Wifi between two buildings using 2 routers.

[3v0]

I will be searching the web too. But if anyone can provide some pointers I would be grateful. If all you intend to do is say RTFM do not bother posting!

I have a general idea about what I need to do but would like to hear from people who have done it.

My shop is 120 feet away, the highway between it and the house prevents me from using cable.

I am thinking of buying 2 wifi routers

Newegg.com - Linksys WRT54GL 802.11b/g Wireless Broadband Router up to 54Mbps/ Open Source DD-WRT

One WRT54GL would replace the existing router in the house and the other would be placed in the shop 120 feet away. Found a how-to on setting up the router in the shop as a bridge router. Client Bridge - DD-WRT Wiki

I expect to use an external antenna with the router in the shop because it is a metal building. Not sure about the house.


The router has two antennas. Can one connect a roof mounted antenna to one side and keep the other for wifi near the router ?

The external antennas cost more then the routers. If anyone know of a decent DIY version let me know.

 

[3v0]

update

Found out you can not use an external antenna with WRT54GL because they are not screwed to connectors but fixed to the box.

Chatted with a script reader from linksys and he suggested using a E2100L. They are about $10 more each but not a big deal.

DD_WRT seems to work on them
DD-WRT Forum :: View topic - Support for Cisco-Linksys E2100L?

Read somewhere wifi does not like to have 2 different types of antenna attached so the 2 units may only server to line to wired subnets.

 

[Reloadron]

I have a few WRT series 54 routers at home but don't know the suffix. The antennas are removable on them.

Anyway, as to antennas, yes, there are some YAGI types out there that can get expensive. Several years ago I messed with sending Internet to a neighbor just to see if we could do it. We actually had some good luck with the "Cantenna" designs. Easy to build, directional and they worked pretty well overall. Something to watch is the feed. When you use an external antenna you need some good cable with low loss. I know I have a few short sections at home but can't recall what it was. Anyway, something to consider. The distance of what you mention isn't bad at all with a good line of sight unobstructed.

<EDIT> I forgot to to cantenna designs. There are countless variations out there. </EDIT>

What exactly is the goal here?

Ron

 

[3v0]

The guy at linksys india checked and said they were not removable.

Thanks for the link to the DIY antenna !

 

[Reloadron]

Let me rummage a little. I know I have some stuff including connectors (the old we called it PL259) lying around here somewhere. The infamous somewhere as the wife says. I know I have a short run of the coax I mentioned also. We have a wake to go to but tomorrow morning I'll see what I can find. If I have stuff you can use I'll mail them to you. I'll never need the stuff and I know I had more than one each. Read into that free if you can use the connectors and whatever i have.

Ron

 

[3v0]

Way cool Ron. I would be happy to pay pal you the postage.

 

[Diver300]

Antenna on the Cheap (er, Chip)

Pringles cans are your friend.

Before ADSL arrived here, I got broadband by wireless from about 1.5 miles away. You need line of sight and directional antennas, but standard Wifi power will work.

 

[Mikebits]

Let me rummage a little. I know I have some stuff including connectors (the old we called it PL259) lying around here somewhere. The infamous somewhere as the wife says. I know I have a short run of the coax I mentioned also. We have a wake to go to but tomorrow morning I'll see what I can find. If I have stuff you can use I'll mail them to you. I'll never need the stuff and I know I had more than one each. Read into that free if you can use the connectors and whatever i have.

Ron

No offense intended but PL259 connectors are not much good beyond UHF. The VSWR and insertion loss would be high at 2 gig.
**broken link removed**

I would stick with the N- connector or SMA.

 

[Reloadron]

No offense intended but PL259 connectors are not much good beyond UHF. The VSWR and insertion loss would be high at 2 gig.
**broken link removed**

I would stick with the N- connector or SMA.

Damnit, Type N to SMA is what I used. Thanks Mike and I know they are around here in this maze somewhere. I know there is a bag of parts from the cantenna experiments. Yeah, PL259 much older memories.

