Okay... a bit technical thread, but I haven't made one for a long time.
:: Prologue ::
I'm planning to have my 3-week vacation at country house.
3 weeks with camera, endless photo-opportunities and my darling machine. 3D-textures ahoy!
Problem is, there's no internet... and sooner or later I need internet. I will die without internet.
Also, it's raining all time. Especially there, since I live stone throw away from sea.
Shadowless, cloudy weather is perfect for 3D texture shooting, but I cannot do it 24/7, so I need internet in-between to amuse myself.
Okay.
:: Situation ::
Is following: About 160m from my house is one of 2 wifi transmitters in whole county. It's a local public library.
Rumors say that this particular wifi transmission reaches about 175m and has speed of 1GBit at best. I tried last summer, and from my house, I didn't get signal strong enough to have a working connection. Just some hopping on-off one barful of internets (in terms of windows wifi stuff). That's clearly not enough.
It looks like this:
(http://www.increator.pri.ee/i/pull/wifi_situation.png)
"Normal" people would take laptop, sit infront or inside library and do their mail checks and facebook updates, but my lifestyle is a bit different - first, laptops are doings of devil, and second, I live at night.
So, I need to think of something.
Having fiberoptic cable in my reach always, I don't know much about WiFi thing. Only as much as I set up a wifi router to supply my cable connection to rest of 2 computers in my apartment.
As I mentioned, I've never been (and never will be) a laptop user, I like cables. Lots of em'.
:: The plan ::
I thought of using cheap USB wifi reciever (I have handful of those, they always break quickly) and moving it closer to the local library.
There's 2 versions:
1) Move it to the corner of the yard (thus being about 145m from transmitter, see picture below)
2) Move it to the intersection of little street to our house, at the corner of main street (100m from transmitter, see picture above)
(http://www.increator.pri.ee/i/pull/wifi_evilplot.png)
3) Aquire super long USB cable to do this (will be really, really complicated)
4) Make some kind of cheap reflector to get more signal
About reflector: I've watched some DIY videos on this, the windsurfer and that one where all kinds of cheap kitchen utensils are used, bowls and tinfoil.
My own idea was to make much bigger reflector, and use carton or cardboard for this. I work as a designer for corrugated board-made stuff and I could make quite precise model with CAD & get good material for this. Either carton & tinfoil or even Metalprinted carton (which might or might not be super for such thing).
There's also a possibility: move reflector & transmitter to the roof. It will be considerably easier to do, I could make a high mast for this and use less USB cable (which is impossible to aquire I think).
:: Questions ::
...are:
1 ) Does whole thing have a point?
2 ) Could there be big difference between mentioned 105m and 145m reception? I couldn't use reflector with 105m version, only plain USB reciever hidden behind mailbox or bush so people on street wouldn't steal or break it.
3 ) Could mast & roof thing work better than moving closer to transmitter?
4 ) Would bigger reflector do better job than small one, and would it be considerable plus?
5 ) To keep USB reciever from rain, I think I have to cover it with little opaque plastic bag. Would it make connection worse?
6 ) Can I make my own long USB extender? I have some short cables around, would cutting one in two and putting wires between work? I'm not into soldering and such electronics much - so it would be messy, and I'm afraid that over 20-40 meters, that weak voltage USB-port provides (9V if I'm correct) would simply be lost in wires so antenna would work even worse if at all.
7 ) Can I fix issues of #6 with a battery...er... somehow?
8 ) Is there a sane alternative to my let's-make-long-cable madness?
Anyone who thinks (s)he might say something useful or has any thoughts on issue, I'd be really thankful.
1. Is silly but has a point :)
2. Yes, it's a big difference. Even 10 meters make quite a difference
3. Yes it can - wifi can be located somewhere high on the library and the way from there to your roof probably isnt as obstructed as on the ground level.
4. I doubt if reflectors have any sense in this situation. Besides people would probably have problems with it :)
5. Yes it would - better cover it with anything on the top
6. It probably would be lost - you would need amplifiers and stuff
7. Er..no?
8. The roof may work well. Also you can ask a neigbour to take make his network avalible for you through his router
Dont have make usb cables if you don't know what you're doing :)
Also routers tend to get better signal than usb recivers :)
Thanks.
