Need an antenna to make an entire motel wireless

th3g1z · 01-05-2003

Well, my father has a 58 room motel, and he wants to make the entire motel wireless. We have a Netgear 814 router. I am wondering what kind of antenna you guys suggest to supply all the rooms with a wireless connection. Or if you guys suggest a different way of doing it. Any input is appreciated, thanks.

Mr.White · 01-05-2003

It depends on the layout of the motel. More info would help:

Multiple stories or single level.
Several buildings or just one.
How many square feet?
What is/are the building/s constructed of?

And most importantly, what's your budget?

Thorn · 01-05-2003

Mr. White is correct. You'd have to supply a lot more info to get an adequate answer. It may not just be a single antenna that will be needed to cover the motel. Depending on the layout, you might actually need several APs, specialized antennae or "leaky" cable, etc.

A couple of suggestions:
1) Contact someone in your area for an estimate of the job. In fact, get several. That might tell you if it is even something that is possible to do yourself, or you are in over your head.

2) Get rid of the NetGear unit, and get something like an ORiNOCO AP-2000. The NetGear won't handle the traffic very well if you get more than a few users on at the same time; which is kind of the whole idea of a motel setup.

3) The final consideration is bandwidth. What kind of pipe is going to feed this setup? It will need to be a business class DSL (ok) or a T1 (better) if you expect to get very many users.

If you are going to provide this service to your customers you'll want to do it right. Especially if you are charge a surcharge like is done for telephones. Otherwise is will cause a fair amount of grief. Do it right and it can be a money maker for you.

peekitty · 01-05-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Thorn
A couple of suggestions:
1) Contact someone in your area for an estimate of the job. In fact, get several. That might tell you if it is even something that is possible to do yourself, or you are in over your head.

That's the best advice you could get, get someone with experience to set this up. You'll get nothing but headaches if you try a DIY-job based on free advice from bulletin boards (not to dismiss the ability and knowledge of the board members...)

Phoenix_down · 01-06-2003

As Thorn and Mr. White said, more info is good. However, the SMC EZ Connect SMCANT-DI135 omni directional high gain antenna is promising, it can penetrate walls like none other and has an 7 mile range if you were willing to attach a signal amplifier to it. The main thing though in your situation is structural penetration, not necessarily a several mile range, and this antenna exceeds in that department. You can shop around for it, but the best price I’ve ever seen it for was $150 dollars, and that’s not including the pigtail you will need.

peekitty · 01-06-2003

Looks interesting, though pricey, and 7 miles seems a bit optimistic for 13.5db. It's certainly directional, not an omni- check out the pattern. Probably a Yagi or helical.

Phoenix_down · 01-07-2003

Thanks for the info sheet, I hadn't seen it yet. And I appreciate the correction, the website I saw it advertised on called it an "omni." I'm skeptable of 7 miles also, but SMC claims it is capable of it, and I'm inclined to believe them. However, it does not specify conditions or obstructions used in the eight mile figure.

db8tr · 01-07-2003

The pdf data sheet directly from the manufacturer: http://www.smc.com/drivers_downloads.../SMCANT_DS.pdf
On the 7 mile range... I can guarantee that figure is for a unobstructed, line of sight, low humidity, low smog type conditions. Manufacturers always tend to give the maximum possible. Thus the "up to" wording of the claim.

01-05-2003	#1 (permalink)
th3g1z Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2	Need an antenna to make an entire motel wireless Well, my father has a 58 room motel, and he wants to make the entire motel wireless. We have a Netgear 814 router. I am wondering what kind of antenna you guys suggest to supply all the rooms with a wireless connection. Or if you guys suggest a different way of doing it. Any input is appreciated, thanks.

01-05-2003	#2 (permalink)
Mr.White OH such tacos will I give Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,049	It depends on the layout of the motel. More info would help: Multiple stories or single level. Several buildings or just one. How many square feet? What is/are the building/s constructed of? And most importantly, what's your budget? __________________ A good way to threaten somebody is to light a stick of dynamite. Then you call the guy and hold the burning fuse up to the phone. "Hear that?" you say. "That's dynamite, baby." -Jack Handey

01-05-2003	#3 (permalink)
Thorn Did you do the math? Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Villa Straylight Posts: 10,096	Mr. White is correct. You'd have to supply a lot more info to get an adequate answer. It may not just be a single antenna that will be needed to cover the motel. Depending on the layout, you might actually need several APs, specialized antennae or "leaky" cable, etc. A couple of suggestions: 1) Contact someone in your area for an estimate of the job. In fact, get several. That might tell you if it is even something that is possible to do yourself, or you are in over your head. 2) Get rid of the NetGear unit, and get something like an ORiNOCO AP-2000. The NetGear won't handle the traffic very well if you get more than a few users on at the same time; which is kind of the whole idea of a motel setup. 3) The final consideration is bandwidth. What kind of pipe is going to feed this setup? It will need to be a business class DSL (ok) or a T1 (better) if you expect to get very many users. If you are going to provide this service to your customers you'll want to do it right. Especially if you are charge a surcharge like is done for telephones. Otherwise is will cause a fair amount of grief. Do it right and it can be a money maker for you. __________________ Thorn "I'm The Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I am from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation Kasterborous. I'm 903 years old and I am the man who is going to save your lives and all 6 billion people on the planet below... You got a problem with that?"

01-07-2003	#8 (permalink)
db8tr Wireless Widget Whacker Join Date: May 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 145	The pdf data sheet directly from the manufacturer: http://www.smc.com/drivers_downloads.../SMCANT_DS.pdf On the 7 mile range... I can guarantee that figure is for a unobstructed, line of sight, low humidity, low smog type conditions. Manufacturers always tend to give the maximum possible. Thus the "up to" wording of the claim. __________________ -Db8tr

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01-06-2003	#5 (permalink)
Phoenix_down Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 6	As Thorn and Mr. White said, more info is good. However, the SMC EZ Connect SMCANT-DI135 omni directional high gain antenna is promising, it can penetrate walls like none other and has an 7 mile range if you were willing to attach a signal amplifier to it. The main thing though in your situation is structural penetration, not necessarily a several mile range, and this antenna exceeds in that department. You can shop around for it, but the best price I’ve ever seen it for was $150 dollars, and that’s not including the pigtail you will need.

01-06-2003	#6 (permalink)
peekitty Macaca Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S. Florida Posts: 1,056	Looks interesting, though pricey, and 7 miles seems a bit optimistic for 13.5db. It's certainly directional, not an omni- check out the pattern. Probably a Yagi or helical.

01-07-2003	#7 (permalink)
Phoenix_down Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Denver Posts: 6	Thanks for the info sheet, I hadn't seen it yet. And I appreciate the correction, the website I saw it advertised on called it an "omni." I'm skeptable of 7 miles also, but SMC claims it is capable of it, and I'm inclined to believe them. However, it does not specify conditions or obstructions used in the eight mile figure.