Farm-Tested Wi-Fi With Extender

Farm-Tested Wi-Fi With Extender COMPUTERS Recently a member of the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association APPPA raised a question in the member forum about Wi-Fi extenders One member recommended a unit from C Crane that uses a transmitter in the house and an antenna that can create a hotspot in a building up to half a mile distant FARM SHOW decided to follow up with the company on this and other options for a rural property C Crane is a 30-year-old Humboldt County Calif firm specializing in all types of radios antennas and other audio equipment as well as Wi-Fi systems Unlike many companies today they actually do answer their phones and provide clear customer service Wi-Fi solutions include home and extended access systems such as those discussed in the APPPA forum and even a radio alarm clock that can access over 100 000 internet radio stations worldwide Most of the extenders the company offers were similar to the system the APPPA member endorsed They consist of a transmitter connected to the network in the house and an antenna in a second building Distances can be as much as 3 miles away However Wi-Fi at the second site is limited depending on the system to ethernet or wireless service in the second location Neither system provides Wi-Fi access in the area between the two locations or in the general area C Crane customer service offered an alternative “We offer custom access systems such as are used at RV parks and campgrounds to provide extended Wi-Fi access ” suggests the customer service representative “They offer line-of-site connectivity depending on the device being used We have people getting Wi-Fi access up to a quarter mile away The newer the device the better they connect ” The Custom Access Point Wi-Fi provides outdoor Wi-Fi service for up to 20 to 50 people downloading general content and email Obstructions such as trees or buildings will interfere with reception While a range of two to three city blocks is considered realistic a powerful laptop or an external USB antenna with line-of-site and no obstructions can receive Wi-Fi up to a mile away from the transmitting antenna “If ordering a Custom Access Point Wi-Fi System you need to call customer service to design the system and create a network name and wireless password ” suggests the customer service representative ” The total cost of a system is estimated to run around $315 including the transmitting antenna It’s not available for purchase online but only through customer service Contact: FARM SHOW Followup C Crane 172 Main St Fortuna Calif 95540 ph 800-522-8863; customerservice@ccrane com; www ccrane com/access-point/

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