Looking for guidance on DIY wireless range extension on LARGE property

[harlsfam]

Hello -

I am hoping some gracious knowledgeable soul might help me figure out the most cost-effective way to get a strong internet connection (open to wired OR wireless solutions) to my neighbor's house - which is 320 ft away from my house (100 ft of which is wooded). We want to attempt to share our high speed connection and split the cable internet bill. I'm trying to do it on the cheap, since neither of us are sure the arrangement will work for us in the long term. We want to try it and see how it works. Can someone help me get from CURRENT STATE to FUTURE STATE as cheaply as possible. I love DIY and not opposed to soldering.

CURRENT STATE:
Me: Motorola Surfboard Cable modem, Linksys WRT160Nv3 wireless router both items in my home office. The client units are typical laptop PCs - HP Pavilion dv7 for example.
Neighbor: has similar client devices to connect wirelessly

FUTURE STATE:
My cable internet connection somehow is available to my neighbor, either wired, or wirelessly.

I purposely have left this very wide open as to the solutions. Ideas that have crossed my mind:
a) the DIY "cantenna" approach
b) connect a cat5 cable from the 'ethernet' port of my wireless router over to my neighbors house, where it would go into the 'internet' port of his wireless router. Does that work??

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
without knowing the terrain, and how heavily wooded the path is... you could always try the outdoor rated CMX CAT5E cable. just remember the theoretical distance for network runs are 100 meters. (about 328ft)

 

[harlsfam]

Howdy,
without knowing the terrain, and how heavily wooded the path is... you could always try the outdoor rated CMX CAT5E cable. just remember the theoretical distance for network runs are 100 meters. (about 328ft)

Thanks ... just to confirm then: If I ran such a cable from my wireless router into the 'Internet' port of my neighbor's router, this works as his internet connection then?

 

[thiggins]

Thanks ... just to confirm then: If I ran such a cable from my wireless router into the 'Internet' port of my neighbor's router, this works as his internet connection then?

That would put him on a different network. But he would be able to access any computer on your network.

If you wanted completely separate networks, you need a router/switch that supports VLANs or use this approach.

If you are going to try a run-the-cable approach, I suggest you use an Ethernet extender. The connection will be more reliable. Here is one.
http://www.ethernetextender.com/ethernet-extension-products/ethernet-extension-kits/860_Pro.php

 

[harlsfam]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
Any suggestions that could be done for less than $100?
Time to get creative

 

[stevech]

Share Internet Service with neighbor...
Simplfy. No VLANs.

Run underground-rated cat5 cable to neighbor if you can.
Put a WiFi access point (AP) in their house. The AP can be a re-purposed commonplace WiFi router.

Done.

Alternative to inter-house cable: If more than 200', and some ability to get line of sight at eaves-heigh or so, use a pair of $80ea WiFi bridges with built-in antenna, outdoor packaged. Engenious is one brand that's good.

 

[harlsfam]

So it looks like the wired approach is very straightforward. Looks like I'm right on the border of the max run of Cat5 - 320ft. Anyone think this will hamper speeds too much for the neighbor?

Anyone think the DIY Cantenna approach is worth considering?

 

[stevech]

100BT signal speed is probably more than adequate given what your ISP provides. So cat6 with its lower capacitance is likely fine. cat5e would probably do OK too.

Cantenna: waste of time.

If you want to use a wireless inter-house bridge, can get near line of sight at roof height, consider using a PAIR of these bridges, where the far end creates a cat5 connection for a PC or a switch to connect to PCs, or a place to plug in a WiFi AP for coverage over there:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168083
I've used them.

 

[devnull]

If I were doing this I'd either go with the Engenius Wifi bridges or this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833114042&Tpk=startech%20vdsl

If I had more to spend on this project, I'd go fiber. Fiber won't conduct electricity in the event of a lightning strike. You can get a manufactured cable in a length long enough to make the whole run, and a D-Link multimode transceiver can be had for about $140.

 

[thetoad30]

Just an FYI - a lot of ISPs frown on this kind of thing, and it's more than likely "outlawed" in your TOS.

That being said, if you have issues with internet, the first thing you're going to do is disconnect the neighbor, especially if a tech has to come out. This will eliminate his stuff as being the problem, and will eliminate the tech cancelling your account.

 

[stevech]

That's right .. TOS issue is likely.
But with cable TV and cable modems being an unregulated monopoly in most of the US, I would feel little guilt. No chance they'll find out by monitoring from the head end. But if your sharee user calls them for cable TV service, they have a very slight chance of having the cable guy write it up and an even lesser chance of trying to back-bill you.

 

[thetoad30]

That's right .. TOS issue is likely.
But with cable TV and cable modems being an unregulated monopoly in most of the US, I would feel little guilt. No chance they'll find out by monitoring from the head end. But if your sharee user calls them for cable TV service, they have a very slight chance of having the cable guy write it up and an even lesser chance of trying to back-bill you.

Absolutely unregulated monopoly, and yes, I would feel little guilt too.

But get caught, and that monopoly can shut you down, leaving you with no alternatives.

Just be careful, is what I was saying. Don't have the cable guy come out and see that you're sharing your service, and don't have your neighbor call the cable guy for problems if you're out of town. That's all I was getting at.

It's not allowed by your service provider, and they will shut you down if they want to, with no recourse for you.

 

[stevech]

In the unlikely event a field tech (likely a union guy) notices, and even cares, you can feign ignorance: Hmm must be something one of my kids did. I dunno.

If you use a pair of wireless bridge devices, as suggested above, the tech will have nothing to see. They pay no attention to what's on the LAN side of your router.