I'm helping my sister resolve a wireless reception issue. She has a trailer in a vacation compound, very rural area. The office for the compound broadcasts a WiFi signal, /g I think, for the members use. The issue is the signal barely reaches her location, which is around 250 ft away, with a relatively open line of site. She's using a laptop with an internal antenna. The trailer is on a foundation, it won't be moving.
What I've suggested is an external antenna, mounted outside the trailer, going to "something" inside her trailer that would then broadcast a WiFi signal that she can pickup on her laptop. Ideally this signal would also be strong enough that her neighbor behind her, 50ft away+/- with zero signal now, would also be able to connect to that rebroadcast signal.
I'm fairly savvy with PCs, been building them for 20 years, do repairs on the side for friends, family and a few paying clients. I've done home networks, wired lans for lan parties, etc. but I'm on the ragged edge of my networking knowledge with this. I'm getting more confused the more I look for the best way to accomplish this, particularly when it comes to deciding exactly what that "something" will be.
I'm sure I'll need a directional antenna, a yagi perhaps. Then connect that to a repeater? or extender? or Access Point? A different SSID would, I think, be best. That would mean an extender?
Most of the repeaters and extenders I've seen that have replaceable antenna have two. If I connect a yagi or similar directional antenna to something like that do I need two, replacing both the stock antennas?
If I was doing this for me I'd go with my best guess and if it didn't work, try try again until I got it working. I'm not footing the bill here though so I want to get it right the first time. Cost is a consideration but not at the expense of compromising the objective.
What are your best recommendations for this? Is there a better way to approach it? Specific product recommendations would be appreciated also.
I thank you for any guidance the gurus here can provide.
Edit: I want to clarify I have no control over the equipment in the office. I've suggested that they upgrade, even volunteered a spare WNDR3700 I have. I was told that any change has to go through a committee and the chances of getting all the committee members together, AND their approving a change, was very very small. So any solution has to be something I can implement on my sister's end, at her trailer, with no changes at the office.
What I've suggested is an external antenna, mounted outside the trailer, going to "something" inside her trailer that would then broadcast a WiFi signal that she can pickup on her laptop. Ideally this signal would also be strong enough that her neighbor behind her, 50ft away+/- with zero signal now, would also be able to connect to that rebroadcast signal.
I'm fairly savvy with PCs, been building them for 20 years, do repairs on the side for friends, family and a few paying clients. I've done home networks, wired lans for lan parties, etc. but I'm on the ragged edge of my networking knowledge with this. I'm getting more confused the more I look for the best way to accomplish this, particularly when it comes to deciding exactly what that "something" will be.
I'm sure I'll need a directional antenna, a yagi perhaps. Then connect that to a repeater? or extender? or Access Point? A different SSID would, I think, be best. That would mean an extender?
Most of the repeaters and extenders I've seen that have replaceable antenna have two. If I connect a yagi or similar directional antenna to something like that do I need two, replacing both the stock antennas?
If I was doing this for me I'd go with my best guess and if it didn't work, try try again until I got it working. I'm not footing the bill here though so I want to get it right the first time. Cost is a consideration but not at the expense of compromising the objective.
What are your best recommendations for this? Is there a better way to approach it? Specific product recommendations would be appreciated also.
I thank you for any guidance the gurus here can provide.
Edit: I want to clarify I have no control over the equipment in the office. I've suggested that they upgrade, even volunteered a spare WNDR3700 I have. I was told that any change has to go through a committee and the chances of getting all the committee members together, AND their approving a change, was very very small. So any solution has to be something I can implement on my sister's end, at her trailer, with no changes at the office.
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