Help: DSL connection within our compound

[brianlim]

Hi Folks,

Help! We are situated in a compound about 2,000 sq. mtrs. My dad's office is situated at the front while our is at the back end (about 30 meters from my dad's ofc). Anytime soon, my dad wil get his PLDT Dsl connection (which will be installed in his office) and I would like to share the line with him. Here are my questions:

a) What's the best way for my to connect to his Dsl connection? I much prefer wired connection from his office to mine, and then have wireless within my own office premises. Advises on laying the cable connection (limits, etc.)? What cable to get? What's the best protection for the cables as they will be exposed?

b) We also need to get a router for my dad's office? Which brand and model is the best? As for my office, we already have an Airport Base Station (snow)?

c) What other tips and advises do we need to know?

Thanks a lot for your great help (in advance)

Cheers,
Brian

[brianlim]

By the way the approx. 30 meter distance from my office to my dad is line of sight (straight). Realistically I need to route the cable around the perimeter walls, and that will mean a much longer cable connection/tap...

Boy, it sure isn't easy to leech. hehe

[Henjie]

Originally posted by brianlim
Hi Folks,

Help! We are situated in a compound about 2,000 sq. mtrs. My dad's office is situated at the front while our is at the back end (about 30 meters from my dad's ofc). Anytime soon, my dad wil get his PLDT Dsl connection (which will be installed in his office) and I would like to share the line with him. Here are my questions:

a) What's the best way for my to connect to his Dsl connection? I much prefer wired connection from his office to mine, and then have wireless within my own office premises. Advises on laying the cable connection (limits, etc.)? What cable to get? What's the best protection for the cables as they will be exposed?

Brian, cheapest/simplest solution is to use regular UTP (unshielded twisted pair) CAT-5/ethernet cable. Just make sure the cable is adequately protected from the elements by placing it inside a conduit (sealed PVC pipe, etc.). And don't lay it too close to electrical cables (risk: interference, crosstalk). If you think interference may be an issue, you may opt to use STP (shielded twisted pair) cables (more expensive). Max length for CAT-5 is 100 meters which should be more than enough for your needs.

Check out this previous post for more insights.

b) We also need to get a router for my dad's office? Which brand and model is the best? As for my office, we already have an Airport Base Station (snow)?

The Linksys WRT54G router is still a favorite.

c) What other tips and advises do we need to know?

Make sure the cable is crimped properly on both ends. Another tip is to lay out two cables, one to act as an immediate backup in case something goes wrong with the first one (just switch to the backup and you're good to go). :-)


~Henjie

[El CaMOTe]

I am told that in laying down the Cat 5 wire, stay away from angles more than 90 degrees, or 'round' the corners with this cable, an do go for a U.S. brand cable like Belden.

If you have to span buildings, (which is illegal if it is an AC power connexion) do included a guy wire to hold up the Cat 5 cable and take into account the usual cable restraints and mounts on either side of the span.

Suggest you supervise the fellow who wires you up and Henjie's suggestion of a redundant line is excellent.

Good luck 'leeching,' am sure your Dad won't mind, (unless it is a 128 speed line!)

[brianlim]

To both Henjie and Tom, many thanks. Really appreciate the help even if I know there must have been previous post concerning this topic.

[brianlim]

Folks,

Finally got a Linksys WRT54g, but wi-fi coverage/signal isn't available all throughout the compound. Right now, I am in a dilemma as to extending the wi-fi signal via hi-gain antennas or repeaters (easier), or laying cat5 cables (tedious and harder). BTW, we are on a PLDt broadband (MyDsl - 384kbps bandwith)

Follow-up questions:
a) Given the PLDT broadband service plan we have availed, would there be a great difference in broadband connection should we decide going either Wi-fi or Cat5? Technically, I am aware that wi-fi 11g (54mbps) cannot rival the speed to Cat5 (100mbps), but realistically, I want to know if there will be a big difference (given the PLDT broadband connection)

b) Should we decided to go wi-fi, what's the best way to increase signal strength? hi-gain antennas or repeaters? Both of these linksys accessories aren't available at PCExpress. Would you folks know where else to buy aside from abroad?

Thanks for all your help.