I researched if further and bah, USB cables are maximum 4.5 meters long :( what a shame
Well, so it leaves me with only roof.
I tried really quick with simply ripping Lay's chips pack to a sheet and positioning reflective side around USB reciever -- it actually found 2 extra networks and improved found ones by a bar or two... so the DIY reflectors actually do work. And here, in city, I'm surrounded by concrete walls, not wooden house as it will be at countryside.
And with my grand plan failed, I think I need every bit of signal I can get.
My router - unfortunately, doesn't recieve WiFi signal, only transmits.
...and well, deals with neighbors won't work. Not in this county... and even country!
Last altenative I have is to dish out some cash and buy a solid wi-fi reciever. Not some USB-joke, but more serious one. I can stay at countryhouse and I can use it always when I'm there... I don't like this option at the moment, but mostly because I'm not sure if it would actually improve anything or just waste money.
Or would it? And which kind of weapon should it be then, considering distance and signal? It's not like I know anything about those :p
blah cant really help you with that :) I'm not interested in routers/recivers as I used to be.
Maybe try finding one with a long antenna? I saw some like that - could work for you. Always read the specs on the box :)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/sfyire/elephantstolemybaby.png)
I almost pissed in my pants XD lol
Quote from: InCreator on Wed 22/07/2009 01:03:35
Thanks.
I researched if further and bah, USB cables are maximum 4.5 meters long :( what a shame
Make some yourself? Get four wires as long as you need and just make sure you attach them to the USB plugs properly. Would require very little soldering and would work like a charm.
Unless the 4.5metre limit is something to do with signal degradation, in which case, maybe use ethernet and put a wireless bridge out there?
Quote from: Mr Flibble on Wed 22/07/2009 04:51:19
in which case, maybe use ethernet and put a wireless bridge out there?
great idea!
4,5 metre limit comes both from signal and power loss. USB has little voltage of which, more gets loss the longer the cable is.
I did some soldering & tinkering for audio at teen age, so I know that loss is actually quite high. Especially if there's cable cut and extended somewhere inbetween.
In terms of internet connection, it probably means both weak antenna (due power loss) and bad connection - CRC failures etc.
Ethernet, wireless bridge... I have no clue what that means :P
Care to enlighten me?'
P.S. Elephant picture is wrong, since there's a laptop on image. Otherwise I'd replace elephant with a pine tree.
By ethernet I meant ethernet cabling, which can go quite far. I'm not sure HOW far but you can use it to wire up entire buildings with net access so it must be pretty good. (Just checked, 100 metres for most of it).
And by a wireless bridge, I meant essentially a router that sends and receives (although it just occurred me that that if it was also sending wirelessly you mightn't even need the cabling). You might want to check this actually does this and not something else and illogical.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_bridge
Google Shopping results (http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=wireless+bridge&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=RLJmSpfbPMrOjAesyY2UAQ&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4)
This is the only kind of solid wi-fi receiver I can think of which you could put out in the garden and not need a USB attachment for. You might also look into USB Repeaters, which would involve daisy-chaining USB extensions and having a device every few cables to resend the signal.
Well, to put anything electronic into garden, I would need protection from rain and moisture, and also a loooong power & network cable.
Cabling costs money and so does in-out router. My current router takes internet from cable and transmits over WiFi, but doesn't receive from air. So I use USB receivers.
I'm still leaning towards buying a good directional wifi antenna for whole setup. Or try to make one out of Pringles' can :D
EDIT: Reading further, I learned that for WiFi, "direct eye contact" is absolutely needed (Or specifically, direct contact for 2,4GHz radio waves, which is often similar to direct contact for visible light, with few exceptions, like thin walls etc), and pine trees (or trees overall) are considered as barrier for such signal. I read a story where tree was between wifi bridge and it worked okay during winter. But when tree grew leaves, connection went dead.
This sounds like serious problem. I can move receiver high enough to pass the house, but not pines. And there's quite a few in the way.
Still fighting the problem!
Quote from: InCreator on Wed 22/07/2009 09:09:04
EDIT: Reading further, I learned that for WiFi, "direct eye contact" is absolutely needed (Or specifically, direct contact for 2,4GHz radio waves, which is often similar to direct contact for visible light, with few exceptions, like thin walls etc), and pine trees (or trees overall) are considered as barrier for such signal. I read a story where tree was between wifi bridge and it worked okay during winter. But when tree grew leaves, connection went dead.
