wifi to remote shop/barn

[Jim Becker]

Steve, the best thing I ever did was move to a mesh system for our "hard to wireless" property. It replaced multiple traditional access points and I haven't looked back. Coverage is consistent across all the living space and my shop now. So you have an idea about the "hard to wireless", every one of the nodes has to be hard wire Ethernet back to the main switch and I had to use three nodes to cover the 4200 sq ft of our home plus one for the shop. Limestone and other building materials can really wreak havoc with wireless transmission! I happen to be using Velops for my mesh, but there are a number of great choices.

Robert, while the fiber itself isn't normally susceptible to "electrical damage" from a lightning strike. the stuff connected on either end to the copper infrastructure certainly could be...on that end.

[John K Jordan]

...the second "router" ...should be setup as a wireless access point

Yes, that's the term I forgot, thanks. Part of me is happy I don't keep my remaining memory cells full of information like that.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

Part of me is happy I don't keep my remaining memory cells full of information like that.

What was it we were talking about?

[Monte Milanuk]

You can't go out and buy a "more powerful" wifi but rather buy one that comes with the antenna and features you need, or allows you to attach an after market antenna that does the same.

Which... in the links I provided, is *exactly* what they did. A Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 pointed back at the original router/AP, connected to the airGateway (local AP) in the RV (or the shop).

[Steve Milito]

Which... in the links I provided, is *exactly* what they did. A Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 pointed back at the original router/AP, connected to the airGateway (local AP) in the RV (or the shop).

Yes, Indeed. I only mentioned it for those of us that lack the attention span that god gave a mosquito and can't sit through an instructional video.
The bottom line to this whole thread is that 100 ft is child's play for connectivity in this age. Wireless, copper, and fiber can easily be made to work without anything exotic.
Me, I'm lazy and cheap, so I'd look for the whatever could be done in less than a days work, didn't require a shovel, and cost under $150.

[Monte Milanuk]

Gotcha

FWIW, I was working on a project today up at the local gun club - the router/AP is inside a shed, being mainly there for remote access to the gate controller. But, with everything being more and more 'online', including some match/league scoring programs, we needed the wifi to reach a little further.

Previously, the router (a decently high-powered home/consumer model) wifi petered out about half-ways across the parking lot from the building it was in (maybe 50yds?). To be fair, it was a metal sided affair, so the deck was stacked against it the original radio.

Put in a Ubiquiti outdoor AP (UAP-AC-M), ran 50 ft. of cat 5 around the interior room, punched it thru to the external wall, ran the remaining cable along under the eaves to where I mounted the new radio. Now we have excellent signal across the parking lot to the main club house and other buildings, enough to stream YT @ 1080p easily. Laterally along the face of the metal building isn't so great, but still way better than it was previously. Only thing left to do is to go into the original router's admin dashboard and turn off those radios and then use the UniFi mobile app to make sure that the new AP isn't stepping on / interfering with any other channels nearby.

More than one way to skin this cat, but Ubiquiti UniFi is a good option IMO.

[Erik Loza]

Steve, the best thing I ever did was move to a mesh system for our "hard to wireless" property....

+1 for mesh system. My wife (guru of all things technical in our household) set it up. Used to have all sorts of wifi issues in the garage but now get great signal out there, backyard, etc.

Erik

[Alan Lightstone]

I have the Linksys Velop that Jim uses. PC Mag rates it as an Editor's choice. But.... It mostly works great, but was very finicky for a while to set up. It is able to be hard wired from a network switch and does seem to work that way (which is necessary since my workshop is separated from the remainder of my house by a thick solid concrete slab ceiling with a tin ceiling covering (nice Faraday cage you say...), but the lights on the units glow red instead of the optimal blue when you take that route and don't show up in the app on the phone as functional. It might be a good solution for you, as you could run Cat 5e underground to the shop then plug in a unit and get solid signal.

Long story short, I'd go the Ubiquiti route, or use an Eero or a Netgear Orbi which are other brands of mesh routers that are highly thought of. I'd skip the Linksys Velop choice, though.

[Kris Cook]

Just set up a Velop system in the new shop, and it works great. I am actually back-feeding the house using wireless from the shop. Modem is in a Comm Closet in the shop main floor, first node is upstairs in the office, and connected through ethernet cable, second node is in the kitchen in the house, with a third node upstairs. Coverage is seamless.