The AyrMesh Hub – The Building Block of Wireless Farm Networking
Note: Ayrstone will be closed from December 21 until January 1 for the holiday season – Wishing all you and yours the happiest of holidays!
AyrMesh Hubs are a special kind of WiFi extender or WiFi booster, using WiFi Meshing instead of repeaters, boosters, or extenders. This makes them much easier to set up and use than other systems. Because they use a central “control panel” (AyrMesh.com), there is no configuration of individual AyrMesh products and no networking experience required. A single AyrMesh Hub is a very capable outdoor WiFi access point which, properly installed, provides strong WiFi at remarkable distances in rural environments. Its range can easily be extended using additional AyrMesh Hubs.
NOW INTRODUCING THE AYRMESH® HUBDUO
With Meshing Modes
Ayrstone Productivity® introduces the AyrMesh® HubDuo, the latest version of our AyrMesh System of Wireless Farm Networking for your farm, ranch or other rural property. The AyrMesh system is designed for easy set up and use by people with farm backgrounds. It uses standard WiFi signals and standard Ethernet connectivity, so it can connect a huge variety of household and industrial equipment. The AyrMesh system connects to whatever router and Internet access you have, and there are no additional subscription fees. All Ayrstone devices come with a 90-day limited money-back guarantee and a 1-year replacement warranty, so you can confidently join the thousands who have already adopted the AyrMesh system on their properties.
The best way to get started is to get a HubDuo today and mount it up high outside in the clear – it’s almost certainly your best bet for a “first hub” – you can compare the AyrMesh Hub models here. Make sure to get an Ethernet cable long enough to connect it to your router. You can start to enjoy outdoor WiFi in your yard, work areas, gardens, and around your property. Then you can see where else you might want to expand – the AyrMesh system is completely modular, so you can add on to your network as you see fit.
AyrMesh Hubs are usually situated in circles around the first “Gateway” Hub, and the Hubs should generally be at least half a mile away, although the Ayrmesh HubDuo can accommodate shorter distances.
If you are going to have the first “ring” of Hubs more than 1 mile away from the “Gateway” Hub, we generally recommend using the AyrMesh Hub2x2 instead of the HubDuo as a Gateway Hub.
There is more information about how to plan and build out your AyrMesh network, as well as information about range with different devices.
There is also a lot of information on our support site, as well as a wealth of articles about AyrMesh (and other AgTech-related topics) on the Ayrstone Blog.
Get WiFi Outdoors Across Your Property with the AyrMesh Hub
The first thing that the AyrMesh system allows you to do is have WiFi outside the house – first into the immediate farmyard, then into your outbuildings, and across your fields. Step one is to connect an AyrMesh Hub to the router inside your home or office, and mount it up high outside, clear of any obstructions. It should be 25′ above obstructions for maximum range, but, to just get WiFi around the farmyard and into nearby buildings, it only needs to be up above the roof of the building where it’s mounted.
This will allow you to bring WiFi for your devices outdoors in the farmyard up to half a mile away, or to connect buildings and other stationary farm equipment up to 2 miles away. By connecting additional AyrMesh Hubs, you can extend the WiFi signal much further away. Read this article to understand the Hub’s extraordinary range.
Please keep in mind that most modern smartphones can use WiFi calling, so the AyrMesh network can be used as a cellular network extender, as well.
Connect Out-Buildings with the AyrMesh Receiver
You can then use an AyrMesh Receiver to bring the network into various buildings around your properties. The AyrMesh Receiver mounts easily outside with an Ethernet cable going into the building. The Ethernet cable plugs into a power supply that provides an Ethernet port to connect any Ethernet device. You can use the AyrMesh IndoorHub to provide WiFi inside the building, and the AyrMesh Switch to provide additional Ethernet ports. Because the AyrMesh IndoorHub uses meshing, you can provide WiFi to very large buildings without having to run Ethernet cables.
The AyrMesh Receiver can also be used to connect stationary equipment like irrigation controllers, grain dryers, and network cameras (for security or just to keep an eye on operations) – think of it as a “WiFi-to-Ethernet converter.”
Extend your WiFi into Your Fields and Across the Farm
You can extend your WiFi data network using additional AyrMesh Hubs – the Hubs can be placed up to 2.5 miles apart, and you can go up to three “hops” in every direction. The Hub2T is perfect for use as a “field Hub” because it uses much less power than the Hub2x2 or Hub2x2C. With AyrMesh Hubs you can cover a contiguous area of about 150,000 acres. You can also use the AyrMesh Bridge to jump to distant fields over distances of up to 5 miles – like a wireless Ethernet cable. The AyrMesh Bridge can be used, for instance, to connect a Gateway Hub on top of a tower or grain leg for maximum range and effectiveness, or to even use an Internet connection miles away and bring it on the farm. Here’s an article about planning your AyrMesh network.
AyrMesh devices can be used where there is no power, using simple solar panels and batteries. Such a system, for instance, can power a stand-alone AyrMesh Hub in the field and even a Hub + Bridge combo to beam the WiFi signal to another field 5 miles away. This way an entire farm’s fields can be put onto the network.
Finally, the AyrMesh WiFi data network can be brought into mobile farm equipment – tractors, combines, sprayers, pickups, and even ATVs and utility vehicles using the AyrMesh Cab Hub2. This operates like our AyrMesh Hub with a special cable that plugs into the 12 volt utility power outlet inside any vehicle and includes special magnetic-mount antennas easily placed on top of a cab or ROPS system.
The on-the-cab WiFi signal can be used with a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, as well as with in-cab computers such as AgLeader and Topcon, or any other WiFi or Ethernet-equipped devices.
Simple and Future-Proof – the Basis for Modern Ag-Tech
Unlike other outdoor WiFi products, the AyrMesh system is built for farmers, not networking technicians. All you have to do is connect each AyrMesh device to your network so it can download its configuration information from AyrMesh.com, and then mount it up high and out in the clear. The AyrMesh system is self-configuring and each device is monitored on AyrMesh.com, so you can tell at a glance that each device on your wifi data network is connected and working properly. You own and control your AyrMesh network – there is no monthly or annual subscription.
Your investment in AyrMesh is protected because AyrMesh is built on open technologies – 802.11n and 802.11s WiFi and meshing, and 802.3 Ethernet. That means there is a rich variety of devices that just work out-of-the-box with AyrMesh, from smartphones, tablets, and laptops to security devices like the Ring doorbell and Nest Cameras to entertainment systems like Sonos to farm-specific products like StepsGMS’s bin monitoring products or GSI’s Watchdog controller. It also means that, as people build more and more networked “AgTech” farming equipment, you’ll be able to easily put it on your network. In fact, if someone builds a better farm networking product, you’ll be able to replace AyrMesh with their product and use all the same devices. You are never “trapped” with our products; we are that confident that our products and services will satisfy you.
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