It's not infrared is it? I have a Wifi hub here to provide coverage for the whole building of 4 stories (going through walls, ceilings etc). I can even 'see' the hubs of the hotels across the street (through the walls) when I do a network discovery so direct visibilty isn't really needed. It's that they are secured otherwise I could use them for my own connection.. :P
Quotewikihow (http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-WiFi-Reception): In June 2005 the record for the longest WiFi connection was set at 125 miles. While this distance is probably beyond your needs, here are some quick tips to maximize your signal strength and minimize interference with a little wireless feng shui.
Boosting your own antenna (http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html) and having a powerfull card to start with should be the solution.
Well the cheap geeky way would be to drive your car over there with a power inverter and your computer plugged into this, and keep the car running while you 'internet' away. :P
My friend used to have a computer constantly plugged into his car via ac to dc inverter. He'd find all kinds of wireless signals while driving around the city, then he'd mark them on his GPS in case he was ever back in that area and needed an internet fix. Yes, this is a pretty geeky friend.
Other than that, a cantenna (the pringles can) can work wonders if done properly with antenna pci cards and proper cables (my brother has done this). Although I don't know if the library end would work considering they wouldn't have a cantenna. :P
Hmm. Actually just thought about this. If you have a cellphone and cellphone signal, get a data plan for the time being and just use it as your modem.
Quote from: Mr Flibble on Wed 22/07/2009 04:51:19
in which case, maybe use ethernet and put a wireless bridge out there?
Yes, you just need 150 meters of fiber cable, wireless bridge, large battery and a container to put them. Then just dig your cable to the ground (hope you have proper tools for this if the roads inbetween happen to be asphalt) and hide the stuff in the pine forest (maybe in to some tree). Then just plug the cable and you're set. And then discover that wifi access points in the library are connected to socket that is turned off when the lights are put out. :D
Maybe I should stay in city :P
I'm really impressed that they have 1 Gbit wifi. I never knew such technology existed! Is it compatible with your PC? ;)
Depending on the soil type, you could get Fantastic Mr Fox to dig a tunnel underneath the garden next door. You only need to be 15m over the fence, and if it collapses then who's going to miss 15m from the edge of their garden anyway? Plus if it's night time you could convert the gaping hole into a nice water feature so when the neighbours wake up in the morning they'll be too elated with their new pond to care.
It worked for me.
1 Megabit, I meant :-X Reading tons of material on gigahertzes and megabits etc stuff made me make this typing/measurement error...
Well, I finally came up with rock solid plan.
I will gather all the humorists here and make them stand in line, holding mirrors and reflect signal at my machine.
That'll work.
Perhaps you should borrow someone's satellite TV dish. And yes, by borrow I mean steal. THey can boost a wifi signal all good and like.
Or get one of those mobile broadband dongles to tide you over.
And to everyone else; one day I'll put my whole computer out in a wet garden, then you'll see!
Quote from: InCreator on Wed 22/07/2009 07:04:09P.S. Elephant picture is wrong, since there's a laptop on image. Otherwise I'd replace elephant with a pine tree.
Clearly that is not an elephant. It's the Snuffleupagus! Geeze.
Don't have anything useful to say except I've recently discovered Time-Warner's evil internet plotting...apparently their modems register one (and only one) computer MAC address. So even with a different computer hard wired to the thing it doesn't work without having to mask the true MAC address. Since we presently don't have a wireless router I had to do this to get my Xbox 360 online. >:(
Good luck on your routing/rebroadcasting/invisible hard wiring!
Well, I plan to go for a scouting trip to my countryside tomorrow and bring a laptop :-X with me. And 2,5m USB extender.
Also tinfoil... lot's of it :D
If I can try out reception here and there and maybe some DIY directional antennae/reflectors, I would have a clearer picture of what to do next.
But if all fails...
...there's a tavern with internet connection next door. Maybe with a little sum and about 50m long network cable things would turn out even better.
Not sure where would I acquire the cable though. My vacation is a week away so there's time to get ready.