Need advice to increase wireless coverage area

[Iwan W]

Hello guys, I need some advice to increase a wireless coverage area, if possible I want to use low cost devices. I'm not sure what I should use.

• 
  ■The location is some kind of small family business hotel/motel with less than 12 rooms.
  ■The area consist of multiple buildings.
  ■The current wireless network is already there for 2 years++.
  ■The place is in the middle of no where, so we only got a 2Mbit/s ADSL connection, which means we don't need very fast wireless connection, because the internet speed is going to limit it anyway.
  ■The maximum of connected users are about 25 people but usually less than 10 are using it at the same time.

Currently the network consist of a main ADSL2+ modem+router, 1 WRT45GL as access point, connected to main router, and another WRT45GL connected wirelessly in repeater mode.

It looks like this:
(Area is around 60+ meters in length/196 ft)

• 
  ■Installing multiple Wireless Access Points in every room like those ones in big hotels is not possible, because it's to expensive and too much work.
  ■The area is open with a terrace or balcony and some other open air public area, so I believe outdoor equipment is the best solution.
  ■Wiring across buildings is not possible, but wiring is fine if it's on the same building.
  ■I'm planning to turn off wireless transmission on the router (red)
  ■I know that the WRT45GLs are outdated but I think they're still good enough wiith a 2Mbit/s connection.

I've been thinking to add 2 more wireless APs with directional panel antennas like Ubiquiti nanostation or TP-Link WA7210N (use them as AP, not point to point), they are not too expensive, easy to deploy using PoE, and suitable for outdoor instalation. But I'm not really sure if it's a good idea:



Thanks

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Up to 25 people connecting to the same 2 meg bandwidth? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'm also on 2 meg with only three users and if all three of us are on at the same time it's virtually intolerable.

 

[Iwan W]

Up to 25 people connecting to the same 2 meg bandwidth? I don't think it's worth the hassle. I'm also on 2 meg with only three users and if all three of us are on at the same time it's virtually intolerable.

Yeah I know, 2 years ago we only got a 512K connection... But with current connection we almost never heard people complain too much about it, usually it is the coverage area, because their rooms are not covered. So I want to cover up the dead zones for now.

20+ people is actually a quite extreme situation, there are not many people who stays in the hotel at same time to use the connection, because the hotel is located in a tourism area, so most people doesn't stay in the hotel, they just sleep and eat there.

My ISP is planning to switch to GPON network next year, I hope we can get better bandwidth.

 

[abailey]

Depends on how much money your are looking to spend. A good option would be to purchase 4 Ubiquiti Nanostation LOCO M5's to make a wireless bridge between the buildings you have indicated to place the Nanostations and the buildings you are trying to get coverage to. Then you can put a wireless AP in the building to give it coverage.
If that is too expensive, the next thing I would recommend is 2 Nanostation M2's attached to the outside of the target buildings as close to a signal as you can get from the existing AP's. Use them as antenna to receive the signal and then set up an AP in the building to distribute the signal.
The last option of trying to blast signal through the exterior walls is very iffy. Depending on wall material and what other interior walls the signal has to go through, it may work or it may not.
As I look at your picture it looks like in the building where you have only a WRT54GL, you are connecting it wirelessly back to the other building in repeater mode? If so I would not try to use that signal any further, like attaching it to a Nanostation to go to another building. Do all the buildings have line of site back to the building with the main router in it?

 

[Iwan W]

Depends on how much money your are looking to spend. A good option would be to purchase 4 Ubiquiti Nanostation LOCO M5's to make a wireless bridge between the buildings you have indicated to place the Nanostations and the buildings you are trying to get coverage to. Then you can put a wireless AP in the building to give it coverage.
If that is too expensive, the next thing I would recommend is 2 Nanostation M2's attached to the outside of the target buildings as close to a signal as you can get from the existing AP's. Use them as antenna to receive the signal and then set up an AP in the building to distribute the signal.
The last option of trying to blast signal through the exterior walls is very iffy. Depending on wall material and what other interior walls the signal has to go through, it may work or it may not.
As I look at your picture it looks like in the building where you have only a WRT54GL, you are connecting it wirelessly back to the other building in repeater mode? If so I would not try to use that signal any further, like attaching it to a Nanostation to go to another building. Do all the buildings have line of site back to the building with the main router in it?

Thanks for your advice. I forgot to mention that the top most building (building #4) is an open building, There are no walls, only some pillars. So I believe wireless signal can get in and out easily.

So, I've checked the area and done some discussion, and it seems to be possible to wire building #1 and #3
What do you think about something like this:

 

[abailey]

Wiring the building would be much better. Your latest drawing looks like it may work. The only thing I would be worried about is building #2 since it will be getting all its signal from outside. But if it does not get good coverage you can simply do building 2 like you are going to do building 4. The only change I see that I would do would be to run the WRT54GL in building #3 on channel 6. You don't want the same channel to overlap coverage or that will hurt your throughput. Use only channels 1, 6, and 11 and make sure they are all set to 20Mhz channel width.

 

[Iwan W]

Wiring the building would be much better. Your latest drawing looks like it may work. The only thing I would be worried about is building #2 since it will be getting all its signal from outside. But if it does not get good coverage you can simply do building 2 like you are going to do building 4. The only change I see that I would do would be to run the WRT54GL in building #3 on channel 6. You don't want the same channel to overlap coverage or that will hurt your throughput. Use only channels 1, 6, and 11 and make sure they are all set to 20Mhz channel width.

Thanks for your suggestion abailey , actually I forgot to change the channel color.