How I get Blazing Fast Internet Off Grid - Mega Rural Network Tour

Summary

The video documents the network setup of a rural New Hampshire resident who combines multiple internet connections for faster speeds. With no good wired options available, he uses Starlink satellite as his main connection, supplemented by two T-Mobile Home Internet lines. To combine them, he opted for an affordable TP-Link router capable of handling three connections. He also set up a mesh network of TP-Link access points to distribute Wi-Fi across his property. Additional components like solar-powered outdoor access and a propane tank monitoring system provide robust connectivity and monitoring. Despite some limitations, the system gives him reliable, high-speed internet to power his smart home and work needs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chris lives in rural New Hampshire with limited internet options
• 👨‍💻 He combines Starlink, 2 T-Mobile connections, and YouTube TV for fast internet
• 📶 The TP-Link ER7206 router combines the 3 internet connections
• 🌐 Chris has wifi access points around his house and property for full coverage
• 🛠️ He hardwired access points for max performance and to avoid interference
• ⚡ The Omada controller manages all the TP-Link access points centrally
• 🏡 Mesh access points connect his house to the barn without cables
• 🔋 Solar-powered outdoor access point provides wifi in the yard
• 🛢️ Imon tank monitoring system alerts when propane gets low
• 📝 Overall a complex rural network with redundancy across 140 devices

Q & A

What types of internet connections does Chris use at his home?

Chris uses Starlink as his main internet provider, along with two T-Mobile home internet connections for additional speed and reliability.

Why does Chris use multiple internet connections?

Chris combines all three internet connections to get much faster speeds than he could from just one, since he works from home and uploads YouTube videos.

How does Chris connect all the internet services to his network?

Chris uses a TP-Link router that can handle combining three WAN connections, with Starlink in bypass mode and the T-Mobile modems connected to WAN ports.

What kind of Wi-Fi system does Chris use?

Chris uses TP-Link Omada access points around his home and barn to distribute the signal, controlled by a central Omada controller.

Why did Chris choose TP-Link products?

TP-Link routers and access points provided the functionality Chris needed at an affordable price point for his rural home network.

How does Chris monitor his propane tank level?

Chris uses an Imon 900 MHz wireless sensor network with a direct tank gauge to remotely monitor his propane level from within his home.

What future improvement is Chris considering?

Based on viewer comments, Chris is interested in trying out Ubiquiti networking equipment in his home setup.

Why did Chris hardwire his Wi-Fi access points?

Hardwired access points provide more reliable connections without wireless interference issues.

How does the outdoor access point connect?

The solar-powered outdoor access point uses wireless mesh to connect back to an access point in Chris's barn.

What happens if Chris loses all his internet connections?

Chris says all the equipment will continue working fine even with no internet connectivity.

Outlines

00:00

🏡 Introducing a rural home network setup

The first paragraph introduces the speaker Chrisan living in rural New Hampshire with limited internet options. He previously installed a Starlink satellite dish and T-Mobile routers to combine multiple internet connections, getting speeds up to 400Mbps down. He uses a TP Link router to combine the connections and distribute the network across his house and barn.

05:01

👆 Boosting the T-Mobile signal with an antenna

The second paragraph explains how the T-Mobile routers have ethernet ports but no bypass mode, so they cause double NAT issues. The speaker added a directional antenna to boost the T-Mobile signal which nearly doubled his speeds. He plugs the router into the TP Link WAN ports to combine the connections despite the double NAT.

10:02

📶 Distributing the network with access points

The third paragraph describes how the speaker distributes the network across his house and barn using multiple TP Link access points. He hardwired most but uses mesh to connect to an outdoor solar-powered access point. He also uses a 900MHz wireless sensor network to monitor his propane tank level.

Keywords

💡Starlink

Starlink is a satellite internet service provider owned by SpaceX. It provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet via a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. The video creator uses Starlink as his primary internet connection in rural New Hampshire due to lack of cable or fiber options.

💡T-Mobile

T-Mobile is a major wireless carrier that offers home internet service using its LTE and 5G networks. The video creator subscribes to two T-Mobile home internet plans to use as backup connections and combine with Starlink for better speeds and reliability.

