower or something else? Who was the cable provider?

 

[outskirts123]

I am not yet clear on what type of signal is available from Outskirts' tower. It seem unlikely to me it is WiFi and far more likely it is cellular. Establishing that first is important for to him getting the right equipment to bring the internet into his Faraday cage.

Outskirts, when you say a tower, do you mean a cell phone tower or something else? Who was the cable provider?

 

[outskirts123]

Eastlink a Company in Canada is the provider,and the towers use cell or wi fi,as the company uses them to provide wireless internet to rural areas that cant get wired internet.the signal is 802.11 ?? something like that.
Thats the tower they were testing my mobile home from.I explained to them what i was intending to do-installa bridge,and they could come ,test again,and install the antenna........
I would have to say that i am weary if they will continue to help me,as they told me today that they were allready out to my home,tested the signal,it was strong,but bouncy/noisy.They told me they proberly wont continue to persue this any further as they would have to do this to everyone with a mobile home.-Im not finished with them,yet!

 

[bill001g]

A mobile home makes no difference. The antenna is outside on a pole in most cases. Since it is a directional antenna unless you pointed it at the mobile home it would be the same as if the pole was out in the middle of a field.

 

[outskirts123]

A mobile home makes no difference. The antenna is outside on a pole in most cases. Since it is a directional antenna unless you pointed it at the mobile home it would be the same as if the pole was out in the middle of a field.

 

[outskirts123]

A mobile home makes no difference. The antenna is outside on a pole in most cases. Since it is a directional antenna unless you pointed it at the mobile home it would be the same as if the pole was out in the middle of a field.

The post/pole the internet company uses is always installed on the roof,or sides of the home.Thats my so called problem.They told me there is NO WAY that wireless inetrnet can be installed in a mobile home with metal.Thats my problem.I see here that it can be done.
Thanks!!

 

[corroded]

the EnGenius I pointed you at has an Ethernet link... You bridge from the supplied WiFi to the EnGenius, use a long patch cord (monoprice.com) and hook it to the WAN port of your router in the house or directly to your computer...

 

[bill001g]

A mobile home makes no difference. The antenna is outside on a pole in most cases. Since it is a directional antenna unless you pointed it at the mobile home it would be the same as if the pole was out in the middle of a field.

The post/pole the internet company uses is always installed on the roof,or sides of the home.Thats my so called problem.They told me there is NO WAY that wireless inetrnet can be installed in a mobile home with metal.Thats my problem.I see here that it can be done.
Thanks!!

They are likely assuming you are going to attempt to repeat the signals into the house via wireless. That likely would not work too well because of all the metal. But since you have to power the outdoor radio with a wire it would be very silly to not use that same wire to bring the signal though the metal walls. That is exactly how outdoor bridge units work. They use PoE so the same ethernet cable that gives you your data provides the power to the radio.

This actually is the best way to accomplish this and most WISP providers know this so you must be talking to a very inexperience guy at the ISP.

 

[outskirts123]

the EnGenius I pointed you at has an Ethernet link... You bridge from the supplied WiFi to the EnGenius, use a long patch cord (monoprice.com) and hook it to the WAN port of your router in the house or directly to your computer...

 

[outskirts123]

A mobile home makes no difference. The antenna is outside on a pole in most cases. Since it is a directional antenna unless you pointed it at the mobile home it would be the same as if the pole was out in the middle of a field.

The post/pole the internet company uses is always installed on the roof,or sides of the home.Thats my so called problem.They told me there is NO WAY that wireless inetrnet can be installed in a mobile home with metal.Thats my problem.I see here that it can be done.
Thanks!!

They are likely assuming you are going to attempt to repeat the signals into the house via wireless. That likely would not work too well because of all the metal. But since you have to power the outdoor radio with a wire it would be very silly to not use that same wire to bring the signal though the metal walls. That is exactly how outdoor bridge units work. They use PoE so the same ethernet cable that gives you your data provides the power to the radio.

This actually is the best way to accomplish this and most WISP providers know this so you must be talking to a very inexperience guy at the ISP.

