Amplifying a Signal

Garfield · Feb 7, 2003

Here is my problem...

I want to have a network from one building to another. The signal would be traveling outdoors for about a football field's length. Maybe less.

What is the best way to amplify the signal? Any ideas?

Thanks!

Kingslayer · Feb 7, 2003

You maximum length on CAT5 is 100m. If your close to a football field you can try putting a hub at either building and running the wire, but I'm going to bet with wall thickness, extra wire, and the essentials that CAT 5 isn't going to work.

Another option, although costly is to put a hub at either building, use a fiber adapter and run fiber across the gap.

You could also do wireless which would be cheaper than fiber and will probably hold the signal better than CAT5. 802.11A that is.

tatanka · Feb 7, 2003

I'd go fiber... its more secure and less prone to interference then installing cat5... I wouldn't recommend the next generation wireless (i.e. 802.11a or 802.11g) until one becomes the industry standard...

frodoski · Feb 7, 2003

FIBER is the best way. As tatanka said, the is no chance of EMI/RFI, or lightning damage between buildings. Or if you do not want to trench and lay conduit. There is always this device: 10 Mbps microwave link (no link liscense required from the FCC). It has a 10 mile max range. The hardware maybe a little pricey, but when you compare the cost of trenching, etc., it evens out. A good solution unless high bandwidth is required.

Garfield · Feb 7, 2003

It needs to be wireless. No question about it.

frodoski · Feb 7, 2003

Then check out the device I mentioned in my previous post, I have used it to link remote digital video recorders back to a network at a main campus on a temporary basis (about 6 months). Works good lasts along time, as long as trees don't grow up in the path to block the signal.

JasonKosi · Feb 8, 2003

what about 802.11a/b/g with a directional antenna?

Even if they haven't been fully adopted by IEEE (and I'm pretty sure that 802.11a has), just get the same brand equipment and you'll be fine.

dagamore · Feb 8, 2003

right now i connect two houses with my linksys wireless routers on both ends, and all i used was a direction send/recive antenna, like jasonkosi said, that i got from radio shack for the same bandwidth, and it rocks, the wireless connection at just over 700 m but a direct line of sight with out any trees or anything, i get around 9mbs connection speed on the other end,

Garfield · Feb 8, 2003

frodoski said:
Then check out the device I mentioned in my previous post, I have used it to link remote digital video recorders back to a network at a main campus on a temporary basis (about 6 months). Works good lasts along time, as long as trees don't grow up in the path to block the signal.

I was looking at that site, and it seems pretty convincing. But I can't see a price for it. Do you know how much that rig would cost?

eab · Feb 9, 2003

Ok I was looking at doing something simaler that Garfield was doing. Ok maybe a little differnet, the range is about 2 km BUT there is no line of site. Is there a way to get repeaters and bounce the single along?

dagamore · Feb 9, 2003

eab could you do it, yes, but the cost would be almost prohibitive, and you might need to get a FCC reg license for that sort of thing, but with the range you want to work with a microwave fix may be your best effort, and they will work on the line of sigth but not directly, ie you can have trees and what not but just no bigg hills in the way, a good rule of thumb is if you can reach an area with a cb you will be able to use microwaves also for the same two areas hope this helps some

PsYcO CyBrArIaN · Feb 10, 2003

What type of signal and system are you wanting amplify???
How about a relay tower?
Obviouslly travelling over others' property, no?
Put it in a tree and buy some pruning shears.
No tree?
Get a shovel.

eab · Feb 10, 2003

I was thinking on the terms of wirless network. I read soem atrical on the PBS site where this guy kind of did what I want to do. He lives up on a mountiain side (sort of) he got a wireless network setup. with a directional antan he bounced the singel with some repeaters into the town below him and then tapped into the towns wirless internet provider that he sicripes (sp) to. This was all over a range of a few miles and using wireless network setup. I want to tap into my bosses network. (he has a small biz and I do some work for him.) I live about 1.5 miles way from him. We are out in the middle of the sitcks and I proplay can get promision to bounce a single over some farmers field. Now he lives down in a hole and I am on the top of a hill. I need to bounce the single. I know there is a way to do it but i just don't know how. Can some one please point me to a wirless network ethuisets fourm or show me how?

kevmarks · Feb 10, 2003

Wireless is not going to be very reliable for a permanant bridge between 2 networks. Cat 5 is not designed for outdoor usage so thats out of the window.

Take a look at Frame Relay, it's usually the way it's done. I am not sure what your budget is. If speed is not an issue, you could even go with a DSL with static IP's. Which is only going to run about $100 a month. Not sure if ISDN is still around, but if you are in a city you will have all of these things available.

You can do gigabit ethernet over fiber, but it will be much more cost effective to just buy an off the shelf connection from an ISP.

Garfield · Feb 16, 2003

so does anyone know a price on that equipment? I'm still not sure how I can amplify the wireless signal about 100 yards (maybe a little more). And I can't do any relays. Any other ideas?

Thanks!

Garfield · May 22, 2003

Any ideas? Thanks!

Ddruid_SMP · May 22, 2003

At 100 yards there is no need to amplify the signal. I have several ptp links in the 300 yard range using 14dbi directional panel antennas and no amp's. You can always go bigger with the antenna's and still save money over using an amp (amp's start at arround $170, a 24dbi grid is $80).

They do make an outdoor rated cat5 btw, it is uv rated and filled with sillicone.

Amplifying a Signal

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