💡Load balancing

Load balancing refers to the practice of distributing internet traffic across multiple connections to optimize bandwidth utilization, lower latency, and increase redundancy. The creator uses a TP-Link router to load balance between his Starlink, T-Mobile, and local network connections.

💡Mesh networking

A mesh network is a wireless topology where each node relays data for the network. The creator uses TP-Link Omada access points configured in mesh mode to provide WiFi coverage across his entire property from the house to the barn.

💡Wired backhaul

Wired backhaul means connecting mesh networking nodes via ethernet cables rather than wirelessly. The creator hardwires his mesh access points for optimal reliability and performance.

💡monitoring

Monitoring means tracking status and metrics remotely, like fuel levels. The creator uses an Imon sensor on his propane tank to monitor fuel level and prevent running out, since he lives rurally.

💡WiFi coverage

Providing robust WiFi coverage was a priority for the creator across his rural property and outbuildings. He installed multiple indoor and outdoor wireless access points.

💡reliability

With no traditional broadband available, the creator prioritized reliability through redundancy of multiple internet links and hardwired backhaul of his mesh network.

💡affordability

The creator chose TP-Link networking gear as a cost-effective option vs. pricier brands like Ubiquiti. Reliable connectivity was vital for his budget homestead setup.

💡automation

Home automation refers to controlling systems like lighting and doors remotely. The creator set up automation using a Lutron hub and iq Garage openers to control his off-grid smart home.

Highlights

I live in New Hampshire and it's certainly picturesque here but many parts like my area do not have any good types of cabled internet.

I'm paying $200 a month for three different internet connections to get much more speed than I could alone.

The device you're going to need to combine them all is an internet router but you're not going to be able to get by with just a regular one.

I ended up choosing was a TPL link router. What's unique about TPL link is they have a model that cost 60 bucks that can also do two Wan connections.

I actually made a video showing you guys where I pulled these wires pre-turn terminated which is not that easy to do and I pulled two of them all the way back to my house.

I showed you exactly how to do that by using this antenna from the company waveform. This includes a kit that allows you to plug into your router once you've added this antenna you will typically get at least 40% greater speeds.

I have tried all three models of the TPL link router currently here you can see that I've got the ER 8411 the feature set is actually identical all the way down to the $59 model.

Once your controller's in place, all you need to do is add your devices. Now this is where having a managed wi-fi system is fantastic because if you're adding one or 10 all of the settings can get propagated throughout your network.

I chose to hardwire my access points now many of you may just say that I'm old school and that may be the case but if you can hardwire your access points in most cases that will make your life easier and it guarantees that you'll have no Wireless type of interference.

I put this access point into a mesh mode and it beams the signal all the way back to my barn.

This company specializes in making monitoring sensors. I've got an inground propane tank and last year on Christmas Eve I realized I had about 4% propane left.

Now you certainly can go over and read the gauge on the propane tank it's normally covered with snow using this Imon setup they make a direct gauge that goes onto the tank and provided that you've got Wi-Fi like I do now I can read this tank anytime I want and it is accurate I can see it right down to the individual percent.

In total I'm using about 140 internal IP addresses and it's not really computers I'm using the Lutron lighting system that I've made some videos on additionally I'm using a number of enq garage door openers.

In my rural setup I can tell you that the TP Link stuff has worked really well it's affordable it's easy to use I've tried to really give you guys an overview and show you some of the things that I'm doing.

