# WI FI for a Campground



## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

I'm on the board of a farm history museum and we have a campground for about 15 people. We have Comcast business and i would like to extend the WI FI about 500 feet from the building where it comes in. I have done this before but would like some suggestions. Money is not a major issue a few hundred to make sure it works the credit card machines and security cameras.

Thanks in advance.

Mike


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

500 feet is a long way for wifi. You should place a router near the center of the area where wifi is to be available, connecting the router to your source with cat-5 cable (it's good for up to 1000 feet). Make sure you have a Wireless N router. It should reach the campsites.

A router like this one should do fine for only $15.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251942822794


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## bsmit24 (Dec 31, 2012)

May look at something like Ubiquiti AC LR access point. I am not that familiar with it but several friends are satisfied.


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## lgutman (Jul 6, 2015)

On my farm I use this to cover the building site.

EnGenius ENS202EXT

http://www.amazon.com/EnGenius-Tech...e=UTF8&qid=1455662667&sr=8-3&keywords=enginus

It is not too hard to setup and it is made to take the weather. I also have some of their other products and I am happy with all of them.

Larry


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## Declan (Jan 18, 2015)

You need a wifi extender, but not all of them are necessarily compatible with comcast. I used one from amped I bought on closeout for like $60 from Office max. 
http://www.ampedwireless.com/rangeextenders/


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Declan said:


> You need a wifi extender, but not all of them are necessarily compatible with comcast. I used one from amped I bought on closeout for like $60 from Office max.
> http://www.ampedwireless.com/rangeextenders/


I haven't had good luck with range extenders.


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## Declan (Jan 18, 2015)

Nevada said:


> I haven't had good luck with range extenders.


Mine works fine but I don't need to go 500 feet out either. Like I said before, not all of them are comcast compatible for whatever reason.


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

The plan is to put an unidirectional antenna on the office where the modem is then Up a hill about 200 feet away a repeater or ??? to get the signal out another 400-500 feet. I can daisy chain repeaters together perhaps if needed. 

It'll be mostly for security systems and cameras out that far. We fought enough losses last year it's time to get serious unfortunately.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

mikemike said:


> The plan is to put an unidirectional antenna on the office where the modem is then Up a hill about 200 feet away a repeater or ??? to get the signal out another 400-500 feet. I can daisy chain repeaters together perhaps if needed.


You can try it, but I suspect you'll have better luck getting the signal out there with network cable. A cabled link will be much more reliable.


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

The issue is all wires have to go underground and there's already a ton there. The campground is rather close but some of the buildings are a few hundred yards away.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

mikemike said:


> The issue is all wires have to go underground and there's already a ton there. The campground is rather close but some of the buildings are a few hundred yards away.


I guess you've got to do what you've got to do. I hope it works out for you.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

500ft., or even a few hundred yards, isn't a challenge for wifi; it's mostly about obstructions and antennas. With a clear line of sight, almost any ordinary router will make a good connection at 500ft.; obstructions (walls, trees, buildings, etc.) complicate things a bit. Your solution is going to depend largely on your level of expertise with technological stuff.

If pulling something electronic out of its box and plugging in a cable or two is pushing your comfort zone, you need to hire someone with a basic understanding of antennas and the available wifi hardware. Forget about doing it yourself.

If you have some technological aptitude and want to learn a little basic stuff about antennas and wifi, you can do it yourself, but it'll be a lot easier if you stick to commercial-grade hardware that's designed for the task. Ubiquiti and others make hardware that's almost plug & play for that, and it's not that expensive these days.

If you're pretty good at figuring out technical stuff and want a bit of a challenge, you can do it yourself with ordinary routers and open-source firmware, but there's going to be some learning curve.

For the 2nd & 3rd options you'll need to poke around the web and do some research. If you tell me more about the environment (distances, trees, bushes, buildings, hills, anything else that's not clear unobstructed line of sight) I can give you a few pointers.


