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Parent-Friendly Wireless Bridge To Span 500 Meters?

Posted by timothy on from the your-meterage-may-vary dept.

GonnaBRichYeahYeah! writes "My dad lives down a dirt road 500 meters off the main road. The cable company will not put cable down his lane for any less than the ridiculous sum of $10,000. And he cannot get phone line DSL since he is so far away from the central terminal, so he relied on painful 22k/sec dial-up for access to the Internet. He got sick of it and relies on Hughes satellite Internet, at $60/month, but he still has to be connected to a phone line to upload to the Internet. It's not a good solution, but better than dial-up. His friend lives on the corner of the main drag with his lane and has cable, thus hi-speed Internet. I suggested that he get a wireless access point, and put it at his friend's house and then get a wireless card for access. The problem is that no wireless routers go that far (max range of -N is 200 feet) and WiMax is too complex for a 70-year old man. Any suggestions from Slashdot crowd would be helpful." Plenty of people make wireless links over longer distances, but often they're not suited for people who want simplicity and reliability. What's the best out there right now?

11 of 558 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by avronius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh yeah...
    Don't forget to fill the trench after you've installed the conduit!

    Failing to do so, may turn this solution into a bigger problem than simple "internet access"...

  2. Did he lose his marbles? by pigiron · · Score: 5, Funny

    "WiMax is too complex for a 70-year old man." At what age does WiMax dementia set in?

    1. Re:Did he lose his marbles? by Mordok-DestroyerOfWo · · Score: 5, Funny

      If your folks can understand WiMax, you may want to mod your parents up

      [Ducks]

      --
      "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
  3. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hoe (one per helper)

    The mark of true friendship is helping you lay cable even when you don't hire them prostitutes in return.

  4. This wouldn't be on Cape Cod now would it? by notthepainter · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe a 300 year old cottage? Just asking...

  5. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by spazdor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Witches and hoes.

    Aww yeah.

    --
    DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
  6. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by nfk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course the low tech solution would be to tie a string to a real mouse and put some cheese on the other end.

  7. Obligatory Chris Rock Joke Rewrite by wsanders · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ho: "For $20 I'll do anything you want."

    Dad: "Here's twenty bucks, lay 500 meters of conduit to my house, b****!"

    --
    Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
  8. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by BUL2294 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't forget to fill the trench after you've installed the conduit!
    Failing to do so, may turn this solution into a bigger problem than simple "internet access"...
    You sure about that? Having a moat would be cool!
    --
    Windows 3.1x calc: 3.11 - 3.10 = 0.00
  9. Re:Consider the do it yourself way... by carrett · · Score: 5, Funny

    I put on my robe and wizard hat..

    --
    I'm against picketing but I don't know how to show it.
  10. Re:Why not hoes? by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 4, Funny

    make sure they know you want to 'lay some pipe'

    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.