3,000 SQ FT 2 story with a 1,000 SQ DT 2 story shop 100 FT from main house, Internet/WI-FI options

[JOE.G]

Hi, I only have basic knowledge of Wi/Fi set up.

For the last few years I have been running ASUS 5300 Main with another 5300 as a node in the house. I have a Nano station 2.4 at the house and another at the shop with a ASUS RT AC88U set up maybe in Bridge mode ( Not 100 % sure ) what ever mode mirrors main routers name and passwords. Internet works pretty well but I would like it to be a little faster in the shop if possible, in the house I am around 400/500 download speed and the shop is probably 50 to 80 area. The Nano station have been up and running for about 10 Years now.
I have a barn about 75 FT behind house with trees in the way and it is probably at least 100 FT from shop with trees between the two that I have wireless cameras and would like signal to be stronger. Is there better routers and nano stations?
My son does game we have a lot of wi fi devices tvs, computers and what not.

I like the ASUS stuff.

 

[OzarkEdge]

One option... find a local Pro and ask them for a proposal. At the very least you might get some ideas.

Seems like prices are going up on ASUS consumer gear(?) If so, it may become less appealing to cobble together a 'compound' solution using such all-in-one consumer equipment.

OE

 

[Tech9]

Is there better routers and nano stations?

Your entire network is quite old. Your vendor choice mix may be limiting. With basic knowledge the best course of action is professional assessment of the area on site and installation of proper equipment according to your requirements. Better indoor and outdoor hardware is definitely available. Asus has very few outdoor application products and nothing in P2P category.

Eventual temporary cost saving plan is P2P devices replacement only. Your AC-class routers can do 400-500Mbps. You have to close all exposed to Internet services though because the routers are End-of-Life with no support. The description "trees in the way" prevents recommending specific outdoor devices. All P2P bridges require clear line of sight for optimal performance. Distant wireless clients require high-gain narrow-beam outdoor access points also with clear line of sight. Wireless cameras have major weakness - easy to eliminate all at once with RF jammer. Exposed wires outdoors increase the risk of equipment loss due to lightning strike. Someone with professional skills has to look at those things on site, if possible. Otherwise you may end up in trial and error with waste of time and money situation.

 

[heysoundude]

Replacing the current wireless link between the house and shop with fibre optic cabling is probably going to be the fastest, most resilient and future-proof method.
For Asus, this would be the RT-BE88u. One for the house, another for the shop, 100+ feet of fibre between the two with an appropriate SFP cage on each end...set it up as AiMesh and you should have pretty close to continuous wifi (at your ISP line speed) all over your property and within your structures if they're carefully placed to do so...there, $2k and solved for the next 10 years.

 

[Tech9]

One for the house, another for the shop

And if you were the person installing this equipment... you guarantee single home router will replace existing two in 3000sqft house and will shoot through the external walls and the trees on the way to wireless cameras 75ft away? If the customer is not paying until the requirements are met... would you purchase this equipment on your own risk?

If you can make this work for $2K only with trenching, protective conduit, fiber links, etc. all included - I would suggest @JOE.G to give you a call right away! I would also give them advice not to ask too much about 10 years support on consumer gear.

 

[JOE.G]

I have equipment to hand the digging but Honestly I don't want to tear of the yard or the driveway to do it, I should have put more conduit in the ground when I built the shop but they are all full.

The wireless cameras on the barn are just so I can check on the horses not for security. I get the max speed that I am paying for with my router from the ISP. Very few professionals around and I am happy with my coverage for the most part. I would like to either upgrade the Nanostations or do away with them if there was a mesh type system that would work. Everything is ASUS at my place except for the Nanostations.

 

[Tech9]

You can try something like this to the shop:

Wireless Bridge 5 GHz 867 Mbps Indoor/Outdoor Access Point

The Omada wireless bridge, EAP211-Bridge KIT, delivers up to 867 Mbps wireless data rates and gives a long-range transmission up to 1 km. Auto-pairing and centralized management enpower your efficient deployment and management.

www.omadanetworks.com

The kit is $90 on Amazon US... in case you are in the US.
Comes with everything needed in the box, Web based management option.

You probably have power in the barn. A second bridge like the one above + local AP for the cameras:

AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Indoor/Outdoor Access Point

AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Indoor/Outdoor Access Point

www.omadanetworks.com

The AP is $70 on Amazon US...
Comes with PoE injector included in the box, Web based management option.

Keep the Asus routers you have in the house for now if they do what you need there.

 

[heysoundude]

And if you were the person installing this equipment... you guarantee single home router will replace existing two in 3000sqft house and will shoot through the external walls and the trees on the way to wireless cameras 75ft away? If the customer is not paying until the requirements are met... would you purchase this equipment on your own risk?

If you can make this work for $2K only with trenching, protective conduit, fiber links, etc. all included - I would suggest @JOE.G to give you a call right away! I would also give them advice not to ask too much about 10 years support on consumer gear.

