Question regarding outdoor wifi range extending/boosting

[sherbear97124]

Thinking about buying a multi-pack of Arlo cameras, but they will be placed at least 300-500 feet from our home router (which is Frontier supplied 802.11n). I realize we will need wifi boosters no matter what we do if we're putting up anything wifi out in our woods and to our gate as there will be some interference. I guess my confusion comes in because when I saw the video on the Arlo page, it mentions NOT plugging the base directly into the router.

1) I guess I'm confused in how this set-up would have to plug in as far as the what piece will actually plug into my actual router. (ie, what order will this go?)

2) Will I need to change to a Netgear router and purchase only Netgear compatible boosters?

3) Any idea if these boosters will work if I place them in waterproof marine boxes outside as long as the antennas are exposed or am I better off getting wifi antennas to wire thru the boxes?

Thank you in advance.

[TomMac]

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What your thinking of is not going to work if I understood you correctly....

The ARLO/ARLO PRO base must plug into an ethernet port. ( the ethernet port can be on an extender ) BUT, the cameras will ONLY talk / connect to the base unit not any other wifi router ot extender.

( the base unit sets up it own wifi network to talk to the camera only )

The way it could work for you is if you 1 ) use more than one base 2) use ethernet cable to connect the base as it can be up to 300ft.

Placing the base units in a protected area ( like shed, etc )

[sherbear97124]

I have no problem plugging the base into the router via ethernet. I'm just confused of the order of things based on the video. I know with Ring all I need to do is put up a wifi booster to enhance my signal to the cameras. I have no problem running some wire from my house outside for a bit, but the point of getting the wireless cameras is so I don't have to run 500 feet x so many cameras and bury all that cable, you know. I'd be fine just burying the one cable for a minimal distance to a booster and go from there.

Does that make sense?

[TomMac]

Hope this helps...

Base plugs into etherent port via cable... cable can be a max of 300ft ( base also needs ac power ) OR an extender with ethernet port ( min 1 mbs upload )

Cameras will connect to the base unit only and as with all wifi , max distance with line of sight is 300ft. If in a building it can be much less.

Mind that the wifi radiates in an omni direction with the base being the center, so you must centrally locate the base for all your cameras or use more than one base.

[TomMac]

The ONLY way to cover more area with Arlo is mutli bases ...as in picture , think of each circle as a base unit with max range of 300ft ( or less )

You sync the closest cameras to each base as needed

[sherbear97124]

Thank you so very much for all of your explanations. This has been very confusing as I have been doing SO much research on a very wide variety of surveillance systems, which isn't easy when you live on acreage.

So it would need to be multiple Arlo bases all plugged via ethernet into the router (or can they piggyback with one another) so there can be the line of sight versus using a booster. Is that what I'm understanding?

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

yes... but they don't piggy back to each other... each would be it's own system all viewable in one app/prgm

[sherbear97124]

Ok. I finally got it. Thank you so very much for all of your help. This totally clarifies what I needed to know!