 

[outskirts123]

Yes they know the details of my situation.They know that i only want to bring the signal ,from "their" antenna on the roof (if they install it) ,to my PC- hard wire.I explained all this to them,and i also told them what i learned ,from looking up things about this issue.and what i would do to help them to ie get a bridge before they come to install the antenna again.,,this would get me a better signal . ..

They told me--- they would have to do this to everyone,(regarding their comming out to test the frequency etc again)....,They wont return to get me started with a bridge etc.........so thats where im at at this point!
They know that i want a connection from their antenna on the roof.sides etc ..--directly via ethernet cable to my computer,,,,,,this is what this is all about,,simple connection to a metal mobile home..can it be done?.I apologise for all this long thread.and thank everyone for their answers!

 

[outskirts123]

Again,im very sorry for this long thread,,,
The internet company i deal ..or am trying to deal with are the culprit" Bragg Comminications",(Eastlik) and they dont want to spend the money to try to resolve my issue.,,or anyones issue dealing with mobile homes,and internet.Seems that i have a solution,and now know what to do to get a good signal,but they wont come back out to install the antenna to help me.,,,,,,would it be something about this im not getting?..anyway thats the substance of the thread and the support that i got so far from a company that is supposed to help rural Canadians !..........

I thank you all for your input,and advice..........Thank you all!

 

[HyNrgy]

i do not know if this helps but I used to do installations on mobile homes (though not as a wireless provider) and here are some issues they may be "dodging"

1) are you renting...they may not want the hassle of altering the unit since you do not own it....maybe a letter from owner giving permission would help

2) some companies do not like attaching anything to mobile home on the roof or sides due to structure to hold during storms and wind are not like a house, and therefore do not want to be liable if it rips part of the mobile home off?

3) will the place the mobile home is at allow putting a pole in the ground? if so will the company allow if you have pole installed with conduit (and pull string) installed so that whatever cabling they use can be then brought inside?

4) they said something about the leaves and all, how far is this "tower" and what type of cell signal are they using? or is this satelite?

5) have you checked with any neighbors to see how they have internet or how they got theirs installed.

apologies if this is too far off base

 

[outskirts123]

i do not know if this helps but I used to do installations on mobile homes (though not as a wireless provider) and here are some issues they may be "dodging"

1) are you renting...they may not want the hassle of altering the unit since you do not own it....maybe a letter from owner giving permission would help

2) some companies do not like attaching anything to mobile home on the roof or sides due to structure to hold during storms and wind are not like a house, and therefore do not want to be liable if it rips part of the mobile home off?

3) will the place the mobile home is at allow putting a pole in the ground? if so will the company allow if you have pole installed with conduit (and pull string) installed so that whatever cabling they use can be then brought inside?

4) they said something about the leaves and all, how far is this "tower" and what type of cell signal are they using? or is this satelite?

5) have you checked with any neighbors to see how they have internet or how they got theirs installed.

apologies if this is too far off base

 

[outskirts123]

i do not know if this helps but I used to do installations on mobile homes (though not as a wireless provider) and here are some issues they may be "dodging"

1) are you renting...they may not want the hassle of altering the unit since you do not own it....maybe a letter from owner giving permission would help

2) some companies do not like attaching anything to mobile home on the roof or sides due to structure to hold during storms and wind are not like a house, and therefore do not want to be liable if it rips part of the mobile home off?

3) will the place the mobile home is at allow putting a pole in the ground? if so will the company allow if you have pole installed with conduit (and pull string) installed so that whatever cabling they use can be then brought inside?

4) they said something about the leaves and all, how far is this "tower" and what type of cell signal are they using? or is this satelite?

5) have you checked with any neighbors to see how they have internet or how they got theirs installed.

apologies if this is too far off base

I own my home-they know that,,i have a good point of attachment to the mobile home,they use a tower for their wireless,and they wont allow me to post a pole to mount it on,,as they told me,too much comming out here to try to get this wireless done,,they would have to do this for all.My neighbours have the same,but they have wooden structures,,thanks.