Wifi booster for Observatory question

[bluesilver]

Hi, I am not sure if i have this posted in the correct section, but will ask here hoping it is correct.

My roll off roof observatory is about 80 meters from the house, so i will round it up and say 100 meters.
What i am hopefully planning to do is put my Laptop out there and remote access it from my home desktop pc.
i have done the testing inside the house and it all works fine, but in the Observatory it can't pick up anything.

I have very limited knowledge on what is good, bad, hopeless for increasing the signal to go that far.
Ideally i would like it to be waterproof so i can install it on the side of the observatory.
I was looking at Wavlink AC1200, but again, not really sure if it is good, bad, or just rubbish.

Any advice on what i should be looking for or anything that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated or just where to even start looking at options would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Peter.

[Startrek]

Peter,
Most may disagree, but to future proof your Astro communications I recommend a hardwired connection to your house with Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling
It’s a pain in the butt initially but peace of mind for the future
My Dome is 30m from the house and I went hardwired ( underground trench with conduit) and never had an issue in 3 years so far. Ran power and multiple Cat 5e cables in separate 25mm conduits.
No need for routers , hubs , repeaters and so on ………either end

My 2 cents

Cheers
Martin

PS: Cat5e data cabling is good up to 100m (100mbs data )

[floyd_2]

There's no doubting that hard wiring is the best way to go - I agree with Martin. If you can manage it, definitely go that way. Just get yourself an RJ45 crimping tool, and a small bag of RJ45 pass through connectors (pass through makes the job very easy IMO) and a spool of CAT5 / CAT6.

However, if you can't manage that then WiFi is going to be your next stop. You might need a high gain antenna for the obsie for the range you're considering. I have a Wavlink AC1200 here and it provides a stronger signal than any other piece of networking gear in the house. I have mine downstairs, hardwired to the router through the walls etc upstairs. I'm not sure how stable it would be as a strict WiFi only repeater, but in the configuration that I have it in, it's as solid as a rock and has been going for about a year so far.

Others here might be able to assist regarding whether the distance you need to cover would be doable via WiFi. You might need a directional antenna / point to point style setup to manage it.

[Leo.G]

On top of Martins mention, Cat5E cable isn't overly expensive on a 305 metre (from memory or was it 305' (100 metres, more likely), I'll never know). I'm a hard-wired fanatic too.

My son and I ran Cat5E and fibre optics from my shed in the back yard (plus electrical) for a switch and security camera, plus access to the internet for other crap in the shed. It's not the same distance but the connection NEVER fails like everything WiFi seems to do, repeaters or not (we have pro Rukus equipment purchased used at auction).

[ronson]

Peter, have a look at similar problem tackled here with a hardwired solution: https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=205619

[bluesilver]

Appreciate the replies and advice.
I was looking at hardwiring, but unfortunately for me i think that may very well be a issue.
I have quiet a few underground water pipes running in different directions in and around where the observatory is ( i am on a farm )
I could possibly set it up so that i plug one end in and run it out each and every time i want to use it though, a bit like rolling up an extension cord each time.

A booster sounds like a better option at the moment, but will keep researching to see if there are any other options.

[ronson]

Peter, if hardwired is not an option, then look at wireless bridging.

Ubiquity example: https://www.msy.com.au/product/ubiquiti-unifi-building-to-building-bridge-pack-of-2-ubb-54408. How to tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_46QuVNopsM

Or using Nanonbeams from the same brand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_46QuVNopsM

You can also risk with one of the many cheaper options like this one: https://www.amazon.com.au/KuWFi-Wireless-900Mbps-Supports-Anti-Interference/dp/B08BYKFD7F/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DBrjL3x QpuDoVYclzZy2NI7FDzjMhP2MqPVHhscBXb KtKEU2lrBpp3HkEdc28RrSuSgUhpNqbiKBU L2KYwTAuA4zXmgUGD-pNBOEDuEivGERaWRK8cgNxGyI3wIeUTWLoC 9ieS-MXOGjzFelCzsJAyHZaHHbuP1mN7TpG3_9q7 RWbmGGcF93yAB1N7lKAWO-S3cbYC26V4FQ_xjoV6L0kqAr-CtH8ObszQYt9EaRF9Q.tJmOZNPsib8N79Xf Q4nDQShnP8wvFfcscEYP3OgfBA8&dib_tag=se&keywords=wireless%2Bbridge&sr=8-6&th=1
out of a bunch available: https://www.amazon.com.au/wireless-bridge/s?k=wireless+bridge.

But as others have suggested, wireless could be unreliable depending on weather and other factors.

[bluesilver]

Appreciate those links,
Hard wired may still be an option, I will have o have a bit more of a look into that and see if i can find out where i have my underground poly pipes.
I have 240v out at the observatory, but that was only by luck as i had the power out there for another project before i had even thought of building the observatory.

Lots of options there to think about.

[PRejto]

I would try this before going wired:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-LBE-5AC-GEN2-US-LiteBeam-Wireless-Bridge/dp/B06Y2JH7PV/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

They are available locally. I put the Amazon link for the reviews. Seems to work quite well over a considrable distance.

Peter

[Startrek]

I took no chances with my 30m long trench an hired a technician to use GPR scanner to check for underground services
From memory cost me under $2K for piece of mind
The radar can penetrate to at least 30m underground
There are cheaper options like thermal testing

Alternatively you could use hardwood posts / poles and a catenary wire support system but this may be too obtrusive

If you’re looking to keep your Obs for many many years , underground is the best long term solution by orders of magnitude. “Initial Pain for long term Gain”

Cheers
Martin

[DarwinAstro]

I have a Wavelink 1200. It works great. I have it hard wired to my Telescope PC and Wifi it to my house router. For the sake of about $100, I can recommend it.