Unsolved indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone
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I'm looking at a wireless job in a mall. They have a Rukus system in place. They started off with two wired access points and two other access points running mesh. Then they moved the location of one of the wired APs and now it has to relay the signal down to the last AP where they are having connectivity issues.
From where the internet connection comes in to the event center where they need to improve the wifi signal, it's about 1000', so outside what can be done with copper, but fiber is an option. The problem is that due to the construction of the building, the fiber would need to be run up on the roof and back down to the location where it's needed.
I started to think about running a wireless bridge inside the building. I've used the Ubiquiti NanoBeam AC on a couple projects and figured that would work pretty good. I have line of sight from one end of the mall to the other, but I wasn't sure if I have enough room around the direct line for the signal to travel. I think this is called the Fresnel zone.
Has anyone tried a project like this? Over a relatively short distance like this, do I need to be concerned about the Fresnel zone?
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I thought a Fresnel was a long throw spotlight... I guess the NanoBeam uses the same scientific principle.
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This may help with calculations: http://www.wirelessconnections.net/calcs/FresnelZone.asp
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@RojoLoco said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
This may help with calculations: http://www.wirelessconnections.net/calcs/FresnelZone.asp
I did that and it came up with 7' in the middle, but seemed like closer to the device you don't need that much room for the signal. Am I understanding that correctly?
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@Mike-Davis said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
@RojoLoco said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
This may help with calculations: http://www.wirelessconnections.net/calcs/FresnelZone.asp
I did that and it came up with 7' in the middle, but seemed like closer to the device you don't need that much room for the signal. Am I understanding that correctly?
That's the way it looks to me, like the signal gets wider in the middle and tapers at the ends.
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More good info on the calculation, etc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresnel_zone
http://www.proxim.com/products/knowledge-center/calculations/calculations-fresnel-clearance-zone
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I would never shoot wireless point to point through a mall like that. There is no way you can guarantee that the space will not get blocked come holiday season, etc.
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@JaredBusch said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
I would never shoot wireless point to point through a mall like that. There is no way you can guarantee that the space will not get blocked come holiday season, etc.
I agree, run fiber and you won't regret it.
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Yeah, it's indoors. You own the space (or the customer does), why resort to wireless?
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The fiber run would involve roof penetrations and protecting the cable on the roof. I'm going to get a price, but it would likely cost way more than two Nano Beams and two hours of my labor.
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@Mike-Davis said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
The fiber run would involve roof penetrations and protecting the cable on the roof. I'm going to get a price, but it would likely cost way more than two Nano Beams and two hours of my labor.
No provision to run more wires, that's an architect I'd have a few words with/for.
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@travisdh1 said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone
No provision to run more wires, that's an architect I'd have a few words with/for.
I don't think that's fair. They didn't have network cabling back when these buildings were built.
If you consider a residential house, just as fast as people started running network cables to the backs of TVs, manufactures started building in wifi adapters that make the network cable unneeded. Right now people are putting in conduit between their entertainment center and the back of their wall mounted TV for all the cables. 5 years from now we'll probably have a wireless HDMI cable that will make that obsolete.
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@Mike-Davis said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone:
@travisdh1 said in indoor wireless bridge - Fresnel zone
No provision to run more wires, that's an architect I'd have a few words with/for.
I don't think that's fair. They didn't have network cabling back when these buildings were built.
If you consider a residential house, just as fast as people started running network cables to the backs of TVs, manufactures started building in wifi adapters that make the network cable unneeded. Right now people are putting in conduit between their entertainment center and the back of their wall mounted TV for all the cables. 5 years from now we'll probably have a wireless HDMI cable that will make that obsolete.
We'll agree to disagree on that then.
That said, I do think your wireless option should work.
