WiFi “bridge” to outbuilding

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I'm not very tech savvy so please forgive me.

I'm looking to run internet to my pole barn that is about 300' from the house. (Not interested in running wire at this time.) It's my understanding that I can have a bridging device with an amplifier module on the house that's connected to the original router and a receiver module on the barn with an Ethernet port.

Also, is there such a thing that would give my barn WiFi signal from the bridge that would also have an Ethernet port? Would just another router work in this situation? (Router 2 connected to router 1.)

Is my method of thinking correct? Brand/ model suggestions welcome. Thanks.
 
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Three hundred feet is easy if the path is unobstructed. A typical CPE can directly serve a phone, laptop, etc. 300 feet away if it is in the beam. I would only install a fixed receiving device at the barn end if wired Ethernet service is needed inside the barn.
 
I would look at a Ubiquity outside access point with a directional antenna.

Ubiquity also has some reliability inexpensive "air fiber" devices that will do what you want.
 
I like the Ubiquiti hardware though I never run it with their firmware, always OpenWrt.

The AirFiber line is for very long distance links and completely not what you need here. I would use a NanoStation of some sort. The dish types are likely too directional.
 
I like Ubiquiti's Nanostation for something like that. You could probably do it with a couple routers with the right firmware or settings, but the antenna design may not be ideal (think of it this way, if you don't have good WiFi reception in the barn now, the router you put in won't have good reception either. If you already do have good wireless signal in the barn from the house, you could just get a wireless to wired ethernet type adapter). Nanostations have a more directed beam angle that you can point to and from the barn, plus you can mount them outside. They're pretty inexpensive, maybe a little tougher to setup, but there are a lot of guides online. Checking Amazon now, the NanoStations are less than $50 each.

https://help.ubnt.com/hc/en-us/arti...o-Point-Link-Layer-2-Transparent-Bridge-

Here's a couple decent guides:
https://maitechnowiki.wordpress.com/point-to-point/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrEEOV5oA8Y
 
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Originally Posted by Linctex
I am in the same boat. Just learning about WAP's and such

I'm 400 feet away - I want to stream Pandora and occasionally look up torque specs and such.

What is an Access Point and How is it Different from a Range Extender?
https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/what-is-a-wifi-access-point/

I have looked at just getting a really long LAN cable, and it isn't much money.


You should not go more than 100m from a switch to device. An access point is the WIFI part of a wireless router. An extender picks up the signal and rebroadcasts it. Its only plugged into 110V AC. Any permanent CAT6 cable outside should be outdoor rated, shielded and protected again lightning at both ends.
 
I'd run a ethernet wire in a garden hose/cheap waterline and call it a day if earth material. Not hard to bury it a 4-5 inches below surface.

Wireless is just going to be pricey for exterior mounted stuff. Unless you can use a normal router with a detachable antenna and run antennas only outside on both ends.

What is your purpose for internet in barn. It will drive the solution. Eg a web cam vs phone use.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
I'd run a ethernet wire in a garden hose and call it a day if earth material. Not hard to bury it a 4-5 inches below surface.

I know the OP said he didn't want to bury a cable but I agree with your statement. You don't even need to use the garden hose, I buried standard Cat 5 cable to an outbuilding almost 10 years ago and it's working fine. I just took a spade and made a cut or slit in the ground and pushed the cable in about 4 inches. That run is about 200, 250 feet away. There is direct bury cable but honestly this has been fine and if it dies off I'll just bury another one.
 
Originally Posted by madRiver
I'd run a ethernet wire in a garden hose and call it a day if earth material. Not hard to bury it a 4-5 inches below surface.

Wireless is just going to be pricey for exterior mounted stuff. Unless you can use a normal router with a detachable antenna and run antennas only outside on both ends.


A pair of Ubiquity outdoor access point will be about $160. One on each building. The second one will join a mesh and its wireless uplink will be the first one.
 
NanoStations are outdoor models and aren't that expensive, $100 for two of them and you're set. Copper Cat 6 can get fairly pricey, even without getting the direct burial type, then you still gotta bury the stuff.
 
I didn't realize the bridge devices needed to be grounded for lightning.

We have a similar looking setup on the garage for the internet itself.. I don't think it's grounded.
 
Originally Posted by dlundblad
I didn't realize the bridge devices needed to be grounded for lightning.

We have a similar looking setup on the garage for the internet itself.. I don't think it's grounded.


We have damaged cable and switches from lightning. They cost more than $15. The surge protector (Ubiquity) are $15 and should be at entry to a building. #10 wire to a ground rod.

We switched a backhaul that was outdoors to fiber. We bought 125m of fiber that was preterminated for a little over $200. Our Unifi switch had two fiber ports. No lightning problems with fiber.
 
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Another good option is the Engenius line of high powered access points/ wireless bridges. Is your barn steel or some material that blocks signal? If not, you could also run a directional antenna pointed at the barn which should work with any device located in the barn. I'd get a 2.4 Ghz band which has the best signal penetration if you don't have neighbors nearby. If you have a stone or cinder block foundation and you need internet access on that level, you'll need a repeater.
 
I used this to extend wifi to a boat house, several hundred feet from the main house: TP-Link AV600 . The electrical power for the boat house is sub-paneled off the main house. Works great - tunes and video streaming down by the water. The remote unit does have it's own plug in ports as well.
 
Originally Posted by DukeOfFrontenac
I used this to extend wifi to a boat house, several hundred feet from the main house: TP-Link AV600 . The electrical power for the boat house is sub-paneled off the main house. Works great - tunes and video streaming down by the water. The remote unit does have it's own plug in ports as well.



My pole barn isn't wired with the house if that matters.
 
Originally Posted by NO2
Another good option is the Engenius line of high powered access points/ wireless bridges. Is your barn steel or some material that blocks signal? If not, you could also run a directional antenna pointed at the barn which should work with any device located in the barn. I'd get a 2.4 Ghz band which has the best signal penetration if you don't have neighbors nearby. If you have a stone or cinder block foundation and you need internet access on that level, you'll need a repeater.


It's a steel building.
 
Is there a window on the side facing the house? If there is you could place an indoor router in the window.
 
Originally Posted by mk378
Is there a window on the side facing the house? If there is you could place an indoor router in the window.


There is. Here's a couple actually.

What would the router be talking to from the house?
 
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