Need Advice Regarding Communications / Networking Problem

I am looking for some advice about accessing internet service and
making it available on a network using minimal resources.

Here is the situation. I work for most of the year in a third world
country. When I am here I stay in a small compound consisting of two
buildings each with 35 rooms (ie: 70 rooms total. They are like two
small hotels). The buildings are separated by about 15 meters. There
are about 30 to 40 people here at any given time.

We have no internet access at the compound. There are only two
telephone lines coming into the compound and the company which runs
the compound is unwilling to rent more lines and a switchboard system
for the rooms due to the high expense. Therefore, dial-up internet
access is not a possibility.

However, the company does have an office about 18 km away (11 miles)
at which they have high speed internet service.

There are technical problems as I see it, these are:

1) How do we connect a server at the compound to high speed internet
service, at minimal cost?
2) How do we make the internet accessible to the people living here
from the server.

I have little knowledge about communications technology but I have got
a few ideas from talking with a few people.

Possible Solutions to Problem 1):

a) It seems like it may be possible to connect a server at the
compound with the server at the office. But I don't know how to do
this. I have thought of a "leased line" using one of the two telephone
lines to the compound and connecting it to the server at the office.
To me it seems like this might be the most feasible solution. However,
I am concerned that this may not give us enough bandwidth for say, 15
people using it at once.

b) Perhaps another possibility is a radio frequency communications
system between the office and the compound (ie: wireless over a long
distance). However, this sounds like it might be expensive.

c) I am aware that there are satellite systems to connect to the
internet. But again I am concerned that, with only one satellite
receiver, the bandwidth wouldn't be high enough.

Possible Solutions to Problem 2):

As I see it there are four possible solutions to this problem.

a) We could use a wireless system for the two buildings from a single
server. The people living here would then simply need to have wireless
capability on computers in their rooms to connect to the server.
However, the buildings are made of concrete. So I am concerned that
the signals may not penetrate into the rooms. Also, I am wondering if
these systems can transmit far enough to cover two separate buildings
with only one server.

b) All the rooms are wired with telephone lines (although they aren't
connected to external lines). So it seems possible that these could be
connected to a single server for both buildings. But the questions I
have are, will the bandwidth be high enough through telephone lines?
Also, how do we get the lines from the building without the server
over to the other building? Do the lines need to be run individually
or should we install a router or something in one building and a
single cable from the router to the server in the other building? The
buildings are a bit old also (about 35 years), so how do we know if
the lines are still in good condition.

c) All of the rooms are wired with coaxial cable television lines
(also not used). So, as with the telephone lines it seems possible
that these could be used to connect to a single server for both
buildings. My questions are the same as with the using the telephone
lines but also, do we need some special hardware to transmit to each
room using a coaxial line?

d) Last possible solution, probably the most expensive, is to wire
each room with new cabling. With this possible solution I wonder, as
with the telephone lines and coaxial cable, if we can do this with a
single server in one building or if we should be installing a router
in the other building and a single cable from the router to the
server.

Any advice on this problem and the possible solutions I have mentioned
would be greatly appreciated by the 100 or so people who stay here and
the staff that work here.

-Jonathan Klein

>However, the company does have an office about 18 km away (11 miles)
>at which they have high speed internet service.
>
>There are technical problems as I see it, these are:
>
>1) How do we connect a server at the compound to high speed internet
>service, at minimal cost?
>2) How do we make the internet accessible to the people living here
>from the server.

My favorite bridging links:

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20010628.html
http://www.bextreme.net/wap11web/
http://www.d128.com/wireless/
http://www.craig-bartell.com/secret/..._11_Bridge.zip


hardware:

http://www.ydi.com/calculation/downtilt-cover.php
http://www.wisp-router.com/product_i...roducts_id=203
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2415u_pro.php
http://www.netnimble.net/antennabox.html

>I have little knowledge about communications technology but I have got
>a few ideas from talking with a few people.
>
>Possible Solutions to Problem 1):
>
>a) It seems like it may be possible to connect a server at the
>compound with the server at the office. But I don't know how to do
>this. I have thought of a "leased line" using one of the two telephone
>lines to the compound and connecting it to the server at the office.
>To me it seems like this might be the most feasible solution. However,
>I am concerned that this may not give us enough bandwidth for say, 15
>people using it at once.

Phoneline networking is cheap now and supports 10Mbps which should be
perfect.
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/phone-network.htm

>b) Perhaps another possibility is a radio frequency communications
>system between the office and the compound (ie: wireless over a long
>distance). However, this sounds like it might be expensive.
>
>c) I am aware that there are satellite systems to connect to the
>internet. But again I am concerned that, with only one satellite
>receiver, the bandwidth wouldn't be high enough.

I agree, use only as a last resort. Uploads are about 56Kbps, when
that is maxed out it chokes the poor download of 400Mbps.

>Possible Solutions to Problem 2):
>
>As I see it there are four possible solutions to this problem.
>
>a) We could use a wireless system for the two buildings from a single
>server. The people living here would then simply need to have wireless
>capability on computers in their rooms to connect to the server.
>However, the buildings are made of concrete. So I am concerned that
>the signals may not penetrate into the rooms. Also, I am wondering if
>these systems can transmit far enough to cover two separate buildings
>with only one server.


>b) All the rooms are wired with telephone lines (although they aren't
>connected to external lines). So it seems possible that these could be
>connected to a single server for both buildings. But the questions I
>have are, will the bandwidth be high enough through telephone lines?

10Mbps, so yes.

>Also, how do we get the lines from the building without the server
>over to the other building? Do the lines need to be run individually
>or should we install a router or something in one building and a
>single cable from the router to the server in the other building? The
>buildings are a bit old also (about 35 years), so how do we know if
>the lines are still in good condition.

By two phone networking jacks and test it.

>c) All of the rooms are wired with coaxial cable television lines
>(also not used). So, as with the telephone lines it seems possible
>that these could be used to connect to a single server for both
>buildings. My questions are the same as with the using the telephone
>lines but also, do we need some special hardware to transmit to each
>room using a coaxial line?

Don't know about that.

>d) Last possible solution, probably the most expensive, is to wire
>each room with new cabling. With this possible solution I wonder, as
>with the telephone lines and coaxial cable, if we can do this with a
>single server in one building or if we should be installing a router
>in the other building and a single cable from the router to the
>server.
>
>Any advice on this problem and the possible solutions I have mentioned
>would be greatly appreciated by the 100 or so people who stay here and
>the staff that work here.
>
>-Jonathan Klein



------------
When your PC gives a little they give a lot.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/disco