Alternate to wireless, or is WIFI the right solution?

I have recently been bequeathed by our local phone company with a
low-bandwidth DSL connection - 1.5mbs - after ten years of waiting for "high
speed" service in our area.

I have two buildings about 400' apart serviced by the same incoming phone
line (telco provided connection, common to both buildings).

I'd like to have the DSL service available in both at once, but realize I
cannot put two DSL modems on the same line.

So... can I reasonably run a line-of-site WIFI link between the buildings
(400'?), or should I run wires (quite inconvenient, but possible... just not
pretty, with plumbing, wires, etc in the ground). Is there a simple
ethernet bridge that'll run 1.5mbs over a buried UTP line that far? What
about when(if) they ever upgrade to 6mbps?

Thanks.

LLoyd


--
"... Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints."

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:466d3530$0$30666$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have recently been bequeathed by our local phone company with a
>low-bandwidth DSL connection - 1.5mbs - after ten years of waiting for
>"high speed" service in our area.
>
> I have two buildings about 400' apart serviced by the same incoming phone
> line (telco provided connection, common to both buildings).
>
> I'd like to have the DSL service available in both at once, but realize I
> cannot put two DSL modems on the same line.
>
> So... can I reasonably run a line-of-site WIFI link between the buildings
> (400'?), or should I run wires (quite inconvenient, but possible... just
> not pretty, with plumbing, wires, etc in the ground). Is there a simple
> ethernet bridge that'll run 1.5mbs over a buried UTP line that far? What
> about when(if) they ever upgrade to 6mbps?
>
> Thanks.
>
> LLoyd
>
>
> --
> "... Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints."
>


Two wireless access points (not routers) with directional antenna will do
the trick - as long as you have direct line of sight between the two
buildings.

I am doing that now with two old Linksys WAP11 access points - connecting
two buildings that are about 100 feet apart - using the standard antenna's
that came with the units.

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
> So... can I reasonably run a line-of-site WIFI link between the
> buildings (400'?), or should I run wires (quite inconvenient, but
> possible... just not pretty, with plumbing, wires, etc in the ground).
> Is there a simple ethernet bridge that'll run 1.5mbs over a buried UTP
> line that far?

A real simple and low cost solution would be a Linksys WRT54G wireless
router as your access point and a Linksys WAP54G Access Point in client
mode at the other end would work fine. Mount them at different heights -
one at 12 ft. roof level and the other perhaps twice as high.

> What about when(if) they ever upgrade to 6mbps?

Keep in mind you have to be under something like 5,000 ft. from the DSLAM.
I forget the exact distance off the top of my head at the moment.

"DTC" <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> wrote in message
news:vibbi.19294$(E-Mail Removed) hlink.net...
>
> Keep in mind you have to be under something like 5,000 ft. from the DSLAM.
> I forget the exact distance off the top of my head at the moment.

I'm less than 1700' from the DSLAM, but they've got "limited bandwidth" to
the box, according to the East Indian 'expert' I talked with at customer
service. According to them, I'm lucky I've got DSL at all.

LLoyd

"DTC" <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> wrote in message
news:vibbi.19294$(E-Mail Removed) hlink.net...
> A real simple and low cost solution would be a Linksys WRT54G wireless
> router as your access point and a Linksys WAP54G Access Point in client
> mode at the other end would work fine. Mount them at different heights -
> one at 12 ft. roof level and the other perhaps twice as high.

I can put up masts as high as 40' without a problem.

I've never done anything with directional antennae on WIFI, just 'local'
APs. Are these available commercially, or am I getting into beer-can
antennae now?

How are they during torrential rain?

Thanks,
LLoyd

"DTC" <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> wrote in message
news:vibbi.19294$(E-Mail Removed) hlink.net...
> Mount them at different heights - one at 12 ft. roof level and the other
> perhaps twice as high.
>

Oh... why the different heights? I understand about the "Freznel (aperture?
zone?)" and that one must get the antenna at least as high as half its width
above the ground. But why different heights?

LLoyd

"DTC" <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> wrote in message
news:vibbi.19294$(E-Mail Removed) hlink.net...
> A real simple and low cost solution would be a Linksys WRT54G wireless
> router as your access point and a Linksys WAP54G Access Point in client
> mode at the other end would work fine.

