Wifi for outdoors
 

Does anyone have experience in setting up an external wifi system and antenna?

My home network is run off an Orange Livebox and I wish to be able to use my laptop outside during the nice days. The signal from the Livebox will not penetrate the thick walls of the house and we would also like guests in the small cottage adjacent to the house to be able to hook up.

Any practical experience and recommendations of what kit is required would be appreciated.

Ta!

Put your wireless access point in a window which can be seen from your garden and from the cottage in question.

The attenuation of RG-58 or smaller coaxial cable at 2.4 GHz is so great that a run of 3 or 4 metres or so could render a remote antenna disappointing.

Loss in a coaxial cable at 2.45 GHz

Here are some loss value for common coaxial cables:

RG 58 (quite common, used for Ethernet): 1 dB per meter.
RG 213 ("big black", quite common): 0.6 dB per meter.
RG 174 (thin, seems to be the one used for pigtail adapter cables): 2 dB per meter.
Aircom : 0.21 dB par meter.
Aircell : 0.38 dB per meter.
LMR-400: 0.22 dB/m per meter.


From: Radio theory and link planning for Wireless LAN (WLAN)

Run a cable. It's the best long-term solution.

I've never used one, but something like this maybe?
AT-WR4541g | Allied Telesis
Externally mounted wi-fi access point
One of the wholesalers I use is offering then at around £220+Vat - but has no stock
It should be possible to find them online at something similar

Not possible. The only window where the WAP is situated does not face the cottage or any area where receiving a signal would be convenient.

Again, not possible. It would be too expensive to dig a trench and bury it and stringing one up is ruled out on aesthetic grounds.

You could try a wireless extender in a window that does face the right way. Probably not much good for the cottage, but might be OK for "outside".

I hesitate to actually recommend this, as I have had really mixed experiences with different makes over the years. Some worked nicely for a few weeks then died for no apparent reason.

My current beast: "Netgear WN3000RP Universal WiFi Range Extender" has worked rather well for the last six weeks. It cost about £70 from amazon.

I've had real problems with all the wireless extenders I've had to play with, and I'd be loathe to suggest anyone try it
My experience is you're better off setting up a second wireless network using an access point, connected to the main router / AP by cable or else ethernet over power plugs.
In this case I'd run a network cable from the Skybox out to the external access point, and use different network wireless names. In fact, given the right modem / router you could rig the external access point on the DMZ side of the modem router, making your own service secure,but giving open access to others. Something to think about

Many thanks for the replies so far and the hints to get me thinking about what I need to do :ok:

Build your own antenna, see my previous picture of the one I built. It blasts a very directional signal through my house and eliminates side lobes towards the street. For some reason I find antenna construction very satisfying.

What Milo said above gets my vote; it's what I have done in my situation (WAP installed in the remote building with it's own wifi regime back to the main wireless/modem/router) . The effectiveness of the wireless link can be enhanced by using antennae with directional characteristics where this is convenient and practical. Happily I was able to operate with strategically placed omnidirectional antennas, and very short lengths of RF cabling.

Technically, what Milo said gets my vote too, but having spent 10 years getting my parents to do just that, I no longer under-estimate "aesthetic" objections.:ugh:

DrayTek Wireless LAN Aerials :ok: