Farm security when your Wi-fi is weak

[TMares]

I have poor DSL/wi-fi at my home. Previous efforts to do wi-fi cameras that alerted my phone with videos/still shots/motion alerts were too much for the wi-fi, it was slow, unreliable, etc. There is nothing I can do about that setup, we are literally the last house on the road to even get DSL, much less high speed internet.

I would like three recommendations. We have 30+ acres with one access point and no buildings are visible from the road. That’s good, in that no one can see if someone’s home…but it’s bad b/c there would be zero witnesses if we got robbed.

1. Gate openers: We have a 12’ gate I’d like to put a gate opener on. Needs to be solar powered. Mighty Mule brand or ____? What do you have?

2. Sensors on the driveway. It’s a longish driveway, gravel, probably 500-600’ overall with a long curve in it. I want a sensor to chime in the house if a car crosses a low spot in the driveway where someone is well past just pulling in to turn around and is definitely coming onto my farm.

3. Cameras that record. I can see adding a motion sensing camera for the barn and one looking at the house. Those need to store data then right over it after it’s full or say 24 hrs. Again, wifi fancy is something I just can’t do.

What I don’t need is…
suggestions around guns (got 'em) , guard dogs (got 'em, sorta), neighborhood watch (none to be had), or even the best polka music for entertaining (impossible!)

. thanks!!

[Sabino]

If you have cell service, one of these might work for you. My husband has a number of these on our farm up north and our cabin out west. He gets email alerts when pictures are taken. You can change the frequency of how often you get the notifications. http://www.moultriefeeders.com/moultrie-mobiletm-wireless-field-modem-mv1

[Guilherme]

There are both indoor and outdoor wifi range extenders. Here are a couple of outdoor options:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=outdoor+wifi+booster&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=153685540495&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10887494120072159100&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013375&hvtargid=kwd-11934280699&ref=pd_sl_3k2s0vxewd_e

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-outdoor-access-points?id=adw&gclid=CjwKCAjwj8bPBRBiEiwASlFLFedH6tWa7Uc_7FIC1Rb3FTprxQDdKCbAQC9O_AK_hFyHb8UWyUitdxoCR1gQAvD_BwE

You might talk to your DSL or service provider and see that, if anything, they offer.

G.

[Bluey]

We have the Dakota alert MURS BS kit.
One wireless announcer is one mile from the house, the base station in the house.
The same also has a portable base station you can carry around with you.
I don’t know if that one has the same range, but may work for you.

The other alarm system with video recording, etc. works thru a cell #.

Check with your local security companies, the ones that handle security in schools, restaurants, stores, etc.
They tend to be better than the larger national companies, that don’t know the particulars of your area.

[walkers60]

I use a game camera on my driveway and it also works in the dark; it has a memory card. I also have a long winding driveway , wooded and very, very slow DSL with no hope of an upgrade. I have the camera set level to read license plates but I do also get lots of shots of wildlife. I had not realized that all the wildlife use the driveway as a trail.
I know ,I can’t tell who is coming but I do have a record of anyone who comes to my place and the camera is colored green cami ,so it blends in and no one knows it is there.
The Data Alert seems to be out of stock.

[stb]

I feel you on the lousy internet. We have it here too. We have spent a fortune on wifi boosters, which at least allow our phones to work (we have lousy cell service too).

Regarding the gate opener - stay away from Mighty Mule. We have one and it’s awful. It is on the list of things that need to be replaced - and we will not buy another Mighty Mule brand. I don’t know anyone who has good things to say about them.

[walkers60]

Guilherme , I looked at the range extenders and they seem to be targeted to urban areas. I have few neighbors so my signal is not being over used by neighbors wi fi using same hertz. I am probably making a mess of this but I did read about them and I don’t think they will do much for us rural folks with slow DSL. I have friends who have set up there own ISP and its really not helping their speed or connectivity.
Anyway I am not techy so I hope this makes sense.

[Guilherme]

@walkers60

Guilherme , I looked at the range extenders and they seem to be targeted to urban areas. I have few neighbors so my signal is not being over used by neighbors wi fi using same hertz. I am probably making a mess of this but I did read about them and I don’t think they will do much for us rural folks with slow DSL. I have friends who have set up there own ISP and its really not helping their speed or connectivity.
Anyway I am not techy so I hope this makes sense.

When I started looking for these all I found was the indoor variety and I knew that would not work. So I searched for outdoor units and that’s what I found. Since I’ve not used any of them I don’t know their quality, service, etc. I only note that they exist!

I’ve not researched it, but I think what I noted were mostly “consumer” grade items. IIRC there are also “commercial” grade units that give MUCH better performance. They also are significantly more costly.