Relax, bubba - Joe is looking at/for options and is smart enough to dig in and research what he reads on interweb forums; Any deal that looks too good to be true probably is...but the tech IS getting better, and usually cheaper, too. That's one of the realities of this thread.

 

[Tech9]

Helping @JOE.G to filter options from waste of time and money ideas. I knew they are coming.

 

[sfx2000]

I like the ASUS stuff.

Most pro's don't because their potential customers think they know what they are doing...

 

[JOE.G]

Tech 9 the Bridge kit would be similar to the nano stations? I would hook one to main router in the house and then the other to the router/AP in the shop? Would they pretty much self set up?

The out door access point does that need to hook into a router? or just that just grab signal from house router and rebroadcast it?
I am sorry if some of these questions seem basic but this is how I learn as I really don't have anyone around here to show me in person.

 

[Tech9]

Yes, the bridge kit is similar. It's just newer with faster 5GHz link, up to 867Mbps with clear line of sight and up to 1km distance. They come with simple installation instructions. I would try two between the house and the shop and between the house and the barn. The outdoor AP at the barn will connect to the bridge there and provide Wi-Fi for the local wireless cameras. The only concern is the trees on the way, but hopefully much shorter distance allows somewhat reliable connection. You have to play a bit and find a gap between the trees, if possible. Get one bridge kit first and see if it works well enough. If it doesn't - send it back to Amazon.

You can test the bridge without any clients connected to it. Each device has LED signal strength indicator:

https://static.tp-link.com/upload/image-line/overview_04_large_20241227060017i.jpg

How to setup video:

 

[JOE.G]

So I would need 2 Bridge kits possibly the AP you posted above would connect to the bridge just like the router I am using as ap at the shop?

 

[Tech9]

Correct. If the shop gets very cold/warm or humid through the year - you can get an outdoor AP for it too. They are designed to operate in wide temperature and humidity range. May increase the reliability of what is outside of the house.

 

[Tech9]

I don't know what's the situation in the house, but if you have Ethernet wires inside or installation is possible good system upgrade option is something like this:

Omada 3-in-1 Gigabit VPN Router

www.omadanetworks.com

AX1800 Ceiling Mount WiFi 6 Access Point

www.omadanetworks.com

The first device is a Gateway, Controller and PoE Switch.
The second is good enough for home use Wi-Fi 6 Access Point. You'll need 2-3 around the house.

What you get is complete Omada system with central management for your entire property. You can control every AP including the bridges from a single dashboard. I know you like Asus, but there are better options with small business equipment.

 

[JOE.G]

The current routers I have cover the inside of my house just fine on all floors, I am looking to get slightly faster and stronger internet at the shop and if I can the barn. I would like to simplify my system a little if I can as well. Everything is pretty much Wifi, I think I have the nano stations plugged in and DVR style camera system in the shop, the house and barn are wifi. I was kinda hoping at this point there would be better options to get the internet to the shop. The naostations have served me well but They are over 10 years old and I am sure there are better options now. I am going to research the TP Link you posted.

I am not stuck on ASUS its just what I am used to.

 

[Tech9]

The current routers I have cover the inside of my house just fine on all floors

Continue using then. Fix the links outside only.

 

[JOE.G]

The TP Link Bridge you posted above have you personally used them? IS there a reason you prefer them over the Nano stations? It appears the TP link are more user friendly.

The AP you linked to above could I try putting just that on the outside of my shop and see if it boost the signal? Would the router in my shop hook up to that to supply the wifi or does the TP AP handle that also? Thank you

 

[JOE.G]

I see that the Omada EAP211-Bridge KIT comes in V1 and V2 but I am not sure what the difference is They appear to have same specs but there dimensions are a little different.

Wireless Bridge 5 GHz 867 Mbps Indoor/Outdoor Access Point

The Omada wireless bridge, EAP211-Bridge KIT, delivers up to 867 Mbps wireless data rates and gives a long-range transmission up to 1 km. Auto-pairing and centralized management enpower your efficient deployment and management.

www.omadanetworks.com

 

[Tech9]

The TP Link Bridge you posted above have you personally used them?

No, I have no application for PtP bridges on any of my networks.
If need one it will be most likely from Ubiquiti since the rest of my equipment is also Ubiquiti.

IS there a reason you prefer them over the Nano stations?

Price, availability. If you want to see currently available comparable role Ubiquiti products, here:

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

The AP you linked to above could I try putting just that on the outside of my shop and see if it boost the signal?

For best results and in case PtP bridges work well enough under given conditions you need this:
AP Barn <--- PtP Bridge ---> House <--- PtP Bridge ---> AP Shop

I see that the Omada EAP211-Bridge KIT comes in V1 and V2

Revision V2 is newer device. The functionality is the same, it may have minor changes in external and internal design. Most likely the devices currently available on the market are V2.