I want to make a box that sits on the ridge at the yurt and has a wifi link back to the main building. The box would then have an access point within it that would make wifi available on the ridge. Having an "off" switch would be nice because: - Would mean that the unit doesn't need to be powered 24/7 which would save on solar panel size, just run off battery for maybe 24 hours-a-week. - It'd be possible to go up to the ridge and not have service, this is still a net benefit of the space I believe. ## Requirements - Be solar powered, with a minimized solar panel size - Serve wifi - Have an "off switch" ## Possible Parts - [Beelink N100 Low Power Mini PC](https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-Intel-N100-Computer-Desktop-Display/dp/B0BVFS94J5) could be interesting to have some compute/storage up there some day - [Unifi U6 Mesh](https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-wifi/products/u6-mesh) (48V PoE) - [Unifi Flex Mini Switch](https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-switching/products/usw-flex-mini) - [DC PoE Injector](https://www.amazon.com/V-Fiabilidad-100Mbps-Ethernet-Injector-Connector/dp/B0BN7XQVSB) ## BoM ### Mark 1 Mark 1's objective is to be a big 12V battery posted up on the hill that can be manually turned on and off. The 12V deep cycle battery that I have has lasted a long time without being recharged and it'll be a good test of the wireless range prior to buying solar panels. | Item | Qty | Cost | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------- | | [PoE Injector](https://www.amazon.com/V-Fiabilidad-100Mbps-Ethernet-Injector-Connector/dp/B0BN7XQVSB) | 1 | $18.99 | | [12V to 48V DC Step Up Converter](https://www.amazon.com/Converter-EAGWELL-Regulator-Adapter-Vehicle/dp/B0BY1L5FD7) | 1 | $21.99 | | [Unifi U6 Mesh](https://store.ui.com/us/en/pro/category/all-wifi/products/u6-mesh) | 1 | $179.99 | ## Update [[August 24th, 2024]] The system is built as described above, it's a Unifi U6 mesh in a plastic box, a PoE converter, and a [[Bioeno LifFePo]] battery. When we come up to the Yurt and want Internet access on the ridge, we take the battery off the charger and hike it up the hill. Once powered on, the unit connects and provides a local access point in one of our hammock areas. The battery supplies enough power for the entire weekend.