Transcripts

396 down and 68 Meg up hey guys I'm

chrisan the silver symbol Channel and in

today's video I'm going to finally

reveal a full Network tour I live in New

Hampshire and it's certainly picturesque

here but many parts like my area do not

have any good types of cabled internet

now where I live there is nothing more

here than power from the town last year

I made a video where I documented the

installation of my Starling Tower and

also discussed my T-Mobile setup but the

challenge is how do you connect

everything together what kind of router

do you use along with an affordable

Network that gives me both Wi-Fi

internet throughout my property today I

can get between 3 and 400 Meg down and

about 20 to 40 Meg up really doesn't

feel any different than when I used to

have Verizon FiOS what I'm doing here

that's different is I'm combining three

different internet connections I've gone

with starlink as a main provider here

but I wanted to go one step further I

also added the T-Mobile home internet

service to my setup but I didn't just

get one I actually purchased two two of

them and if you're wondering why I need

that in addition of my starlink I do it

for a living so having a solid internet

connection was really critical

additionally I do these videos on

YouTube which I really enjoy so I wanted

to make sure I always had a connection

but by far the best reason is that I'm

able to combine all three of those

connections together enables me to get

much more speed than I could alone so

I'm paying $200 a month for three

different internet connections to get

television I add YouTube TV the device

you're going to need to combine them all

is an internet router but you're not

going to be able to get by with just a

regular one they're products like

microti ubiquity firewalla and some

others that say that they can combine

multiple internet links and they can but

for the most part they will max out at

two connections I needed to find a

router that could combine three or four

internet connections into one not cost

me a lot of money and the product I

ended up choosing was a TPL link router

what's unique about TPL link is they

have a model that cost 60 bucks that can

also do two Wan connections and

originally I did purchase that box I

fooled around with it and it seemed to

work just fine so I upgraded to their

next model this is the model that can

handle up to three wide area network

connections it not only allows you to

put those connections together you can

change the settings so you can waight

the connections Now by weight I mean

setting them up so that Starling for

example may only have a download speed

of 100 to 150 Meg you can program that

into the TPL link router through a

simple web interface it will determine

which is the best connection to use

typically Advanced features like that

are usually part of very high-end

routers from companies like Cisco now a

year later after using it I can tell you

the box is very solid even their

top-of-the-line model that they just

came out with sells for about 500 bucks

the features are essentially the same

this one has a couple of 10 gig ports it

also has these SFP ports that allow you

to use Fiber inside your switch now you

might think on a home network nobody's

going to have fiber but out here I am

actually running it because my barn is

about 250 ft away and the cables run

underground I actually made a video

showing you guys where I pulled these

wires pre- turn terminated which is not

that easy to do and I pulled two of them

all the way back to my house I have

tried all three models of the TPL link

router currently here you can see that

I've got the ER 8411 the feature set is

actually identical all the way down to

the $59 model after using this ER 8411

for about 5 months I really just didn't

see any extra value so if I was doing

this today I would still stick with a

TPL link router but I would not bother

with the highest end model I like this

$59 one as well as the ER 7206

how do you plug all of these things in

now let's start with starlink starlink

made a really bad decision a few years

ago by eliminating the ethernet port

that used to be on every starlink router

fortunately they do sell an accessory

this little box cost around $40 you plug

it in line with your starlink router and

now you have that same ethernet port

that they used to give you for free but

before you hate these guys starlink does

do one incredibly great thing that

allows you to utilize this in your home

network with a thirdparty router you

simply go into your starlink app and you

put put your starlink router in bypass

mode that means your starlink router

will now pass all of its information

directly to your TP Link or whatever

brand router that you put behind it this

makes networking quite a bit easier and

that takes care of starlink but now

we've got a problem because when we go

to T-Mobile you might think this is

fantastic it not only has one ethernet

port it's actually get two of them but

unfortunately T-Mobile's home internet

service is typically sold to folks that

are just going to use it with the

built-in wireless connection and these

ethernet ports are normally used for

someone plug in a computer directly into

them in fact we're going to plug another

router into them now that will

technically work and that's the only way

it can work because T-Mobile doesn't

offer any type of a bypass mode you've

got to remember T-Mobile owns these

routers they're included in your monthly

fee but if you discontinue service you

have to return them they've got built-in

antennas and you may live in an area

where your signal is great and they just

work perfectly right out of the box but

in a rural setting like I am you want to

boost your signal as much as possible

why wouldn't you want more speed if you

could get it and in a previous video I

showed you exactly how to do that by

using this antenna from the company

waveform this includes a kit that allows

you to plug into your router once you've

added this antenna you will typically

get at least 40% greater speeds and in

my case I was almost able to double my

speed because once you play with that

antenna a bit you get it pointed

