As part of my Anti-Bobcat Defense System, I bought an inexpensive IP cam to monitor the chickens.

I'm actually pleased with how well it works, especially for the price, but there's one problem: Signal Strength.

If I place the camera where it has the best view of the area I wish to monitor, the signal is too weak to maintain a solid connection. Distance is ~250 feet.

If I move the camera closer to the house (and thus, my wireless router) the connection is fine but the camera is too far from the target area to be really useful.

So, what I'd like to do is set up some sort of WiFi range extender/repeater/whatever it's called. It'd most likely have to be battery powered. It'd certainly have to be weatherproof. It'd be nice if it was relatively inexpensive.

Suggestions?

Move the WiFi router closer to the camera.

Barring that, mount an outdoor rated wireless access point on the side of your house the camera is closest to and run an ethernet wire from that through the wall using a cable pass through to a POE injector and your WiFi router.

Is your camera 2.4GHz, 5GHz, or both?

Something like this will work with both: Link, but I don't know how reliable ZyXEL is. Engenius makes one in the same price range, but it's 5GHz only. Link but I don't think it comes with a POE injector.

Look up “directional wifi antenna”. That may help.

And don't forget that the signal has to be sufficient in both directions. It doesn't do any good to pump up the jams at the access point if the camera doesn't have enough oomph to reach the AP. (Sorry for the technical language.)

^^^That’s partially true. I have a WiFi bridge that’s two WAPs each with parabolic dish antenna. Using just one, I was surprised how far away I could still get a good connection to it with just my phone, around 650’ with the WAP in the basement pointing out the basement window. The dish antenna must help with the receive side of things.

Since Paul mentioned moving the camera closer to the house helped, it sounds like it’ll have enough oomph to reach reach an outdoor WAP mounted on the side of his house where the camera is.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Look up “directional wifi antenna”. That may help.

^^^ That would be my first choice.

Both trapper189 and architect are also correct with their advice.

Either way a directional antenna is needed and would benefit from a clear direct line of sight.
The area between the two is called the Fresnel Zone where performance is optimal and deviation from this line of sight will affect the performance.
Distance, direction and physical obstructions will be of concern.

250' with a directional antenna on the 5ghz band should be sufficient for good performance.
Note: in general 2.4ghz may go farther but 5ghz is faster.
Longer distances would be better off with a bridge.
Both sided need the directional antenna.
The problem is that many devices (AP or cams) only have built in omni directional antennas, so using a more complicated bridge is the only way.

Also quick and cheap might not be the best philosophy here so it depends on how bad you want to solve the problem.
Good Luck

Camera is 2.4GHZ only. LOS is not a problem.

I have downloaded plans for a DIY 2.4Ghz directional antenna (Yagi). While I have some reservations as to how well it will actually work, I do have the skills and materials to build it, so all I'd be out is my time.

Meanwhile, having placed the camera halfway between the house and the target zone, I have a usable, if not ideal, balance between connecting to the camera and being able to see the target area.

I'll let you know how the Redneck Antenna works out. If all else fails, there are some on Amazon that are reasonably priced.

^^^ If you can deploy the antenna then you should be fine.
2.4ghz is not a problem for a cam bandwidth.
Note: you can also buy one on Amazon.
Let us know how it works out.
A plus if you can also deploy an antenna on the WAP as well.

I think a bobcat got my last 2 chickens by hopping my 6' horse fence.

Anything I can do about that that is practical? I realize I could stack another 2 feet of electrified concertina wire on that, but...

Also, what purpose will the camera serve to protect the chickens against the cat? It seems like it will just confirm (when you watch the video) that yep, it was a bobcat. Is this going to be a live feed with some kind of alert?

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I think a bobcat got my last 2 chickens by hopping my 6' horse fence.

Anything I can do about that that is practical? I realize I could stack another 2 feet of electrified concertina wire on that, but...

Also, what purpose will the camera serve to protect the chickens against the cat? It seems like it will just confirm (when you watch the video) that yep, it was a bobcat. Is this going to be a live feed with some kind of alert?

Yes, it sends a motion detect alert to my phone. The idea is to determine the cat's routine (if any) and ambush it.

The only reasonable defense I can come up with is a completely enclosed aviary with a "roof" of chicken wire. I did poly bird netting a few years ago as defense against raptors and the first heavy, wet snow we got turned a couple of hundred dollars worth of netting into so much trash. Without a support system (or a very narrow span) I don't think chicken wire would fare much better.

As stated in an earlier post we're too old and tired to do the work and it doesn't make any sense financially given the cost of feed and the number of eggs produced.

If I can shoot the furry bastard, fine. If not, once he's done dining on my birds I won't have to buy feed or clean the coop any more. I'm okay with that.

Well, maybe that will put the Fear of God in him...

Checked the camera, no action,but took the G44 (Glock .22) with me to check eggs.

On a hunch, tiptoed around the rear of the barn seeing as the two times I've got him on camera was about this time of the afternoon, and sure enough there he was.

Didn't hit him, in fact the first shot he just looked back over his shoulder at me, but chased him down the fence line and into the woods. I should have taken the AR, might have to make that a habit for a few days.

Don't know if that will deter him or just piss him off.

Two words.

Solar powered wifi bridge.

Okay, that's like eleven words.

You could dig a pit and camoflage it well. Just dont fall into the pit yourself.lol

quote:

Solar powered wifi bridge

does such an item exist as a consumer level product? I see commercial ones that look great but are very expensive.

My suggestion is just put up an engenius (or similar) outdoor AP on the outside of the building.

Move the Chicken Coup closer to the house

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

So, what I'd like to do is set up some sort of WiFi range extender/repeater/whatever it's called. It'd most likely have to be battery powered. It'd certainly have to be weatherproof. It'd be nice if it was relatively inexpensive.

Suggestions?

I don't suppose you could run an o0utdoor rated (or direct bury rated) Ethernet cable to the camera.

If the camera has Ethernet, just run the cable to the camera. Bonus points if you can power the camera with the Ethernet run (look up PoE)

but if you can't, then you can't but for $40 you'd be done.

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor...2d41efee6e19322&th=1

Of course, outdoor EThernet is not perfect either. Animals can chew it, the RJ-45's can get moisture if not properly taken care of, you can run over it or trip on it if not buried, and I suppose in the worse case lightning could strike

But I thought I'd toss it out as an option, albeit not perfect. I've ALWAYS preferred wired cameras to WiFi, whenever possible/practical.