Ron

 

[bryan1]

G'day 3v0,
I've got one of WRT54GL's here that gets the signal form the sat router and gives us wifi on the farm. I also have a billion 7404 3G router and both sit along side purfect. I did ask my mate could the WRT54GL be setup to receive and he said 'yea no worries with a bit of tweaking'. The WRT54GL can be reflashed with linux and do just about everything but make your toast on a morning. My mate has joined this forum and when I see you in chat I can pm you his nic.

Regards Bryan

 

[Reloadron]

OK, with minimal digging around I found what I have. This should be all that is needed to construct a "Cantenna" using the can of your choice. You are on your own for the can. The merit is you can have some Pringles or chunky beef stew in the process.

The attached images show the type "N" female bulkhead connector, the type N male to SMA female adapter connector and about an 18" length of I believe is RG178 (3 GHz) with male to male SMA connectors. The cable has very low loss at 2.4 GHz.

When I was experimenting with this a few years ago I found that for obvious reasons the cable to the router needs to be short as possible. Most routers use SMA connectors (female) and at the time we used a router with a single antenna. I remember that early Linksys routers I believe prior to firmware revision five allowed you to choose if one antenna was transmit and one receive. Not sure on that but a single antenna router was the best option as I recall.

The router at my neighbors was configured as a WAP (Wireless Access Point) and we had no problem with across the street at least 300+ feet down the road with high voltage power lines in the path. A Google of "configure router as WAP" will bring up plenty of hits.

Again, if you feel you have use for the pieces and parts just PM me with a mailing address. They are yours and I'll snag the postage. No big deal and don't give it a thought, I have more if I ever decide to try all that again. I'll never need the pieces I am sending. They will likely go out on Monday so you should see them before next weekend.

Ron

 

[SilverMedalMan]

A few years ago I had a garden shed about 120 meters away from the house. I had several computers in the shed and a main computer at the house. I installed a wifi system link using a single parabolic dish (purpose designed) with an SMA adapter to N type. I used special low loss coax over half inch diameter. The Cable was called low loss Heliax RG57. The other end of the link was the standard wifi antenna connected directly to the Router. The system worked fine, however the Parabola had to be held in a rigid fixed position. The Antenna was very sharply focused. Any deviation beyond a degree or two would cause the link to fail.

The parabolic dish and cable was found on the internet.

At the Parabola end of the link you must use a router with the SMA connector fitted. The stories about two different types of antennas being non compatible in a system are a complete myth. As long as the polarization is the same you will not have a problem with compatibility. Take my word for it

Hope that helps

SMM

 

[3v0]

The news is good. A single linksys 54GL (new with removable antenna) from Egghead did the trick. The Roswell adapter on the PC in the shop show full signal strength.

Have not switched to DD-WRT.

 

[4pyros]

3v0; What ant did you use? Andy

 

[Blars]

Search for "Wok-Fi" for a description of how to use a cooking strainer as a parabolic dish for a usb wifi dongle.

 

[3v0]

It is providing full signal with the factory antennas.

In the house the router is on my desk next to a window facing the shop.

In the shop the PC is an old desktop on a roll around cart. The USB wifi dongle is mounted on a wood dowel that places it 6 feet above the floor.

This is good news in that I only needed buy one router.

 

[Dvinchy]

You should just try to use an antenna's amplifier for a router it gives you what you needed.

antenna amplifier for a router - Google Search

 

[Reloadron]

The news is good. A single linksys 54GL (new with removable antenna) from Egghead did the trick. The Roswell adapter on the PC in the shop show full signal strength.

Have not switched to DD-WRT.

Nice when something works as planned huh? Based on your post I have a theory... If it works then don't screw with it.

Seriously, glad it came together for you. When a plan comes together. Great!

Ron

 

[3v0]

Nice when something works as planned huh? Based on your post I have a theory... If it works then don't screw with it.

Seriously, glad it came together for you. When a plan comes together. Great!

Ron

Agreed and thanks for the parts offer just the same.

For me it is just a tool to get the job done. I am not going to modify it because I can.