Build an all-weather outdoor WiFi access point for $50
posted November 15th 2005 1:45PM
Okay, the $50 in that headline is actually just for the box you'll put this in, not for the AP, wires or other equipment, but it's sure a lot less than you'd pay for a custom ruggedized enclosure, right (and we did get your attention, didn't we)? However, Dan Santillan has put together great step-by-step guide that'll have you extending your wireless network out to the pool, tennis courts and golf course (or at least that's what it'll accomplish at the Engadget Mansion, anyhow). All you need is a a WiFi router (such as a reprogrammed Linksys WRT54G), a juicy amplifier (which may or may not violate FCC rules; Dan basically says it "is still within the 2.4ghz ISM band but not the way wi-fi band was allocated"), and a little elbow grease. Oh, and Dan says he bought the box in a "local electrical store," but considering that he's based in Saudia Arabia, YMMV in tracking down a similar one (though we suspect it still won't be too hard to find).
Looks like a great case...hardware selection is a matter of opinion...but what really bothers me is the choice of power.
I donno about you guys, but running 120/240 up a pole and just plugging it in like that sounds like a *very bad* idea. That connector and cabling is just not type accepted for outdoor use and a great way to electrocute yourself/someone else. I dont care how much duct tape you waterproofed it with.
Id highly suggest ditching the PC power supply, the amp, and running -48VDC POE up the pole and weatherproofing it all. Use a higher gain antenna and you wont need that amp at all.
If you *must* run the amp, at least run some dedicated outdoor electrical cable up the pole. It could be low amperage and DC -- much easier to deal with.
Yeah... what he said.
Guys, seriously read the story before you post it. The guy has 2 radios in there, one being a proprietary HP45-24 radio that he says “is still within the 2.4ghz ISM band but not the way wi-fi band was allocated.” It apparently makes up what is the uplink to the Internet. Regardless, the amplifier is going to be illegal by FCC rules (who cares...).
However, regardless of the actual text of the article, it's not as water-tight as he'd like to think. maokh was right, running 110/220 up a roof like that is a bad idea, especially since his power supply's plug is exposed to the elements (his friend was right, and his assumptions of the water resistance of the accompanying plug is suspect). The hole he drilled in the underside is going to get water in it (water will follow around to the underside of the case).
I wouldn't suggest this for anyone who doesn't want to test whether the fire coverage under their homeowner's insurance really covers everything.
Is this product safer:
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/110_vac_weatherproof_enclosures.php
Or is it just as dangerous?
It's safer because at the bottom you can see where you connect the metal tubing that protects the AC wiring for exterior applications.
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/copyrighted_images/nema_airespace_500.jpg
The moron who wrote the "tip" is going to burn his house down, and when the insurance co. finds out what he did, he will not be covered.
I use these with WRT54G/GS's with 3rd party firmware in a WDS configuration for my neighborhood WDS. Just plop your WRT54G inside. Each point can act both as an AP and backhaul (but remember, you'll halve the amount of bandwidth at peak if a SINGLE radio is doing both AP and backhaul duty).
http://www.pacwireless.com/products/RT24-14.shtml
Can't beat $47.95 for those, but you'll have to pony up for some PoE adapters (~$25).
Use for neighborhood WDS? ... Gaming, shared-Internet, MythTV, DVR's, etc. Even under heavy load, each "client" has about 8-10 Mbps of bandwidth to work with.
Ken,
Thanks! I was pretty sure the enclosure I linked to was built to a different set of standards - reason is, I'm using one of these in a project, and am a bit, uh, concerned about the enclosure's safety. This posting scared me a bit, as there isn't too much different from the NEMA enclosure I just ordered, and the case the dude hacked together. It's a bit costly, but cheap enough for peace of mind.
Another option is to just do it right the first time and get the range you need. This is what I have been using and it works great--plows right through the trees that would normally block most standard WiFi signals.
http://www.maxstream.net/products/xpress/rf-modem-outdoor-ethernet-bridge.php
Another option is to just do it right the first time and get the range you need. This is what I have been using and it works great--plows right through the trees that would normally block most standard WiFi signals.
http://www.maxstream.net/products/xpress/rf-modem-outdoor-ethernet-bridge.php
Guess where this guy lives, he doesn't have to worry much about rain, lightning, snow, hail, tornado's, bugs and whatever other real-world situations we have to put up with. So if you're daring and live in South CA, NV or AZ it might work, otherwise the required 'venting' would promptly render it useless. Bet this wouldn't last 5 minutes up here in Minnesota right now - expecially with Linksys's legendary reliability ;)
And I don't even want to think about how many wiring regulations this thing ignores.
If he put this in a plasic enclosure, he could probably get away without needing any external antenna's at all.
Guys, i looked at his project pics (enlarge) and i noticed a couple of things.
The ATX psu is elevated at least 7-10 inches high from bottom side where the "vent" is and the rest of the cables/wires, i guess that is to prevent the water.
I also noticed the enclosure itself has a rubber seal and a water rails to prevent the water dripping inside, which is about 2-3 inches high, i'm just guessing i noticed the front door sidings.
at the back of the back plate where everything are mounted, there is some kind of insulator or something.
there's some kind of rubber support at the underside where all the connectors arelocated, i reckon that is to prevent water to get in.
the enclosure seems to be o.k. and how he mounted everything, though i am skeptic about the 110/220 volts, just like he said, i looked at my own power leads to see if what he say is true, and yes he is right!, the power lead contact point is buried deep and if you install the socket the way he did (upright position), it's impossible for the water to get-in as the "male-female" contact point is buried, one thing though, he did not show what kind of power cable he use.
and as what he claims, if the enclosure is a fire/heat resistant that is a real treat!.
i guess he only need to refine his enclosure for a better safety.
overall, i