>500m Wireless Options
- Thread starter Larry365
- Start date
ah right, yeh this is entirely possible!
So think its definitely possible to get the bandwidth I need, with low latency, but what I am worried about is packet loss. I play a lot of games so this is quite a big one.
There are a few things I can think of that might effect it. Signal interruption from nearby overhead power cables..? Bad weather? and just the way this devices work.
I have sent an email to Ubiquiti putting in all my requirements so it will be interesting to see which product they suggest and their opinions on latency and packet loss.
Better off asking at http://community.ubnt.com
You're unlikely to get a pre-sales type engagement from some stuff that retails at under £100.
You're unlikely to get a pre-sales type engagement from some stuff that retails at under £100.
Associate
I can offer some real-world experience here, as I've been in a similar situation to you, albeit with a smaller distance involved. Neighbours can get FTTC whereas my house can't get anything better than ADSL2+ thanks to BT's shenanigans. There's no chance of running a cable so I had to resort to wireless.
I've been using a pair of Nanostation Loco M5s for several months now to hook up to an 80/20 FTTC connection in a nearby property. There's line of sight between the buildings but the Fresnel zone isn't completely clear.
Overall I can sum up the Nanostations in one world: invisible. They just work, and work well. The built-in performance monitoring tools in the M5s report 100MBit/s throughput in each direction when saturating both send and receive channels, latency averages 1.4ms with occasional spikes up to 5ms. Packet loss is basically a handfull of packets a day - I'm pretty sure that's the result of birds flying in front of one of the M5s as this is a rural area with masses of avian residents that like to whizz past my front door where one of the Nanostations is located.
Weather hasn't been an issue at all. We've had torrential downpours and lightning and the connection hasn't missed a beat. The Nanostations have also been rock solid in terms of reliability, not once since they were installed have they needed any attention.
All in I paid about £150 for the two Loco M5s, mounting gear and the shielded Ethernet cables they need.
Ok well this sounds promising. Like you, I have line of sight but the fresnel zone is a bit iffy. I'll be getting a 150/15 FTTH so it sounds like the Loco M5s might not be quite up to the task of carrying as close to 150 over 450m. Great to hear from someone with first hand experience of a similar situation
I have considered 4g. I did a speed test with EE and I can get 20/7. Using bonding tech, I could reach ~80. However the biggest problem with this approach is cost and total bandwidth. I would hit quotas in a couple of days and spend in 2 months what vm would cost for a year. Good thinking for a regular setup but my internet usuage is well above average.
Its 500m away across two fields. It's something I considered. I own a mini digger so I could get the trench dug at cost. The cost of the cable would be >£800 and thats just the standard stuff. Armoured cable must be at least half again.
If I find after a few months that this wireless solution is not working for me when I will probably go down this route.
Associate
Zero chance of that as the M5 is limited by its 100Mbit Ethernet port. You would probably need something like the Nanobeam ac to get actual uni-directional 150MBit throughput, those have GBit Ethernet ports and higher performance wireless than the Nanostations and if memory serves they go for around £90 each.
Yeah looks like I'll be going for the Nanobeam 5ac. I'm just about to go out to talk with the neighbours. VM have provisionally agreed to offer a discount to the third party if they allow my connection off their premises. This took two hours to negotiate between 3 different people at VM, but I wanted to approach the third party with some ammunition and incentives.
If they agree then I can start assessing the site and getting getting a decent look at the LOS. There is a clearance through the woods where the overhead power cables run through, I'm now a bit concerned that the telegraph poles themselves will cause an issue. I need to figure out how high I need to go at my end to clear the (reasonably low) tree line... rather mature hedge line. The fresnel zone is only about 1.2m over 500m (I think) so I'm hoping the clearing will be sufficient.
Don
Yeh not cheap although VM did say they would be able to do something for me if I were to dig the trench, so they will prob be able to supply cable at half that price.. maybe even for free.
Definitely an option but its the trench part thats putting me off. I have just learned that the two fields between the houses are owned by two separate people, so it thats 4 parties total... it all gets a bit silly after a while.
Ok, so the good news is, the closest neighbour is absolutely fine with the idea and will accept nothing more than a crate of beer; good chap! He isnt currently with VM so I will be using his existing inlet. If he wants to switch to VM then he can a £5/month discount and £50 back from the "refer a friend" deal.
Below are two pictures of the LOS. Basically these poles run directly from the ideal position for the Nanobeam, straight to my farm. As you can see, the clearing around the cables is pretty good and I should have no problem being able to clear a little more around them if I need to. Does anyone know how I can effectively test to see if I can get a good signal between the poles and the trees?
There is an alternative if I cant go through the trees. There is a 4g antenna on a pole in the perfect position to bounce the signal around the woodland (see first pic). I have spoken to the land owner who has no problems with me accessing this antenna, however it is ultimately the decision of the antenna owner. The best thing about being able to use this antenna pole is that it has mains power. I have my doubts as to whether they will allow and installation here however. Obviously I will need access to the antenna if there is a problem, and this is something I can't imagine they will grant. We'll call it plan B.
Thanks for you help so far guys. This is a great thread.
View from transmitting end. Distance: ~270m
View from receiving end. Distance: ~100m (roughly 60m of woodland)
"bounce off" pole. 220m + 380m
Below are two pictures of the LOS. Basically these poles run directly from the ideal position for the Nanobeam, straight to my farm. As you can see, the clearing around the cables is pretty good and I should have no problem being able to clear a little more around them if I need to. Does anyone know how I can effectively test to see if I can get a good signal between the poles and the trees?
There is an alternative if I cant go through the trees. There is a 4g antenna on a pole in the perfect position to bounce the signal around the woodland (see first pic). I have spoken to the land owner who has no problems with me accessing this antenna, however it is ultimately the decision of the antenna owner. The best thing about being able to use this antenna pole is that it has mains power. I have my doubts as to whether they will allow and installation here however. Obviously I will need access to the antenna if there is a problem, and this is something I can't imagine they will grant. We'll call it plan B.
Thanks for you help so far guys. This is a great thread.
View from transmitting end. Distance: ~270m
View from receiving end. Distance: ~100m (roughly 60m of woodland)
"bounce off" pole. 220m + 380m
Why
Assuming that 4G site is owned by one of the major phone networks then there is no chance you will ever be able to put anything on it and power it. Shooting it between the trees will be fine.
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Ok. Well I guess its time to commit to buying a pair of Nanobeams. Before committing with VM, I'll get them set up and run some tests. Just waiting to here back from another forum. I'll keep this thread going with updates and I'll no doubt have a billion questions about the networking side of things.
I vaguely remember a reporter writing a blog about doing the very same thing that you're doing.
However, I'll point out that you're well within the distance of a single fibre connection so hiring a digger and cutting a trench yourself should definitely be considered. And whoever owns them may allow you to use those transmission poles.
Something else: you're spending a LOT of money on buying your new home; if the costs to add internet access are significant, speak to the bank about increasing the mortgage as good internet will increase the value of the house.
However, I'll point out that you're well within the distance of a single fibre connection so hiring a digger and cutting a trench yourself should definitely be considered. And whoever owns them may allow you to use those transmission poles.
Something else: you're spending a LOT of money on buying your new home; if the costs to add internet access are significant, speak to the bank about increasing the mortgage as good internet will increase the value of the house.
Soldato
I'm very interested in this, I fit Ubiquiti kit all day every day and looking at your "clearing" I'd be a little dubious. That greenery is going to cause some heartache, especially if you're upping the channel width over 20Mhz.