Looking at the WRT54G (and already having a WAP54G), I note there's no
external antenna connections on these.

I'm reasonably competent at hacking into and attaching connectors to things
that shouldn't have them. Is this the route(r) to take to attaching the
directional antennae?

I know this one will sound stupid, but here goes.... there are two omnis on
each unit now. Do they get replaced with two differently-polarized
directional arrays, or is one antenna sufficient for each unit?

Thanks,
LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:466d3530$0$30666$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have recently been bequeathed by our local phone company with a
>low-bandwidth DSL connection - 1.5mbs - after ten years of waiting for
>"high speed" service in our area.

Since the FCC considers 256k as broadband. Your 1.5Mbs dsl is not low
bandwidth
>
> I have two buildings about 400' apart serviced by the same incoming phone
> line (telco provided connection, common to both buildings).
>
> I'd like to have the DSL service available in both at once, but realize I
> cannot put two DSL modems on the same line.
>
> So... can I reasonably run a line-of-site WIFI link between the buildings
> (400'?), or should I run wires (quite inconvenient, but possible... just
> not pretty, with plumbing, wires, etc in the ground). Is there a simple
> ethernet bridge that'll run 1.5mbs over a buried UTP line that far? What
> about when(if) they ever upgrade to 6mbps?

Yes to all.
>
> Thanks.
>
> LLoyd
>
>
> --
> "... Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints."
>

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
> I have recently been bequeathed by our local phone company with a
> low-bandwidth DSL connection - 1.5mbs - after ten years of waiting
> for "high speed" service in our area.
>
> I have two buildings about 400' apart serviced by the same incoming
> phone line (telco provided connection, common to both buildings).
>
> I'd like to have the DSL service available in both at once, but
> realize I cannot put two DSL modems on the same line.
>
> So... can I reasonably run a line-of-site WIFI link between the
> buildings (400'?), or should I run wires (quite inconvenient, but
> possible... just not pretty, with plumbing, wires, etc in the
> ground). Is there a simple ethernet bridge that'll run 1.5mbs over a
> buried UTP line that far? What about when(if) they ever upgrade to
> 6mbps?
> Thanks.
>
> LLoyd

How does the second building get power? If the same phone line, chances are
it's the same power too... Have you looked at powerline networking? doesn't
have to be on the same circuit breaker, just on the same leg off the
transformer (the easiest way to tell, do you have ONE meter for both
buildings? That usually says they are on the same leg off the transformer
(http://www.netgear.com/Products/Powe...tAdapters.aspx
, under $100, faster than wireless at 85 Mbps, so you can upgrade speed
easily on the DSL side).. Use it for most of my wireless/outbuilding
installs.. Still wireless at the ends, just happens to be an alternative
for the wired bridge part... Never have to worry about signal loss (rain,
leaves growing, cars parking etc)... Just put a wap router on the far end
connected to one of the two powerline bridges (DHCP off, same ssid different
channel, and you have instant bridge/wired/wireless for about $150 - extra
$50 for the second wap router....

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
> "DTC" <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob> wrote in message
> news:vibbi.19294$(E-Mail Removed) hlink.net...
>> A real simple and low cost solution would be a Linksys WRT54G
>> wireless router as your access point and a Linksys WAP54G Access
>> Point in client mode at the other end would work fine.
>
> Looking at the WRT54G (and already having a WAP54G), I note there's no
> external antenna connections on these.
>
> I'm reasonably competent at hacking into and attaching connectors to
> things that shouldn't have them. Is this the route(r) to take to
> attaching the directional antennae?
>
> I know this one will sound stupid, but here goes.... there are two
> omnis on each unit now. Do they get replaced with two
> differently-polarized directional arrays, or is one antenna
> sufficient for each unit?
> Thanks,
> LLoyd

Just to confuse you even more, while it has two omnis on it, they are not
equal or split.... the antennas are actually BOTH alternataly switched and
alternate which is active, so you can't do just one.... If you do something
with just one, you are screwed....... (as per your q above, yes, TWO
directional arrays, or tap into the signal before the splitter/switcher and
just have one.....(have no idea where that may be, but others can give you
tech details)