10-04-2006, 09:19 PM
I'm writing this account, in case there's someone else out there in my situation, who can't get broadband Internet to their house, but can see (generally from your roof) someone who can. True geeks already know this stuff, and could build a long-range wifi setup with a couple of 9-volt batteries and a roll of aluminum tuned to 99.5FM. But for the rest of us, this could be helpful info.
I live on a dirt road in Boulder County. We're surrounded by farmland, houses spaced 5 acres apart. DSL is too far away, and cable refuses to come up our road (even after a $10k offer to Comcast).
In 2001, a network-savvy neighbor who lives about a half-mile away, said he could set something up. He could see a farmer's house from his roof top, and asked the farmer if he could get a separate comcast account there at his barn, point an antenna to his roof, and in turn point it to mine. He agreed, and my neighbor set it up. It "worked", was expensive (about $5k total), but it had a ton of problems, mainly lower speeds and continual need to power cycle (off/on) the routers, at least at my house. By continual, I mean any where between 3 times a week, to 3 times a day.
Last month, I got up on my roof, and looked in the opposite direction, and took note of all the rooftops I could see. I then went around to those home owners, and asked if they'd mine me getting a separate Comcast account at their home. Found a lady who was happy to do it.
Because I get massively confused by network language and configuration, I posted for help on Craigslist, offering $35/hour. Found a guy who worked for "last-mile" network setups all throughout western Nebraska. We then spent a few days trying to decipher the best and simplest hardware setup that we needed. We finally found RadioLabs who offered a package that we could use for about $500. (As you'll see, you can actually do it for under $300).
It included:
2 Backfire™ 2.4 Wifi Antennas (10" diameter, 4 pounds), a damn simple and inexpensive solution to up to 5 mile wifi.
2 Buffalo High Power Turbo G routers
2 Weatherproof boxes (Nema in the brand name, but any will work)
2 12-volt Power-over-Ethernet Systems
The coolest part to all of this is those Power Over Ethernet devices (PoE). They allow you to use the Ethernet cable to power the antenna, so you don't have to run a power cord up to the roof or eve. It uses some of the wires of the Ethernet cable to power the 12-volt system of the router (which you'll be housing in a box up on the eve).
So, at House A, you run an Ethernet cable up to your roof or eve. On each end of that cable, you put the each half of the PoE system. You then put one of the Buffalo routers into the weather-proof box, power it by the PoE, and plug the Backfire Antenna into hole that normally holds the Buffalo's antenna. Point the Backfire to House B.
You then repeat the process at House B.
I've had the system up and running now for a couple days. Speeds vary between 2100K and a high of 6400K. So far, very stable, and no outages. No need to powercycle the routers yet!
Now about RadioLab: they mucked up my order twice, first sending a 5v system instead of a 12v system. They then only one replacement instead of 2. Each time, my CL tech helper had driven out, causing lost time and money. They even left out the screws needed for some parts. RadioLab has so far refused to refund my 3rd day FedEx charge of $64. They also sent enclosures too small to fit both the Buffalo router and the PoE device. When I phoned them about this, they say "Oh. Remove the innards from the PoE and then it'll fit."
So while I still think their hard ware is a good way to go, they get an F in quality control and sense of customer service. If you order from them, verify what they're sending, and tell them you read a report of their horrible fulfillment process. That may put them on their best behavior.
Also, if you order from them, get each piece separate, and get your Buffalo routers elsewhere (sold as cheap as $50). By doing that, you can get your whole system for under $300.
How far do the antennas go? I hear up to 5 miles. But if you need longer, and know how to read the gobbly gook of network language, there are other antenna's that go longer distances.
Man, I hope this helps someone both save a ton of time, a ton of money, and gets them broadband where before there was none.
I live on a dirt road in Boulder County. We're surrounded by farmland, houses spaced 5 acres apart. DSL is too far away, and cable refuses to come up our road (even after a $10k offer to Comcast).
In 2001, a network-savvy neighbor who lives about a half-mile away, said he could set something up. He could see a farmer's house from his roof top, and asked the farmer if he could get a separate comcast account there at his barn, point an antenna to his roof, and in turn point it to mine. He agreed, and my neighbor set it up. It "worked", was expensive (about $5k total), but it had a ton of problems, mainly lower speeds and continual need to power cycle (off/on) the routers, at least at my house. By continual, I mean any where between 3 times a week, to 3 times a day.
Last month, I got up on my roof, and looked in the opposite direction, and took note of all the rooftops I could see. I then went around to those home owners, and asked if they'd mine me getting a separate Comcast account at their home. Found a lady who was happy to do it.
Because I get massively confused by network language and configuration, I posted for help on Craigslist, offering $35/hour. Found a guy who worked for "last-mile" network setups all throughout western Nebraska. We then spent a few days trying to decipher the best and simplest hardware setup that we needed. We finally found RadioLabs who offered a package that we could use for about $500. (As you'll see, you can actually do it for under $300).
It included:
2 Backfire™ 2.4 Wifi Antennas (10" diameter, 4 pounds), a damn simple and inexpensive solution to up to 5 mile wifi.
2 Buffalo High Power Turbo G routers
2 Weatherproof boxes (Nema in the brand name, but any will work)
2 12-volt Power-over-Ethernet Systems
The coolest part to all of this is those Power Over Ethernet devices (PoE). They allow you to use the Ethernet cable to power the antenna, so you don't have to run a power cord up to the roof or eve. It uses some of the wires of the Ethernet cable to power the 12-volt system of the router (which you'll be housing in a box up on the eve).
So, at House A, you run an Ethernet cable up to your roof or eve. On each end of that cable, you put the each half of the PoE system. You then put one of the Buffalo routers into the weather-proof box, power it by the PoE, and plug the Backfire Antenna into hole that normally holds the Buffalo's antenna. Point the Backfire to House B.
You then repeat the process at House B.
I've had the system up and running now for a couple days. Speeds vary between 2100K and a high of 6400K. So far, very stable, and no outages. No need to powercycle the routers yet!
Now about RadioLab: they mucked up my order twice, first sending a 5v system instead of a 12v system. They then only one replacement instead of 2. Each time, my CL tech helper had driven out, causing lost time and money. They even left out the screws needed for some parts. RadioLab has so far refused to refund my 3rd day FedEx charge of $64. They also sent enclosures too small to fit both the Buffalo router and the PoE device. When I phoned them about this, they say "Oh. Remove the innards from the PoE and then it'll fit."
So while I still think their hard ware is a good way to go, they get an F in quality control and sense of customer service. If you order from them, verify what they're sending, and tell them you read a report of their horrible fulfillment process. That may put them on their best behavior.
Also, if you order from them, get each piece separate, and get your Buffalo routers elsewhere (sold as cheap as $50). By doing that, you can get your whole system for under $300.
How far do the antennas go? I hear up to 5 miles. But if you need longer, and know how to read the gobbly gook of network language, there are other antenna's that go longer distances.
Man, I hope this helps someone both save a ton of time, a ton of money, and gets them broadband where before there was none.