Glock27 Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Has anyone built a wireless network at their range? We have 12 bays up to 1300' away from our Stat Shack. We only have power at the Stat Shack and would like to be able to pull scores from our farthest bay. We ordered a 15 db gain omni directional antennae which we plan on mounting ~10' above our stat shack. We'll also be using a RadioLabs O2Breeze high power router. Any input from wi-fi experts would be appreciated. Bob Delp Central Ozarks Practical Shooters MO08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwren Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 The only one we've installed so far is one at Cherokee Gun Club. We used an EnGenius ENH-200 outdoor router with an integrated antenna. I've used these before for linking two sites together with good success, but as stand-alone WAP, they lack an internal DHCP server. This is a problem if you don't plan on having interner service, as usually your DSL/cable modem provides a DHCP server. to work around that, we stuck an old Linksys box in the shack to act as the DHCP server. For another range, we're looking at a couple of other options. One is a MIcroTik Groove 2Hn ($59). It's only got 630mW of output, but through a high-gain antenna, it should do OK. You can also link these by using the same SSID on all three. A good high-gain outdoor antenna can be had in the $60 rage, so roughly $150 per router, once you add conduit to mount it on, any additional mounting hardware, etc. And it does have a built-in DHCP server, and will operate fully stand-alone. It can also gateway to another wireless router for internet connectivity, or you can feed Ethernet up the cable. For the EnGenius devices, they have a discontinued device called an EOA3630 that does have built-in DHCP (no idea why they removed from newer products). Only problem with these is they're more expensive. Cheapest I've found is $140. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellguy030 Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 We have a setup with 3 repeaters and one paired to an old deactivated mobile wifi hotspot from verizon. Even tho there is no actual internet service provided, the repeaters still think its there and thus no need for DHCP. Think I spent 60 a crack on the repeaters. they are indoor units and we just set them up before the event. I have them in boxes to protect from the weather. Hoping in the next year or two to have range wide permanent network set up... running extension cords sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwren Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 At the moment, we're playing with two additional options. I have a pair of Ubiquiti Picostation M2HPs that I'll be running at a steel match on Sunday. They're set for the same SSID, and should provide seamless coverage across their area. The drawback to the M2HPs is that they appear to require an external DHCP server. They have an internal DHCP server built in, but we can't discover a configuration that allows them to work in Accesss Point Repeater mode with it. Regardless if you have two or ten, only one of the units requires the DHCP server to be connected; the repeater mode will link the DHCP requests. These units are outdoor-rated devices, and around $85 each. The other devices we're getting ready to play with are Microtik Groove's. We've got two of these that are supposed to be delivered Thursday. We don't really have time to get them configured to run in parallel at the steel match, but there's a match the following weekend that I'll deploy these at. HOPEFULLY, we can configure them to use their internal DHCP server. The less external equipment the better. These can be had for $75, but require an additional $15 or so antenna. They're also outdoor rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Our range has just started using PractiScore to score our USPSA, Steel, and ICORE matches and the lack of range wide wifi is a bit of an issue. We don't need Internet access just a single wifi network with DHCP so I can sync the Nooks to a master device without having to either drive around to each bay with a portable wifi router and sync or have each Nook brought to a central location so they can be synced periodically. We have an upcoming huge match with 200+ competitors and 10 stages with the plan to have a Nook for each stage and I'll visit each stage periodically to sync the Nook to the master device. Although this process will work it is very cumbersome and I'd like to find a moderately inexpensive solution to setting up range wide wifi. I have just started looking into a solution and Ubiquiti was one company I saw folks mention. jcwren, how did your tests go with the Ubiquiti and Microtik equipment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester121 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 For an ad hoc network, if you can find someone with an iPhone (or an Android with mobile hotspot) that seems like a a good solution -- the phone creates a mobile wifi cloud around it, and if you set the SSID and security it should be easy to connect to each Nook and grab the scores without anyone even noticing. I may mess with this notion at our match this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 For an ad hoc network, if you can find someone with an iPhone (or an Android with mobile hotspot) that seems like a a good solution -- the phone creates a mobile wifi cloud around it, and if you set the SSID and security it should be easy to connect to each Nook and grab the scores without anyone even noticing. I may mess with this notion at our match this weekend. I have a portable d-Link wi-fi router that I power with a UBS battery pack. It does a good job, but the big draw back is, if I want scores from a Nook at a particular stage I need to physically walk down there, reattach the Nook to