[El CaMOTe]

I have an Airport Extreme Base Station (AEBS) w/modem and I've used another AEBS as a wireless relay and it worked from one end of my bungalow house to the other end with 'kulang/puede na' line of sight about 120 feet, (AEBS 1 is indoors and projecting to outside lawn and connecting to AEBS 2 located inside bar area) and a few cement walls. Dunno if two Linksys units will do the same. Check your manual.

a. If it is just surfing, email retrieval, and the usual downloads, same same, doesn't matter WiFi or Cat5, but if you want to transfer huge files from computer to computer then too slow.

b. If high gain antennas, and distance is a factor, get the directional not omni directional. Omni types open your WiFi to everyone within its shorter 'footprint,' or throw, both those you want and do not want.

Check out the Linksys website and if there are 3rd party antennas, get the model number and look for that item on eBay. If that is not an option, then maybe make your own 'Cantenna.' There is a thread somewhere here on this or google 'Cantenna.'

you should be able to find all the 'cantenna' components at Radio Shack (?) or Excel or Deeco electronics shops.

Do keep us posted on how it goes.

[brianlim]

Folks,
PC Express just go back to me regarding the prices for the ff:
a) High-gain antenna for WRTG4 - (45 days lead time) - P 3200 (forgot if pair, or not)
b) WE54g - signal repeater - (3~4 days) - P 5900

My office application sometimes email sending pdf files (brochure designs, or photographys) for client feedbacks/approvals.

Tom, thanks for the info. I have seen the "Cantennas." They look funny, but hey, if they work...no problem with me. Hmmm. I'll let you guys know if I will go the "Cantenna" way or not. One post recorded an approximate 14km (I think) of signal transmission/reception using yagi approach.

[brianlim]

Follow-up question.. i just want to be clear on this issue:

- With PLDT's MyDSL bandwith of say, 384.. and knowing that we won't be getting that bandwith all the time, anyway... will it make much speed/bandwith difference between wi-fi and ethernet?

The thing i don't want to see is that after all the hard effort of laying down the conduits, crimping cat5 cables, etc, i would end of getting a speed similar to that of what I can get from a wi-fi via airport extreme. Now if you folks (based on experience) know that this will happen, then why the hassle of going through the wired route, right?

Appreciate your feedback on this. And thanks in advance.

[nargalzius]

The "speed" difference between wifi and ethernet will probably only be "felt" on your LAN. Meaning if you transfer files between local machines.

You mentioned an office environment, I dunno what type of plan you intend to get from PLDT, and I also am not sure how fast the fastest business plan can be. But since compound siya, baka residential yung package na kukunin ninyo - which tops out a t 768kbps at the moment.

But for the sake of argument, sabihin natin 802.11 (lang, not b or g) yung peg mo for your bottleneck. So theoretically 2Mbps yon... which is roughly 256KBps... which is roughly a 2048kbps connection. So you'll only feel the difference in wired and wireless in that situation if your DSL throughput can pump out(in?) more than that. Even the fastest PLDT residential plan isn't anywhere near 2Mbps downstream.

You mentioned a 384kb connection... that's roughly more than a third of a megabit. So I guess its pretty safe to say that all your internet needs are covered... even a 802.11b (which is probably the slowest you can get nowadays) is more than enough to handle that (11Mbps theoretical).

Regardless if you use 10/100/1000 or wireless b/g (or even the very first 802.11, if you can find one), then you still can surf at 384kbps (assuming of course wala kang kahati sa network, and PLDT actually gives that througput... which it usually does naman).

Problem mo is on your local lan, if you have gigabit ethernet there then you try to transfer files to a machine with a slower connection type (e.g. wireless device na b/g or 10/100) then you'll DEFINITELY feel the difference than connecting them to a similar gigabit ethernet equipped machine.

One issue that could arise though, would probably have to do with the speed ratings these gadgets have...

What I've mentioned above are all theoretical LAB ratings (or as announced to the public, which are obviously bloated for marketing purposes). In real life, it is easily proven (or experienced) that these ratings are greatly exaggerated - so be sure to keep that fact in mind... maybe the wireless adaptor you choose may have a difference from wired after all... or maybe not.

oh and para lang sure: KB is kiloBYTE, Kb is kiloBIT, same goes for megabit and byte

hope this helps

[Edited on 2-9-2005 by nargalzius]