USB powered WiFi extender options? Think outside the box people help?

InceptionHosting · October 2020

Does anyone have any knowledge of or experience with any USB WiFi extenders or portable USB powered WiFi devices that have extender capabilities even if it is not their primary use?

Having finished putting a 4th paddock in for the horses the current USB powered modem WiFi reach is only getting half way down the paddock (field) which is fine during the day as the WiFi wireless cameras can see the rest of the field but at night they only have about 25 meter night vision so I have a big blind spot.

My first idea was to get a 30w panel and a 12v power supply and use a 12v ir light to illuminate the rest of the field at night but it looks like the decent ones that can actually do that would draw around 60w so then I would need to build in a motion sensor so it’s not always on and the range it would need to over for movement is a bit much.

So now I am looking into 5v USB powered WiFi repeaters I can hook that into a 30,000mah pack with a 30w panel charging it during the day and run the extender from that, then just move the cameras to the end of the field looking back in and that’s problem solved.

Final option if all else fails is just to get a second router all together and duplicate the setup I already have but that will stand out like a sore thumb and may be a target.

Ympker · October 2020

What about GLinet extenders/portable routers? Was very happy with the AR150

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@Ympker said:
What about GLinet extenders/portable routers? Was very happy with the AR150

That looks perfect, I might get the one with the little 2dbi attached as it’s only a couple of quid more, can’t find any info on the range but I guess 60 meters out door should be possible.

havoc · October 2020

Bit hard to visualise tbh, but are you sure you can't trench a PoE cable for the repeater? Will be easier than dealing with batteries & solar.

For the IR light - I'd imagine you can get away with lower wattage if you do multiple small lights rather than trying to blast the entire area from one vantage point

Ympker · October 2020

@AnthonySmith said:

@Ympker said:
What about GLinet extenders/portable routers? Was very happy with the AR150

That looks perfect, I might get the one with the little 2dbi attached as it’s only a couple of quid more, can’t find any info on the range but I guess 60 meters out door should be possible.

It was going from -1 to +1 floor in our house if that helps. 2.4ghz ofc.

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@havoc said:
Bit hard to visualise tbh, but are you sure you can't trench a PoE cable for the repeater? Will be easier than dealing with batteries & solar.

For the IR light - I'd imagine you can get away with lower wattage if you do multiple small lights rather than trying to blast the entire area from one vantage point

I don’t think I have it in me tbh, I did a 300 meter drainage trench and the thought of doing another 200 makes me sad, needs to be deep because... horses.

I considered a few smaller ones but that essentially adds up to the same wattage or there abouts and just a ton of cable.

Imagine a square 500 meters by 500 meters divided in 4 at one side on the center line outside the box is the stables which has the current solar and router setup, on the opposite side is the blind spot at night.

havoc · October 2020

Clearly a team of drones hovering overhead & autonomously returning to a charging dock like a roomba is the solution.

I saw some solar panel + battery pack combos on amazon, but think they might be a little light. Other thing is I think you'll need to go bigger than 30k. Cause if you draw a powerbank or similar down to zero each night its not gonna last long.

Presumably there is fencing for the horses - can you run a 240V line attached to that to avoid trenching? As a bonus you can run the data down that too with powerline adapters.

idk I just think doing whatever it takes to avoid a battery/solar system will be easiest.

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@havoc said:
Clearly a team of drones hovering overhead & autonomously returning to a charging dock like a roomba is the solution.

I saw some solar panel + battery pack combos on amazon, but think they might be a little light. Other thing is I think you'll need to go bigger than 30k. Cause if you draw a powerbank or similar down to zero each night its not gonna last long.

Presumably there is fencing for the horses - can you run a 240V line attached to that to avoid trenching? As a bonus you can run the data down that too with powerline adapters.

idk I just think doing whatever it takes to avoid a battery/solar system will be easiest.

There is no mains power there, I have an invertor but running that 24x7 is not ideal.

I don’t mind replacing the usb packs every 3 - 6 months, they are not expensive.

Tbh I am now considering just hacking a yagi omni antenna into the thing @Ympker suggested just to get better range from base.

