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communication:internet [2024/07/11 13:01]
princess_fluffypants [Satellite Internet] |
communication:internet [2025/03/24 18:37] (current)
frater_secessus [Connecting to WiFi] |
| * In ideal situations, [[https://panorama-antennas.com/site/High-Performance-4x4-MiMo-Antennas|purpose-made antennas]] are mounted to the roof of the vehicle and then connected to the receiving device inside. This is the best solution, however they are expensive and require drilling yet more holes in your van. | * In ideal situations, [[https://panorama-antennas.com/site/High-Performance-4x4-MiMo-Antennas|purpose-made antennas]] are mounted to the roof of the vehicle and then connected to the receiving device inside. This is the best solution, however they are expensive and require drilling yet more holes in your van. |
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| === Extenders & Repeaters === | === Extenders and Repeaters === |
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| Wifi extenders/repeaters/routers work by hopping a wifi signal from some further access point. They are //multiple-device solutions//; all your devices will leverage the repeated wifi. | Wifi extenders/repeaters/routers work by hopping a wifi signal from some further access point. They are //multiple-device solutions//; all your devices will leverage the repeated wifi. |
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| * //Extending//((sometimes called "repeating")) takes the signal (Taco Bell Wifi, for example) and makes it available as Taco Bell Wifi in your van. The Taco Bell Wifi signal is //extended// beyond its original design. | * //Repeating//((sometimes called relaying)) takes the Taco Bell Wifi and replays it as MyVanWiFi or whatever in your van. While slightly more complex to set up, this is the ideal solution. |
| * **Notes from a professional wireless network engineer:** These things are //terrible// and should be avoided in all but the rarest of circumstances. Because they're adding a repeating station to an already large collision domain, every WiFi repeater that is connected to a network **reduces the speed of the entire wireless network by 75%**. The best analogy is that they're the WiFi equivalent of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microphone|The People's Megaphone]], and like the people's megaphone they make all types of communication //vastly// slower. Using one of these might make more bars appear on your phone, but as a result you are crapping all over the WiFi for everyone else who is connected to it. | * Repeating works by having two separate WiFi devices connected back-to-back; One WiFi device acts as the "receiver", and connects to the host SSID (The Taco Bell WiFi). While the other WiFi device acts as your personal "transmitter" and broadcasts your local in-van network. |
| * //Relaying//((sometimes called routing)) takes the Taco Bell Wifi and replays it as MyVanWiFi or whatever in your van. While slightly more complex to set up, this is the ideal solution. | |
| * Relaying works by having two separate WiFi devices connected back-to-back; One WiFi device acts as the "receiver", and connects to the host SSID (The Taco Bell WiFi). While the other WiFi device acts as your personal "transmitter" and broadcasts your local in-van network. | |
| * There are products out there that attempt to do this in a single device, with varying degrees of success. However by using a receiver such as a Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco as a "receiver", and then plugged it into the WAN port whatever off-the-shelf Best Buy router you have laying around, you can accomplish this for less than $100. | * There are products out there that attempt to do this in a single device, with varying degrees of success. However by using a receiver such as a Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco as a "receiver", and then plugged it into the WAN port whatever off-the-shelf Best Buy router you have laying around, you can accomplish this for less than $100. |
| * Many commercial products such as the above-mentioned Cradlepoint routers support this setup with the term "WiFi-as-WAN". Usually you'll use one of the cellular radios (the 2.4GHz or 5GHz) to connect to the Taco Bell Wifi, and then the other radio will broadcast MyVanWiFi. Tri-band routers (which typically have two 5ghz radios and one 2.4ghz radio) are great for this as they give a lot of flexibility. | * Many commercial products such as the above-mentioned Cradlepoint routers support this setup with the term "WiFi-as-WAN". Usually you'll use one of the cellular radios (the 2.4GHz or 5GHz) to connect to the Taco Bell Wifi, and then the other radio will broadcast MyVanWiFi. Tri-band routers (which typically have two 5ghz radios and one 2.4ghz radio) are great for this as they give a lot of flexibility. |
| | * //Extending//((sometimes called "repeating")) takes the signal (Taco Bell Wifi, for example) and makes it available as Taco Bell Wifi in your van. The Taco Bell Wifi signal is //extended// beyond its original design. |
| | * **Notes from a professional wireless network engineer:** These things are //terrible// and should be avoided in all but the rarest of circumstances. Because they're adding a repeating station to an already large collision domain, every WiFi repeater that is connected to a network **reduces the speed of the entire wireless network by 75%**. The best analogy is that they're the WiFi equivalent of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_microphone|The People's Megaphone]], and like the people's megaphone they make all types of communication //vastly// slower. Using one of these might make more bars appear on your phone, but as a result you are crapping all over the WiFi for everyone else who is connected to it. |
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| [[https://amzn.to/2GWOaCG|{{ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31LsBv9brZL._SY90_.jpg}}]]Low-end and hobbyist units are inexpensive and can work okay, depending on your usage and technical ability. | [[https://amzn.to/2GWOaCG|{{ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31LsBv9brZL._SY90_.jpg}}]]Low-end and hobbyist units are inexpensive and can work okay, depending on your usage and technical ability. |
