3 ms·

Wardriving/scanning for 5 gigahertz is going to produce very limited results due to the nature of how the 5100-6000 MHz band goes through walls and matter, or r

Wardriving/scanning for 5 gigahertz is going to produce very limited results due to the nature of how the 5100-6000 MHz band goes through walls and matter, or rather, doesn't go through them very well at all, particularly in wide channels like 80 MHz. Assuming that we are talking about a 5GHz band 802.11ax ap inside an ordinary house, and you're on the exterior, you do not need to be very far away at all before the signal that you will see is something extremely weak like -84. Though if it's a dual band AP and is also running on a 2.4GHz channel at 20MHz wide on the same SSID you may see the 2.4 at a usable signal strength. You will see slightly better results in areas of primarily wood framed single family houses, where the material to go through is wood, drywall, house siding, versus an area that has more concrete and steel construction.

gregmac 5y ago
I recently moved into an all-brick house, it's really quite amazing to me just how much it kills 5 GHz wifi. I knew it was a thing that happened, but it was interesting to walk around with a signal tester and observe it first-hand. Even 2.4 isn't very strong. It's noticeably better when you are lined up with a window and AP, but still very spotty. As I'd like to be able to work sitting out on the deck, one of my spring projects is to trench some ethernet out to a shed (plywood and vinyl siding construction) and add another AP.
- nickphx 5y ago
  I would run fiber between house and shed to reduce the risk of surge from lightning
  - gregmac 5y ago
    I was going to put ethernet surge protectors on both sides. My plan was a PoE switch (Ubiquiti flex) with two cameras and an AP, powered by my main switch which is on a UPS. How much safer is using fiber, and giving up on battery backup? I'd also have to redo a bunch of power; the shed does have 120V but it's switched from inside the house and hardwired to a couple outdoor lights (on posts), so I would have to basically run a new power line either to the shed or to the lights; something I might eventually do but wasn't planning on this year.
    - nickphx 5y ago
      fiber is safer by not conducting any potential lightning strikes to the equipment

gregmac 5y ago

I recently moved into an all-brick house, it's really quite amazing to me just how much it kills 5 GHz wifi. I knew it was a thing that happened, but it was interesting to walk around with a signal tester and observe it first-hand. Even 2.4 isn't very strong. It's noticeably better when you are lined up with a window and AP, but still very spotty. As I'd like to be able to work sitting out on the deck, one of my spring projects is to trench some ethernet out to a shed (plywood and vinyl siding construction) and add another AP.

nickphx 5y ago
I would run fiber between house and shed to reduce the risk of surge from lightning
- gregmac 5y ago
  I was going to put ethernet surge protectors on both sides. My plan was a PoE switch (Ubiquiti flex) with two cameras and an AP, powered by my main switch which is on a UPS. How much safer is using fiber, and giving up on battery backup? I'd also have to redo a bunch of power; the shed does have 120V but it's switched from inside the house and hardwired to a couple outdoor lights (on posts), so I would have to basically run a new power line either to the shed or to the lights; something I might eventually do but wasn't planning on this year.
  - nickphx 5y ago
    fiber is safer by not conducting any potential lightning strikes to the equipment