Really difficult bush block broadband installation

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feisha

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#91584 16-Oct-2011 17:30

We have a very steep Tararuas bush block and bach and are trying to get any broadband set up.
Too steep for satellite or mobile, too far for wifi or copper.
We are going to have to run cat5 or fibre thru the bush and risk the rats and pigs.
Not a big budget, prefer older, cheap, well proved used gear that can be easily replaced when
it gets flooded, snowed on, frozen solid, tornado bashed, crushed by falling trees etc,
needs little power, self reboots on power outage.
Help from anyone who has been thru this welcomed. Cheers.

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#534014 16-Oct-2011 17:38

Hi and welcome to Geekzone, umm if this is so remote yet you want to use a cat5 what would be the source of the internet connection, maybe some more detail.

Cheers
Cyril

quickymart

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#534016 16-Oct-2011 17:39

Too steep for mobile? You can't get any mobile signal at all?

keewee01

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#534023 16-Oct-2011 17:50

Who have you talked to already, and what has been suggested or ruled out.

Is what you have posted so far your own opinion - or has someone told you this? Is the mobile issue just because your cellphone doesn't work or have gain antennas already been ruled out?

What distances are involved? A lot more specific detail is required in order to provide meaningful feedback.

kyhwana2

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#534038 16-Oct-2011 18:28

Can you post more detail? Where are you planning on running the cable to where you can get 'net access?

Also, be aware that you can run only run Cat5/6 ~100metres without any kind of electric repeaters, etc.
You'll want to be running fibre, which will get expensive and you'll need gear at both ends and of course a 'net connection at the other end.

sbiddle

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#534039 16-Oct-2011 18:34

Too far for WiFi or copper?

Cat5e is copper, and WiFi will easily do 10km with relatively low cost gear.

feisha

9 posts

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#534042 16-Oct-2011 18:39

Thanks geeks, the distance is not great, about 3 km from nearest Telecom cell tower but big hill between us and it. My old CDMA truck phone used to work well with high gain antenna up a tower.
No signal now with ordinary phone si I will drag a new fringe phone with decent external antenna up spme likely hills. Even so, it will be at least 400 meters back to laptop, most likely too bushy for wifi link.
Fibre down from xt modem probably best with PV and battery to keep them going, this will all have to be carried thru dense bush as no handy tracks close. Hope for enough speed for VOIP and local number.
Don't need video. Cheers.

cyril7

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#534045 16-Oct-2011 18:47

Hi, so you can provision a high antenna site that can get XT or Voda UMTS/WCDMA and from their you want to go 400m down through the bush to the bach.

So there is power at this antenna site?, if so fibre sounds the answer for you, just a simple OM3 run, I suggest you use loose tube rather than tight buffer as the cold will damage tight buffer (ie freeze and crack the fibers).

PM me if you need more detail

Cyril

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cyril7

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#534049 16-Oct-2011 18:59

Actually just looking at pricing, you might be better off running 400m of cat3 4 pair EXT204 phone cable (standard telecom leadin cable) and putting a VDSL2 modem pair across.

Cyril

feisha

9 posts

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#534056 16-Oct-2011 19:11

Thanks Cyril,
we looked at Big Frog and Rivernet satellite but have the same issues of no easy line of sight as mobile.
If we have to have a remote satellite dish or mobile XT yagi, then the cheapest adequate data plan gets the nod.
The installation will have to be done by me as I will have to maintain it in future, I don't mind as everything else up there is my work anyway.
I can run power up to a remote site if I have to, we have a small hydro 24/7 and inverter.
Cat5 can have repeaters as the power can follow the same route.
This project has been in the too hard basket since the pine needles absorbed the CDMA
signal as the trees grew. After a recent tornado nearly flattened us, we need at least communications up there. Cheer.

codyc1515

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#534060 16-Oct-2011 19:23

sbiddle: Too far for WiFi or copper?

Cat5e is copper, and WiFi will easily do 10km with relatively low cost gear.

I have seen some friends do WiFi around 30-32km's depending on the gear used and the pricing the person is willing to pay.

cyril7

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#534062 16-Oct-2011 19:27

Hi, basic sums would say VDSL2 modem pair (around $500) is probably a cleaner solution than 3-4 ethernet switches which by the time you water tight mount them probably comes up similar. Then 500m of cat5e outdoor cable is around $350, but it only has a thinish outer sheath (well for that price) thats why a EXT204 telecom 2pair which is probably slightly dearer but more robust is probably a better option.

Again if you want to source these products and cofigure, then give me a PM.

Cody I think you will find the environment (ie heavy bush) will stop wifi in it tracks, believe me I have installed no small number of WISP type gear, heavy water laden trees can be a big issue at 2.4GHz

Cyril

codyc1515

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#534065 16-Oct-2011 19:45

cyril7:Cody I think you will find the environment (ie heavy bush) will stop wifi in it tracks, believe me I have installed no small number of WISP type gear, heavy water laden trees can be a big issue at 2.4GHz

Cyril

I understand that but I did not say 2.4GHz or whether or not I guaranteed it would work.