Creating a network obstructed by concrete

So I've been given the task of finding and setting up the appropriate equipment to allow WiFi access throughout my compound. Theres one major obstable though, concrete (or the meshing inside, whichever). I've included a video to show you what the situation is, please view it before reading on.

'Video'

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So what kind of setup would be best? My current router is beside the TV on the first floor, with that I can get a signal at the front of the other two buildings (note theres one fourth building to my extreme right, you can ignore that). However, as soon as I enter the other two buildings or proceed to walk around inside them, the signal is reduced to nothing because of all the thick walls (I can only get a signal by the windows).

If you noticed, I've got 3 foneras setup in WDS in the building I walked through. With those I'm able to get wifi coverage throughout the first building, but I would like to think of that as a temporary solution (I had to setup 3 SSIDs due to firmware bugs :/) BTW, the 3 fons are at 0:08 (bottom right), 0:19 (on the corner of the little shelf to the left of the stairway) and 0:33 (on the tv, connected to my main router).

I was thinking of getting a Hawking Hi-Gain signal booster, and wiring that up to the router, and perhaps attaching a Hi-Gain antenna to the booster. Though I'm not sure how many I'd need, or if I'd have to use extra repeaters for that matter (slicing the throughput in half isn't fun). Also please note that running long cables isn't exactly an option.

Please Advise!

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Reply to
Shak
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Wow, those look like they will be hard to penetrate with wireless signal.

I would recommend putting some sort of commercial-grade equipment in each of the three buildings doing DWDS between the three devices. The commercial grade equipment will give you stronger signal power, and will allow you to really tune in the network.

If you want to talk about this in depth, please give me a call at

866-678-WIFI.

Thanks Chris Hutchison, CEO NetSteady Columbus, Ohio

Reply to
NetSteady

Nice video. Very helpful. The buildings look very new. Didn't someone run communications conduit for telco and cable somewhere between buildings? If you've got conduit, just run CAT5 or fiber between buildings and you're done. If you've got spare telco pairs, you can run HomePNA over the phone lines. I don't see any vegetation on the lawn yet. Perhaps doing some digging and burying some conduit might be more useful than trying to go through the thick walls.

How much do you wanna spend?

Yep. You're not going to go through the walls no matter how hard you try. You're also making it difficult by adding an extra wall at your location. If this is going to a neighborhood WLAN, then the central access point should probably be in the middle of the houses, possibly attached to the light posts in the video. A 10dBi omnidirection antenna on the light post should work. More gain if you want better penetration. If a central AP and antenna are impossible, at least move the AP and antenna to somewhere outside.

Also, I think you might be fighting the windows. I can't tell but are the windows coated with a "low-e" reflective coating? If so, that's about as bad as the concrete wall. Might was well go wired if your windows are impervious to RF.

Actually, that's what I was going to suggest for a wireless solution. It doesn't have to be a FON based system as DD-WRT and other firmware will do WDS quite nicely (hopefully without bugs). Also, you don't really need WDS as it can be done by setting up the central access point for "point to multipoint bridging" and then using the clients as an "ethernet client bridge". There's no real advantage to either method, but if you're fighting bugs, it does provide an alternative.

Repeaters are always a problem. You could install one on the centrally located light pole, instead of installing the central access point at that location. Your thruput will suffer because there will be two packets floating through the air instead of one. I can't tell for sure but my guess is that no amount of power is going to make it through those concrete walls to the back of the houses. There's nothing that says it has to be *ALL* wired or *ALL* wireless. Mixing technologies is fine where appropriate. Use wires to get through the walls and wireless indoors.

Power amplifiers have a different problem in that they only solve the signal problem in one direction. With a power amp, everyone can hear the transmitter, but the ACK's from the users can't be heard by the receiver. Amps are generally a bad idea (and rather expensive). Better antennas improve the signal in both directions and don't have this problem.

Why not? It's cheaper, faster and better. Get a crew together, rent a trencher, and start laying PVC pipe. Run CAT5 or fiber. Once you get the cable inside the house, install a wireless access point inside the house so that the users don't have to wire the houses.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Another candidate Powerline Networking?

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Reply to
seaweedsteve

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For what it's worth, my house has a cement load bearing wall in the middle, that effectively blocks wireless big time.. I went with multiple wap's ( linksys wrt54g's, same ssid different channels) and powerline networking ((2 of em, $84 at staples ))- second wap plug the cat5 from the powerline unit into the router part not the wan in)... works like a charm, and I can even move one unit at will, and now have 2 more to fill in dead spots (had to get wifi working in the gazebo in the woods out back, so I could lay in the hammock and surf :) Hey no football, gotta relax somewhere!

Wondering about speed? Hey, the powerline networking is FASTER than wireless (85Mbps instead of 54), and yes, got the tivo on the network, and tivo 2 go, so I can lay on the hammock and watch videos I have recorded.....

Reply to
Peter Pan

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