WiFi To Outdoor Barn

[stevech]

If we're in the $200 - $300 range anyway, I too would go for the slightly more expensive but better option, budget allowing.

??? If the fellow is able to test, prove the length of cat5e direct bury cable works OK, then direct bury, 300 ft. is about $75 per my internet price checks.

 

[L&LD]

You're not including the price for the trench though.

And, I did say 'if'.

 

[chadster766]

??? If the fellow is able to test, prove the length of cat5e direct bury cable works OK, then direct bury, 300 ft. is about $75 per my internet price checks.

I've done direct bury and horizontal runs 300ft Cat5e for Ethernet before and its nothing but problems. That's why I recommend staying with TIA Standards. That why the standards exist.

 

[stevech]

You're not including the price for the trench though.

And, I did say 'if'.

Ah, but isn't the trenching (or overhead drop) cost the same for both fiber and copper?

 

[stevech]

I've done direct bury and horizontal runs 300ft Cat5e for Ethernet before and its nothing but problems. That's why I recommend staying with TIA Standards. That why the standards exist.

I'd put in a $25 mid-way switch before going fiber or anything exotic.

 

[azazel1024]

I'd put in a $25 mid-way switch before going fiber or anything exotic.

Harder to do if its in outdoor location, and probably more complex/expensive than doing fiber if you need a repeater/switch.

I think the point is, if you have to pay for trenching, then the additional cost to move to fiber is a very small portion of the overall cost of doing the project.

In the end, I think the OP has what he needs. A couple of wireless bridges is likely the cheapest option, if not a terribly high speed one. I have a need for speed all out of proportion to my true NEED for speed. So I'd go buried cat6 or fiber (probably fiber). However, if all you need is web browsing, streaming the tubes, or netflix or some console gaming or something a couple of 11g bridges might even be sufficient, let alone a couple of good N150 or N300 outdoor bridges which could be had for ~$120, setup in half an hour (possibly) and be done, even if it only gives you maybe 30-100Mbps of actual throughput. Me? I'd crave the 1000Mbps of wired/fiber, but I don't know that I'd need it.

 

[htismaqe]

I'd put in a $25 mid-way switch before going fiber or anything exotic.

How are you going to bury that?

 

[abailey]

How are you going to bury that?

Use a shovel.

 

[azazel1024]

How are you going to bury that?

Depending, there are a couple of ways. Outdoor rated enclosures are cheap and you don't need much. I could put together a small solar panel, OD enclosure, charge controller, and small 12v battery for probably $100 plus an itty bitty 5 port switch that is probably going to use 2-3w even with that length of cable on both ends doesn't take much of a solar panel or battery to supply it and since 12v...no inverter needed.

I've designed outdoor "remote" access points the same way...except they aren't wired in. Wireless bridge connected to a wireless AP with a nice big omni(s) sticking out. Of course that requires a beefier battery and panel, but you can cover a lot still.

Or you do POE with a switch that'll take POE feed it that way and put it in a OD enclosure part way. Doesn't have to be buried, though if you really wanted to, you probably could. Either just bury it in a water tight box, or take the day to quick dig a small square hole, pour a thin concrete floor, put up a form, pour the sides to be slightly above ground level, then get a sheet of thick plastic for the top, stick the switch in that.

 

[htismaqe]

Depending, there are a couple of ways. Outdoor rated enclosures are cheap and you don't need much. I could put together a small solar panel, OD enclosure, charge controller, and small 12v battery for probably $100 plus an itty bitty 5 port switch that is probably going to use 2-3w even with that length of cable on both ends doesn't take much of a solar panel or battery to supply it and since 12v...no inverter needed.

I've designed outdoor "remote" access points the same way...except they aren't wired in. Wireless bridge connected to a wireless AP with a nice big omni(s) sticking out. Of course that requires a beefier battery and panel, but you can cover a lot still.

Or you do POE with a switch that'll take POE feed it that way and put it in a OD enclosure part way. Doesn't have to be buried, though if you really wanted to, you probably could. Either just bury it in a water tight box, or take the day to quick dig a small square hole, pour a thin concrete floor, put up a form, pour the sides to be slightly above ground level, then get a sheet of thick plastic for the top, stick the switch in that.

Or you could just use fiber.

 

[azazel1024]

Or you could just use fiber.

Yes...yes you could. But who doesn't want a telecom box sitting in the ground in their yard? Especially when it is THEIR telecom box?

 

[htismaqe]

Only if you install one that looks like this:

http://davewhitmore.net/Images/field/Telco_pedestal.jpg

 

[azazel1024]

Actually, I was thinking one like this http://vwkombi.com/photos/wroughton-classic/Images/56.jpg

Whomuch.

 

[htismaqe]

You could actually expose the switch and sit in there. Surf the Internet from your very own Tardis.

 

[Samir]

If the OP has any phone (cat3 or even the old solid copper stuff), you can just use these:


I've used these to connect buildings using 20+ year old untwisted non-cat-anything solid copper phone wire at over 10mbps at distances far exceeding ethernet standards. I've even heard someone used two different parts of a chain fence and got a stable connection.

Not the cheapest, but one way to go.