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

Thanks and when the weather breaks I'll have to get on it so I have another month. We're a large farming museum so we have lots of stuff laying around and a lot of connections the get what we need to do things right the first time.

Next week I'm going to take pictures and do some measurements

Thanks and I'll be back


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

backwoodsman7 said:


> With a clear line of sight, almost any ordinary router will make a good connection at 500ft.; obstructions (walls, trees, buildings, etc.) complicate things a bit.


Sure. It won't hurt anything to set it up and give it a try at 500 feet.


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## Eagle1 (Jun 1, 2012)

I use EnGenius stuff to cover our campground. A directional at the office to point 500 -600 yards to an omni-directional and just built in wifi network function to route it to my dsl router. I cover a good 1/4 mile with decent connectivity. Real problem is not getting wifi out is receiving good signal from low powered devices. The 400 to 600 miliwatt stuff will connect for miles but most retail devices only have 5 to 30 miliwatts to send. 

Takes a bit of fiddle but quite doable.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

This may be a option for you, there are others.
They send the wifi signal over the power line.

http://us.dlink.com/product-category/home-solutions/connect/powerline/

This may also be and option.

http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/Power-Line-Ethernet-Adapters-s/762.htm

if it where up to me, I would try to use a combination of the two, and a dvr between the cameras and the site sending to office.


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

Thanks for the info. The project will really be starting in the next few weeks and I'll have lots more questions


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

No decisions yet but they would like fire and break in alarms in each building 13 buildings at least and on about 20 acres of the property

WiFi Alarm systems???


Thanks again

Mike


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Not that I know of, but their a GSM/Cell Enabled systems available.

Surprised I did not think of it in the first place.

Depends on your Cell coverage though.

You'll need to shop around and due your own due diligence but as a example,

http://www.fortresssecuritystore.com/build-a-system.html

No experience with that company but a quick read and their GSM System has Break in and Fire Alarms, Will Call out on a Land Line or a SIM Card up to six different numbers.
Sirens as well. 
I would suggest you get a google Voice Number and make it one of the Six.
You can add any number of forwarding phone numbers to it.
Put the five most Dependable on autodial and everyone else as forwarded numbers on the google number. 

https://www.*google*.com/*voice*

That is just a what if though, that system might blow and you decide on another.

They also have GSM Cameras, but I would go a route of wired and Wireless.
Avoid the infrared ones, smart thieves will find them. 
You and I can't see them,but a camera can.
Use infrared spotlights instead.
Try to keep Everything as out of sight as possible but do not compromise field of view.
Look for the smallest cameras with the best capture that you can find in your budget.
Try to overlap and Cover one cameras area with another from a different perspective.
Put them high put them low,Inside and Outside.
You may want to shop around for multiplexers, or you could build one but the commercial ones are a better choice less prone to failure.
Like I said shop around.
Get a good DVR, one with motion detection.
That way you don't have hours and hours of video to sift through.
Some even have Dialing features.
you may want several set up as separate different zones 
Put them in a safe place that crooks cant find and steal or destroy them.

Last but not least an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure, post the property with 24 hour Audio and Video Surveillance signs, Dummy cameras,
Not the ones that look like dummy cameras, ones that look like one some one would actually install Preferably where one of the funtional ones would pick up some one trying to disable it.

Then put you system to a trail run,once a month. If you have police departments on the speed dial take them off first.
Check you equipment often.

I'll tell you though, I don't think a few hundred is going to actually cover a system for the extent of what you have to cover.
I'm thinking it going to be a good bit more. Unless you go with the cheapest stuff you can find.
And if you can and do go with a Cell option, you have that as a recurring bill.
You guys may want to hold some Fund Raising Breakfast/Brunch/Dinner,Raffles, Donation Drive.
Possible a Go Fundme or Indiegogo.


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## mikemike (Feb 16, 2016)

Thanks all still researching. 

Cell phone is nice idea but a lot of cards to be re upped $$$$

Long term project but need a plan to get started

Budget is open but monthly cost should be kept down.

Thanks


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