# Trying to get internet in a remote location.



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

OK, so we _can_ get cell-based internet/phone service. (With an antenna mounted on the hill above our house) 200-400 Kps. Not bad. But I went to look at wireless also. 
Our "local" provider's nearest tower is 25 miles away. They claim 45 miles is their limit. But, they're telling me we can't access because of the hill behind our house. 
Ok, so what if we were to do a directional antenna on top of the hill? 

Won't work because there are too many other hills between. 

 Our elevation is 3600. Their tower sits on a hill that's 3900. There are no _bigger_ hills between us... 

Someone explain this to me... :shrug:


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

300' difference in elevation over 25 miles is not that great of a difference, IMO. Even if the direct line of sight is not blocked, hills (trees?) and other terrain can cause signal degration.

Since they are basically turning your money away, is it possbile that they know the signal likely will not be sufficient, so they may be saving themselves many service calls and an unhappy customer?


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

ErinP said:


> OK, so we _can_ get cell-based internet/phone service. (With an antenna mounted on the hill above our house) 200-400 Kps. Not bad. But I went to look at wireless also.
> Our "local" provider's nearest tower is 25 miles away. They claim 45 miles is their limit. But, they're telling me we can't access because of the hill behind our house.
> Ok, so what if we were to do a directional antenna on top of the hill?
> 
> ...


..............The record distance for Wifi , is 238 miles ! , fordy


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

25 miles is a Very Very Long distance. Heck I am only 18 miles from the nearest large town and there is Towers BETWEEN that city and where I live, and still I have a weak signal. And I am with Alltel at that. AND You drive north to that large city and even within that 18 miles you will switch towers on 2 different roads that go north to that city.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

45 miles is what they claim as their limit. (900mhz signal) 
No, there are no real trees (we're talking western Kansas, eastern Colorado guys! lol)
There are lots of hills between us and the tower, but like I said, they're all smaller... :shrug:


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## sulix (Jan 28, 2003)

i am on Wireless . My server sent a man to my place to check signal before i signed up. You might need to do the same. I live in SoDak and have similar problems as the poster mentioned. LOVE my wireless. Hope you have the same luck as i have.


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## woodsman (Dec 8, 2008)

300 feet above your position would would extend the line of sight from ~4 miles to ~25. And that only if the terrain between these two points was basically flat. Anything sticking out between these two points would cut the distance down.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

With radio waves, you have to deal with something called the Fresnel zone. Basically, radio waves spread out from the transmitter, then come back together toward the receiver. (That's sort of a gross oversimplication, but it works for our purposes.) Anything impinging on those spread-out radio waves will degrade the signal. 25 miles at 900mhz would need 190 feet from line of sight to any obstruction. Taking curvature of the earth into account, even if the terrain in between is dead flat, the highest point would have to be about 270 feet below line of sight in the middle 1/3 - 1/2 of the run. So, even if you can clearly see one end from the other end, you might not have a clear enough path. Better antennas at one or both ends make a big difference, but it may be more than the wireless guys want to mess with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_zone
http://wisp-router.com/wirelesscalculators.php#fresnel


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## lharvey (Jul 1, 2003)

Rule of thumb.....

If you can actually "see it" you can "hit it" but there are many factors that come into play.

RFI, weather, signal strength, local terrain, and many more.

L


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

also keep in mind you dont need to do it in one hop. I know a couple of people who have used wifi to link a number of miles to a broadband source. Just find someone willing to host the broadband connection if your wireless isp cant make the path.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

What is involved in hosting?


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

ErinP said:


> What is involved in hosting?



.............Small town governments , where they install an Omni directional on the water tower and all the outlying areas can get wifi access . , fordy


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