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Baby Monitor extending


thetio

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So, my wife and I are currently going to have our first child. We are fairly active outside and would like to remain so. We live on a 5 acre property in the county. What I want to know is how complicated would it be to attempt to extend the range on a baby monitor? The most common I see is 1000 ft which isn't that far and I know that real world is different than advertised. They do have one that does 2000 ft as well.

 

I saw some stuff online about using foil and such but I can't imagine that it would be that useful. It looks like the one we are looking at operates on the 900 mhz range. Anyone have any suggestions.

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The only thing I have to say on the subject is when we got our monitor it supposedly had a 2000 ft range, well they are less then 20 ft apart and it still loses its connection once in a while. Yet we cab take it further away and it will still work but nowhere near 2000 ft.

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The only thing I have to say on the subject is when we got our monitor it supposedly had a 2000 ft range, well they are less then 20 ft apart and it still loses its connection once in a while. Yet we cab take it further away and it will still work but nowhere near 2000 ft.

 

Thats what I was worried about. We would like to be able to be in the backyard and potentially out to the barn. I knew 2000 was a pipe dream but hoping that there is something that can help out. Thanks for your input!

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Wireless ip-cam that you connect to on your phone? Not sure if it would have all the features you want though

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

That is actually what I am looking at now. it might be an easier option that trying to range extend however I would have thought, based upon my little understanding of radio waves, is that I could just put some sort of repeater however I don't think that will work

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That is actually what I am looking at now. it might be an easier option that trying to range extend however I would have thought, based upon my little understanding of radio waves, is that I could just put some sort of repeater however I don't think that will work

search for "ip baby monitor" lots of hits. You can either use your mobile connection or your wifi connection. There are plenty of routers that can act as repeaters. Either true repeaters or routers flashed with DD-wrt (search it). I would search for microwave repeaters too, you could shoot your internet signal to your barn then broadcast it there with another router.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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The main thing you have to consider is "other" interference, and line of sight.

 

I also live in the county, and have used wireless intercoms ( Residential gate), they were rated at 500 feet. I have been able to use them as far out as 1500 feet due to a clear line of view, and no one else out here but me, hence no interference.

 

As the post above mine, I have Wireless IP camera's, one by the gate mentioned above, and another by a pond, also far from home. They both seem to extend beyond what they are rated for.

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search for "ip baby monitor" lots of hits. You can either use your mobile connection or your wifi connection. There are plenty of routers that can act as repeaters. Either true repeaters or routers flashed with DD-wrt (search it). I would search for microwave repeaters too, you could shoot your internet signal to your barn then broadcast it there with another router.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

Thank you so much. It looks like that may be an option. I had looked into the DD-wrt before but never actually installed it. The video is probably a better idea at that distance which is probably only approaching 2-3K ft. I will look into this.

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Wifi repeater? To me that means find a router at Walmart that will handle DD-WRT...install DD-WRT and turn on wireless repeating.

 

Broadcom chips usually do better at repeating than the Atheros chipsets...there are lots of probs with Atheros used as repeater.

 

I have 8 repeaters set-up for different folks around the area, including one for my neighbor..and one in my own house.

 

I actually have a business set-up with a wifi repeater...a router I bought from Wal-Mart and put DD-WRT on it.This is what I did for all of them...instead of buying a "repeater" that costs more than a small router...buy a cheap router that will take the DD-WRT software.

They have a wiki that tells you the routers supported.

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Wifi repeater? To me that means find a router at Walmart that will handle DD-WRT...install DD-WRT and turn on wireless repeating.

 

Broadcom chips usually do better at repeating than the Atheros chipsets...there are lots of probs with Atheros used as repeater.

 

I have 8 repeaters set-up for different folks around the area, including one for my neighbor..and one in my own house.

 

I actually have a business set-up with a wifi repeater...a router I bought from Wal-Mart and put DD-WRT on it.This is what I did for all of them...instead of buying a "repeater" that costs more than a small router...buy a cheap router that will take the DD-WRT software.

They have a wiki that tells you the routers supported.

 

I found a nice refurb E2500 on cisco's website which I am thinking about getting coupled with an IP Cam. Any suggestions if not the Cisco? I like cheap but I also want as much distance as I can get out of it.

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Let me know and I'll post up the files you need for the e2500 plus instructions on how to set-up a Wi-Fi repeater. I keep all my files and only update dd-wrt once a year unless there is problems with a build. I can sit tomorrow and gather info for you.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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I would recommend Ubiquiti's products. They are designed for outdoor use and you just run a CAT5 to them. Do it once and forget about it. I wouldn't toy with the little kiddie routers and access points that Linksys, netgear, etc put out. You get what you pay, and the Ubiquiti stuff is very well priced!

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I would recommend Ubiquiti's products. They are designed for outdoor use and you just run a CAT5 to them. Do it once and forget about it. I wouldn't toy with the little kiddie routers and access points that Linksys, netgear, etc put out. You get what you pay, and the Ubiquiti stuff is very well priced!
you can get 1000 ft of Ethernet for around a hundred or so on monoprice.com. run it to your barn and put an access point out there. Plus you never know when you might find having internet in your barn useful.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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Sorry, but I have used the same Netgear WNR2000 for 3 years running dd-wrt. The e2500 for over a year running dd-wrt. I bought a buffalo hp as my primary that does the PPPoE handshake, and I've had one router quit on me, a Belkin product. For what you can do with them, the dd-wrt compatible routers are just fine for residential and even business use. The business where I use the dd-wrt repeater is using one of the many WNR2000's that I bought. Unless you start tweaking nvram or push the wrong software to a router, I rarely see one fail. The business uses its internet to file over 1600 tax returns every year electronically, their router never fails (in two years they had it running dd-wrt)

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

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you can get 1000 ft of Ethernet for around a hundred or so on monoprice.com. run it to your barn and put an access point out there. Plus you never know when you might find having internet in your barn useful.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

This is where you would put a repeater, instead of running a wire to another access point. After a while, the shielding on cat5 will weather unless you put it inside a PVC conduit...and putting a 1000ft of wire inside conduit with unions can't just sit on the ground...so burying it would be a job. Much easier to just put up a repeater.