directly at your Tower and now you can

boost your speed and throughput

tremendously but now back to T-Mobile

and plugging it in we'll start by

plugging one cable into the Lan one port

on the back of the T-Mobile device and

then easy enough the other end will go

right into one of the WAN ports on the

TPL link router but as I said there's no

Bypass or special routing mode and

you're not doing anything illegal or

breaking a rule you're still using the

internet service properly but you are

creating a small problem it's it's

referred to as double netting but I can

tell you after a year and a half of

doing this I've not noticed anything at

all we do use online gaming we stream

High defition videos but it's never been

a problem for me so this is still an

integral part of my entire setup with

all three of these connections plugged

in you're basically Bally ready to go on

my network I also use this router to do

DHCP meaning it will hand out IP

addresses to all the equipment I have on

my inside Network now we need a way to

distribute it that's where we need to

talk about getting the network spread

across my house my barn and even outside

of my yard now starlink in both of those

T-Mobile routers will provide local

Wi-Fi you could use them if you have a

small network but for me I knew I needed

about a dozen wiress access points some

of them were going to go outdoors and I

wanted to spend as little money as

possible so I bought several TP link

access points and I can say that after a

year I'm very pleased with them now they

do have a central management system and

you do need to purchase one small

controller now again TPL link makes

different models this is their omata

controller you can host it in the cloud

I didn't want to pay any kind of service

fees so you can buy one of these boxes

for about 50 bucks and this is the brain

of sorts that runs all of your access

points and it can also manage things

like computer network switches as well

and this is another area that I made a

mistake I went ahead and bought their

larger controller thinking that it would

be better for my network but I saw no

changes on my home network if you're

going to get into this and you're going

to choose tplink and omada I would

recommend their smaller controll that's

50 bucks once your controller's in place

all you need to do is add your devices

now this is where having a managed wi-fi

system is fantastic because if you're

adding one or 10 all of the settings can

get propagated throughout your network I

have small ones in my basement where

it's a pretty modern part of my house

but upstairs my house looks really old

and the last thing I wanted was a really

bright access point kind of on the

ceiling so here I hit it inside of a

closet there's still enough ventilation

in here so it's not going to overheat I

chose to hardwire my access points now

many of you may just say that I'm old

school and that may be the case but if

you can hardwire your access points in

most cases that will make your life

easier and it guarantees that you'll

have no Wireless type of interference

trying to run those access points I do

have one special access point that is

Distributing Wireless outside my house

you may have seen that video where I put

an outside access point that runs off of

a Solar panel It's contained in

something that kind of looks like a

small ouse there's no cables so what I

did is I put this access point into a

mesh mode and it beams the signal all

the way back to my barn in the corner of

my barn you can see this small access

point now I actually spray painted this

to match the color of the barn so again

I'm trying to kind of hide this

technology so it doesn't stand out the

nice benefit of mesh is even though this

is sending a signal to that access point

down on my field it also gives me a

signal around it you could continue

putting stations like this one after the

next and spreading your mesh Network out

now what of my barn here I do have one

other unique box you may have noticed

this thing with an antenna on the top

this is not a regular internet router

though it does have an ethernet port

this is a 900 MHz kind of sensor type of

network this is made by the company

called Imon this company specializes in

making monitoring sensors I've got an

inground propane tank and last year on

Christmas Eve I realized I had about 4%

propane left now I had only been in the

house for about 3 months so I wasn't

familiar with what was going on quite

yet but there was another problem I

wasn't able to get a propane delivery

because we had so much snow hair at the

time and mud in the driveway but I did

not want that to happen in the future

now you certainly can go over and read

the gauge on the propane tank it's

normally covered with snow using this

Imon setup they make a direct gauge that

goes onto the tank and provided that

you've got Wi-Fi like I do now I can

read this tank anytime I want and it is

accurate I can see it right down to the

individual percent so now I have an

alert set to let me know when the tank

gets to 30% so that I know that I to get

a fill right away now in total I'm using

about 140 internal IP addresses and it's

not really computers I'm using the

Lutron lighting system that I've made

some videos on additionally I'm using a

number of enq garage door openers now

for some of you guys that are living in

a log cabin you might say all this is

just too much none of the equipment I'm

running needs the internet to operate

all the power can go out here I can lose

all of my connections everything can

fail and life still goes on but in my

previous video I got many comments

saying that I should try out the company

ubiquity stuff and I would certainly

like to do that and I'm my rural setup I

can tell you that the TP Link stuff has

worked really well it's affordable it's

easy to use I've tried to really give

you guys an overview and show you some

of the things that I'm doing but if

you'd like to know more about what I've

done or you have suggestions for how I

could do something better be sure to

leave me a comment below and if you

found this video helpful I'd really

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