How can I connect to a WiFi that's 500 metres away?

Question

My in-laws across the street from me (approximately 500–600 metres away) have WiFi.

I would like to pull the connection to my house. I have no idea what to do.

If someone could please explain to me (in layman's terms, as I am not a computer wizz) what I have to buy, and how to set it up so I can pull the connection over to my place?

Solution 1

500 meters, even 300 is much too far to be in usable range for WiFi. WiFi is designed to, in the best case, transmit throughout one small household. Also, physical barriers, like walls, cars, other buildings will severely degrade the signal. You might be able to get WiFi through one or maybe even two walls if you're lucky, but to get it 500 meters, you'd have to transmit at power higher than allowed by the standards bodies (and likely your government), and use an extremely directional antenna, with line of sight (no barriers in between).

The solution is probably to get your own Internet connection rather than trying to use theirs. You could also obtain a line of sight between your property and theirs (likely by building a small tower on your roof; check local regulations) and set up a very high frequency point to point link, but since you seem totally new to wireless communications, you (honestly) probably do not have the expertise to set one of these up even if you knew what you wanted, and would have to hire a contractor to design, spec out, price, and install a system for you, in which case you're better off going and asking an actual expert instead of asking us.

Lastly: the cost of custom designed radio communication systems like the ones I am talking about (which go above and beyond "WiFi") is often in the tens of thousands of dollars (or at least 7000 British pounds or so), not including labor. At that price, it is almost certainly cheaper (over a period of, say, 5 years) to pay for ADSL or cable Internet connectivity to where you live.

Solution 2

This can be done at your in-laws' house and pointed to your house: Lifehacker Post DIY Wi-Fi Antenna Cheaply Extends Your Wireless Network

Or at your house pointed to your in-laws: Lifehacker Post Make a Long Range Wi-Fi Extender out of a Coffee Can

Both of these are not too technical and are very cheap!

Solution 3

First off, you would need to measure how far from the router you want to be able to access the wifi.

Wireless G can reach between 38m (indoor) and 140m (outdoor). This range is affected by line of sight, meaning if their are any walls between where the router is and where you want to access it, the range decreases.

Wireless N can reach between 70m (indoor) and 250m (outdoor). Again, line of sight affects this range.

The average consumer-grade wireless router has been Wireless G, but more and more routers are moving to N, is it possible to update us on which standard they are using?

If the router sits towards the back of their house, you could invest in a wireless range extender, which would need to be connected to their network and placed towards the front of their house to get the maximum effect. This location would preferably be outside of the building.

Directional vs Omni-directional antennae will also affect the signal distance. A directional antenna would be best in this case, as it directs the majority of the signal in one direction. The standard antennae on a router, however, are omni-directional, meaning that they send out this signal in all directions.

Comments

[Ron Maupin]

This is actually illegal in some jurisdictions. For instance, in the U.S., the FCC places restrictions on the types of antennae allowed for Wi-Fi frequencies, and using a type of antenna not allowed can put you in legal trouble.

[David Schwartz]

They also have much cheaper kits if you don't need more than 100Mbps or so. You can get two LBE-M5-23's for around $100. The NBE-M5-16 is just a few dollars more (about $65 per end), easier to install, and more rugged.

[Kit Ramos]

Though I'd agree that getting your own connection would probably be better, especially if computer networking is not your forte. But I found a pre-built solution to the problem that clocks in just shy of $400 US. and I looked up the FCC regulations on wi-fi. this package's transmit power right at the limit of what is legal with out a license. but since it doesn't go over that limit it's legal to use. And since it claims a much bigger range then the 500m they need he could probably turn the power down some to make sure he stays under the limit but still get good reception. See my answer.

[Sam K]

I don't know why this answer has so many upvotes. It was not correct in 2013 and it is certainly not correct today. There were PLENTY of WiFi point-to-point solutions available in 2013 that would have spanned 500m without any issue and without costing more than $300.