 

I ran a regular router like what I mentioned above in the Alabama summer (and winter) here...it just wasn't out in the rain obviously...but it withstood the elements of high heat + high humidity, and freezing cold ...and never failed...much easier than stretching a cat5 out my brick wall ...

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Let me know and I'll post up the files you need for the e2500 plus instructions on how to set-up a Wi-Fi repeater. I keep all my files and only update dd-wrt once a year unless there is problems with a build. I can sit tomorrow and gather info for you.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

Thank you. I think I will go with the E2500 Can't beat the price. What kind of range do you think I will be looking at as a repeater?

 

I checked out Ubiquiti's products and they seem a little advanced for me right me right now. I think I can get dd-wrt on the router pretty painlessly. Ubiquiti's products may be good for the future though if we decide to move to a larger property.

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My neighbor lives in a metal-enclosed (as are all) trailer, next door to me. No trees between us, and within 300ft...

I live in a modified doublewide myself, but it's been bricked, blocked, and added on to, with a house roof...so I'm double-walled between the outside world -- if you want to call a trailer wall a "wall"...

 

I had the e2500 at his house, in a clear LOS of my home. I had the Netgear WNDR3400v2 in my den, center of the house...and the E2500 was in his bedroom..picking up the signal from the WNDR3400 and repeating it for him to connect to.

 

From box to box, I'd say 350+...then add-in the metal it's going through..not too shabby for a wal-mart special under $60 that serves many purposes if I decide to use it for other things.

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Thank you. I think I will go with the E2500 Can't beat the price. What kind of range do you think I will be looking at as a repeater?

 

I checked out Ubiquiti's products and they seem a little advanced for me right me right now. I think I can get dd-wrt on the router pretty painlessly. Ubiquiti's products may be good for the future though if we decide to move to a larger property.

 

Do what you have to do of course...I'm a big believer in buying a product that is designed what what you want instead of some hodge podge hack around. Compare the specs of the E2500 to the Loco M2 and you'll see. The Loco M2 can be had for about $50. Hmm... 8dbi antenna directional antenna with higher output power and better receive sensitivity to boot. E2500, 3-4dbi antenna omni, low output, etc. No brainer.

 

I don't get any sort of kick back on any of this. I've tried many many wireless products. I even did the hack around garbage with DD-WRT cranking up the power (which just ends up throwing a noisy signal since it wasn't designed to go that high), putting them in external enclosures, etc. Someone recommended I try a pair of Loco's for link under a mile. I was really shocked how easy it was to setup and get working. We even ended up turning down the power as it was too hot on the other side. I've never touched that link either and I can not say the same about the hack around ones I used in the past. From that moment on, I get chuckle anytime I pass through the electronics sections in stores and see those throw away Linksys and netgear routers with no real antennas to boot.

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well..sometimes you just can't wait on an order that would take 2-3 days to arrive, and there's no other choice. I've been presented with this for the business I do computer work for...they had tax returns to send to the Fed that night..their AT&T-provided Netgear piece of junk that they had at the time suddenly quit. This thing handled PPPoE plus had wireless..so they were screwed with not even a way to negotiate the PPPoE...so not even one computer would work online...and the way the tax software works (with them) is the taxes returns had to be sent from the same computer every day...because the software took the windows-assigned product ID and sent it along with each return, along with IP addy and other stuff...

 

So, versus waiting on something to come in the UPS/mail/Fedex...the solution was simple.

 

It may not reach for miles upon miles, but I still have the same router that I started with years ago...a netgear WPN824. It still works, and has been working since 2008 or so when I bought it. Not all residential routers are junk..

I love my Buffalo router -- it's an American-made piece of hardware as well..but I may try the Ubi line down the road, if one of the 5 routers in my house decides to go on the hose. I want to be able to run DD-WRT on my routers...GUI's are so 2005 on routers.

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Do what you have to do of course...I'm a big believer in buying a product that is designed what what you want instead of some hodge podge hack around. Compare the specs of the E2500 to the Loco M2 and you'll see. The Loco M2 can be had for about $50. Hmm... 8dbi antenna directional antenna with higher output power and better receive sensitivity to boot. E2500, 3-4dbi antenna omni, low output, etc. No brainer.

 

I don't get any sort of kick back on any of this. I've tried many many wireless products. I even did the hack around garbage with DD-WRT cranking up the power (which just ends up throwing a noisy signal since it wasn't designed to go that high), putting them in external enclosures, etc. Someone recommended I try a pair of Loco's for link under a mile. I was really shocked how easy it was to setup and get working. We even ended up turning down the power as it was too hot on the other side. I've never touched that link either and I can not say the same about the hack around ones I used in the past. From that moment on, I get chuckle anytime I pass through the electronics sections in stores and see those throw away Linksys and netgear routers with no real antennas to boot.

 

Digi, I see you around here a lot. I have been lurking for a long time. Because I am not too sure about all the Ubi equipment, can you tell me what I would need in order to set this up? I am fairly handy, just not sure on the technology piece. I haven't ordered anything yet.

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Digi, I see you around here a lot. I have been lurking for a long time. Because I am not too sure about all the Ubi equipment, can you tell me what I would need in order to set this up? I am fairly handy, just not sure on the technology piece. I haven't ordered anything yet.

 

Give me some details on what you are trying to do.

 

Sent from my EVO sometimes-LTE

 

 

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