the network, then sync the scores. I want the range to have wi-fi everywhere, so I can sync scores with any Nook no matter where I am or where it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 What USB battery pack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Our bays at South River are all in a row. I'm surprised to find that just a simple old Linksys WRT54G router plugged in at stage 3 or 4 reaches all the other bays. Nonetheless, South River is (eventually) putting in a permanent wifi setup to cover the entire range, with internet connectivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) What USB battery pack? http://www.newtrent....ery-imp500.html You can supply power to your phone or Nook using one of these. They have larger ones too. I have 3 of the 5000 maH ones. Edited April 23, 2013 by Mark R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 What USB battery pack? I'm using a New Trent iTorch IMP52D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 (edited) The biggest issue I see with a portable router is that once the Nook moves away from the rounter and it looses it's WiFi connection, you have to turn the Nook WiFi off and on again to get it to reconnect. Edited April 23, 2013 by Graham Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 The biggest issue I see with a portable router is that once the Nook moves away from the rounter and it looses it's WiFi connection, you have to turn the Nook WiFi off and on again to get it to reconnect. If you get a 2.4 Ghz router with replaceable/removable antenna, you can get a higher gain antenna to get more range. I'm looking at the CCrane 8dbi antenna to mount on the above stated Microtik Groove 2Hn http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/wifi-antennas/8dbi-vertical-outdoor-wifi-antenna.aspx#prodDetails Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark R Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I ordered the Microtik Groove 2Hn outdoor router and the CCrane 8 dbi gain outdoor antenna. If I get them in by Saturday, I'll run a test across my range and see if I get range wide coverage. I plan to mount it on the NE corner of our storage shed/carport. If you use Google Earth, enter in these coordinates to see the range for size comparisons to your range: 34.572597N, 86.247519W Bay 1 is north/south on right side near trees behind bays 2 (front of carport),3 and 4. Bay 1 may be the iffy area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 The biggest issue I see with a portable router is that once the Nook moves away from the rounter and it looses it's WiFi connection, you have to turn the Nook WiFi off and on again to get it to reconnect. I don't have to do that. I have nooks fall off wifi all day long as they move deeper into the bays and when they're brought back up range, they reconnect automatically. That's with Chris Wren's rooting process. I haven't tested this with the Nook Manager setup yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 (edited) I don't have to do that. I have nooks fall off wifi all day long as they move deeper into the bays and when they're brought back up range, they reconnect automatically. That's with Chris Wren's rooting process. I haven't tested this with the Nook Manager setup yet. That is the process I am using, but I'm not sure that matters because WiFi is an inbuilt process. All I can say is that if I take a Nook away from the router for a while and bring it back, it doesn't reconnect unless I make it. On the other hand, there could be something about WiFi setup that I am missing. I just did a test and here is what I see happening. If I walk far enough away from the router to loose the signal, the device Sync Code and SSID remain and when I walk back I'm reconnected. So far, so good. BUT, if the device goes to sleep or I press the N button that takes me back to the main desktop, the app seems to loose track and doesn't reconnect when I walk back. More testing is in order. OK, here is the skinny. The problem is not the connection, it's that the screen is simply not refreshing. So it is reconnecting after all. There's always an answer. Edited April 24, 2013 by Graham Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamm Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 We have a generator we run for the match and a router with a good size antenna stuck up in a tree covers the hole range even down in the woods for our tac shotgun matches. We don't loose connection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 (edited) I purchased a Ubiquiti PicoStation M2-HP to run some tests. Just playing in my yard I could get about 150yrds away (I was limited to 150yrds because of my yard) and still have a wi-fi connection good enough to sync with other devices. May have been able to get further away. The PicoStation was mounted on a 26ft pole and I had line of sight during my tests. A word of caution about Ubiquiti products. They are well built, inexpensive, and perform, but they are intended for folks with a good understanding of the technology, so their documentation is very limited. A lay person trying to setup one of their products could become very frustrated. Here is the range I'm trying to get wi-fi to. Most of our matches only use Bays 1-4, with the addition of Bays 5-6 for our monthly USPSA match. Once a year we hold the MS Classic and use Bays 1-10. Covering Bays 1-4 should be easy, just mount a PicoStation or the like on a pole at the top of the berm where Bays 1-4 form a corner. Covering Bays 5-6 could be managed I hope with another PicoStation connected to a PowerLine device plugged into the shooting line on Bay 5. How to effectively and cheaply cover the whole range for the MS Classic is where I'm getting a bit stymied. Edited April 28, 2013 by jdphotoguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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