One question: is the problem poor wifi or poor DSL? The best signal booster in the world won’t help if the signal is being fed into a slow pipeline. That’s why I suggested that folks call their DSL provider and ask them about ways to improve service when working with large, rural properties. I know some municipalities have instituted city-wide wifi systems. How did they do that? Would that strategy work on a farm? If not, how would it be modified? What difference does terrain make? I don’t know the answers, here, but I think these are some of the questions!!!

I live where there is very poor cell service (there is a mountain between my house and the tower). We have signal but it’s poor. I had an informal survey done by a friend who said that we had enough signal to boost so we could use our cell phones without the Verizon Network Extender. But he said we can’t use the “consumer” grade because they lack the power to properly amply correctly the incoming signal and send out a strong enough reply signal. So all it takes is money, it seems, to improve my service!!!

G.

[TMares]

I have already bought boosters and they work great- but the available juice coming down the line is insufficient and with two boosters, two laptops, one kindle, and my phone on it- it’s way too much drain on the available juice.

[Guilherme]

You have my sympathy!

We had a DSL line for a while and it worked reasonably well. It was certainly better than HughesNet or ISDN. I just got a solicitation for HN Gen5. I transitioned from DSL to UVerse three years ago. We don’t have cable in our part of the county. Sometimes country living is all it’s cracked up to be!!!

I guess the next try is the cellular repeater. If it works I can dump UVerse, go to a simple land line (required for the security system; but with better cell service might get a better security system). I could also get rid of DirecTV. I’d increase my data usage but I think I’d still come out ahead. Gotta run the numbers first, though.

G.

[Unfforgettable]

@Bluey

We have the Dakota alert MURS BS kit.
One wireless announcer is one mile from the house, the base station in the house.
The same also has a portable base station you can carry around with you.
I don’t know if that one has the same range, but may work for you.

The other alarm system with video recording, etc. works thru a cell #.

Check with your local security companies, the ones that handle security in schools, restaurants, stores, etc.
They tend to be better than the larger national companies, that don’t know the particulars of your area.

I’ve got this too, and am very happy with it.

[walkinthewalk]

Subbing so I can read and digest later. DH bought a system that was recommended by his racing buddies ------ it was sent back--------

[clanter]

how is the cell service at the gate area? there are access controllers that can be controlled over a cell connection… they just have a sim card inserted into the device, it is billed as another phone on your bill

The Watchman is by Cell-Gate … it has been use extensively by oil/gas producers to control and record the comings and going form remote drilling sites… but there are many others, some will capture and send a photo of the vehicle

http://cell-gate.com/watchman/

A much less cost device would be a cell switch which still uses a sim card but allows you to open/close a gate remotely with your phone… there are some that will send you a report if the gate is opened and when it closes

As for GTO… one person I know liked them , that was Joe Kelley, he was the CEO for about 12 years and walked out with millions after the parent company was bought by a British firm

Solar access control and gate operators can be made to work just about anywhere these days as the cost of panels has decreased greatly

Along with GTO, you might stay away from Viking Access also as they used brushed DC motors and have tendency of premature failure

Some of the LiftMaster products are OK along with Platinum Access equipment, Platinum is a newer company that has been around for about six years as a manufacture but has an over twenty history as primary vendor of parts and circuit boards to nearly all the other manufacturers Platinum uses a brushless DC motor which costs more but has four or five time the life of a brushed motor

but back to the Gate… 12ft is pretty narrow for a main entrance gate… the lane width would be about ten foot … I would suggest maybe a 14 or 15 ft gate

Slides are more secure than swing

[Equus2000]

I misspoke, it’s a 16’ pipe gate, we’ve lived here for years. I can easily get my 40’ GN in and out so it’s set back far enough to navigate safely.

[clanter]

@TMares

I have
1. Gate openers: We have a 12’ gate I’d like to put a gate opener on. Needs to be solar powered. Mighty Mule brand or ____? What do you have?

@Equus2000

I misspoke, it’s a 16’ pipe gate, we’ve lived here for years. I can easily get my 40’ GN in and out so it’s set back far enough to navigate safely.

TMares or Equus2000? odd that you both have the same joining dates

[TheJenners]

Whoops :lol:. But back to the issue at hand, I took have iffy wifi from time to time. But it isn’t a bandwidth issue as far as I can tell, it just hiccups. Frustrating! But my new security cameras (Arlo Pro) seem to be working well and I plan on getting a booster for the barn so I can have a camera out there as well.

[TMares]

hey, sorry- they are both me- one and the same I cannot for the life of me remember the password on the TMares account (at work) so I set up Equus2000 at home - I know it’s confusing - and usually I keep them lined out. I’m one peep, two handles - and no houseguests

[clanter]

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