InceptionHosting · October 2020

I bought the gl-ar300m-ext @Ympker I will test it’s factory range on WiFi first then add a yagi like antenna if required, could save having to maintain a seperate solar setup if I can just extend the base range if it’s no better than the current router it’s still a nice to have bit of kit

Ympker · October 2020

@AnthonySmith said:
I bought the gl-ar300m-ext @Ympker I will test it’s factory range on WiFi first then add a yagi like antenna if required, could save having to maintain a seperate solar setup if I can just extend the base range if it’s no better than the current router it’s still a nice to have bit of kit

Nice. Can't talk for that one but the Ar150 was already a powerful, tiny beast Also great for securing hotel wifi with ovpn client mode. Was able to charge it with my powerbank (15000mAh battery) for, like, ever. Didnt eat much power.
Not sure about the ar300m but they did also have some very premium looking repeaters iirc (dont remember if they were portable though). Tag me or pm how it went with the 300m

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@Ympker said: Nice. Can't talk for that one but the Ar150 was already a powerful

Well i was looking it up and read someone saying that they had both the 150 and the 300, they said the 150 is pretty good but the 300 eats it for breakfast in terms of range so I figured for the extra £10 why not.

Ympker · October 2020

@AnthonySmith said:

@Ympker said: Nice. Can't talk for that one but the Ar150 was already a powerful

Well i was looking it up and read someone saying that they had both the 150 and the 300, they said the 150 is pretty good but the 300 eats it for breakfast in terms of range so I figured for the extra £10 why not.

Fair enough Can't go wrong, I think.

Adam1 · October 2020

I'm one of them digital nomad types, I carry a glinet 750m and it's been very useful when I've been in places with weak wifi. I can leave this on the window sill and catch the wifi and repeat it to my devices, pretty useful.

that being said, my phone supports wifi repeating too so that gets me by in a pinch.

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@Adam1 said:
I'm one of them digital nomad types, I carry a glinet 750m and it's been very useful when I've been in places with weak wifi. I can leave this on the window sill and catch the wifi and repeat it to my devices, pretty useful.

that being said, my phone supports wifi repeating too so that gets me by in a pinch.

Have you had to test the range yet?

Adam1 · October 2020

@AnthonySmith said: Have you had to test the range yet?

yeah, it's less than my phones wifi to be honest. but it's still been helpful.

InceptionHosting · October 2020

@Adam1 said:

@AnthonySmith said: Have you had to test the range yet?

yeah, it's less than my phones wifi to be honest. but it's still been helpful.

Does not bode well then I will give it a test tomorrow I got the 300-ext today. If I can get 200 meters outdoor unobstructed that will be great

Ympker · October 2020

@AnthonySmith said:

@Adam1 said:

@AnthonySmith said: Have you had to test the range yet?

yeah, it's less than my phones wifi to be honest. but it's still been helpful.

Does not bode well then I will give it a test tomorrow I got the 300-ext today. If I can get 200 meters outdoor unobstructed that will be great

If the range is too short maybe what @sgheghele got would be a better fit? I think they got a more powerful GLinet (I skipped it q.q)

Lee · October 2020

I had my electrician in today as I am getting a new bathroom fitted, spoke to him about things and he is going to quote for running some cat5/6 upstairs with a switch which he will then cables to the key rooms and if needed put in a wifi box up there and into the garage. Will be interesting to see what the quote is. But I have spent £30k between the bathroom and a new kitchen in the last couple of months so I suspect it will not hit my savings much harder than I am seeing already

sgheghele · October 2020

@Ympker said:

@AnthonySmith said:

@Adam1 said:

@AnthonySmith said: Have you had to test the range yet?

yeah, it's less than my phones wifi to be honest. but it's still been helpful.

Does not bode well then I will give it a test tomorrow I got the 300-ext today. If I can get 200 meters outdoor unobstructed that will be great

If the range is too short maybe what @sgheghele got would be a better fit? I think they got a more powerful GLinet (I skipped it q.q)

Just received it (am actually browsing through it and Windscribe). Feel free to ask any questions or stuff for me to try out.

USB powered WiFi extender options? Think outside the box people help?

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