Wireless Internet Antenna Grounding

[acardin]

What is the proper way to comply with the code when installing a PoE wireless Internet antenna on a home? Typically, the antennas are a mixture of plastic and metal and the manufacturers instructions do not always cover proper grounding or surge protection. I was told at one point a UL surge device placed inside the home at the point of entry, properly grounded to the electrical system, was sufficient. Does anyone have any guidance?
A typical installation includes mounting a bracket to the roof or gable to support the antenna, a shielded Cat6 with shielded ends is ran from the antenna down the wall, then enters the home through a hole drilled in the wall. Once inside, the 3-prong power supply (-48v) is attached to the shielded Cat6 with a shielded end. a UL listed surge device is attached to a grounded outlet and put inline between the power supply and the customers equipment.

 

[hbiss]

Ha! What is it, 725? 810? Sounds like both to me.

See 810 for grounding the mounting bracket and the required location and grounding for the surge/lightning arrester.

Only problem might be finding a suitable arrester that can be used with Cat6 shielded cable for outdoor use. Are you saying that one is included with the antenna? It might be possible to put it in a raintight box on the side of the house with the cables and ground conductor exiting from the bottom.

-Hal

 

[acardin]

Hal, the arrester is not too hard to source and they are rarely included with the antenna. The idea was to put them right inside the wall where the cable comes in and ground it to a nearby outlet. I will look at 725 and 810...
Thank you for the reply.

 

[tom baker]

Most of these antennas are not installed per code. Code rules are for protection from lightning.
Most important is the antenna bond be tied to the building ground system.

 

[tom baker]

Ground your arrestor to the groud from the antenna mast. Divert that energy back outside.

 

[hbiss]

The idea was to put them right inside the wall where the cable comes in and ground it to a nearby outlet.

No. It needs to go outside adjacent to where the cable comes into the house. As Tom pointed out, it (antenna discharge unit) must be tied to the building ground system, NOT the receptacle. Art. 810.20 is your reference.

It needs to be outside because, like with all surge protection, there is the possibility that it could self destruct and cause a fire.

-Hal

 

[suemarkp]

I'm confused with this antenna. Why is a wi-fi antenna outside at all? Are you trying to externd your wi-fi outside, or just cover inside the house? If it doesn't penetrate to outside the building, would it even need to be grounded (even if in the attic)?

 

[zbang]

WiFi mesh networks are a good way to cover a fairly dense customer base, often using Ubiqity equipment.

(I have a mast on my roof with 3 antennas, close neighbors have 1-4 antennas on theirs, occasionally there's a ground station. No, it's not properly grounded. Or bonded . But we don't get much lightning here.)

 

[MTW]

WiFi outdoor radio examples.

This one contains the WiFi radio, POTS & CATV


Mast Earthing & 3 Rods Below


Ground Bar and Communication Arrestors Up and functional since 1992


Rooftop Mount WiFi Dishes- Mast Grounded

Setup Aiming and Testing


And a Basic Wall Mount

 

[suemarkp]

I can understand why if this is a campus or business park. But the OP said house. I have a mesh network in my house, but all the access points are inside. Doesn't make sense to me to put a wi-fi antenna outside unless you specifically want outdoor coverage and the indoor antenna isn't strong enough. People typically want the signal inside, so why put the antenna outside where the signal has to pass through multiple walls and floors to provide service?

Or are you leaching on to the wi-fi from the local Starbucks to forward it into your house??? Or are there localities where some provider actually has RF internet on your street and you need an antenna to subscribe to it?

 

[tom baker]

For a point to point system, the antennas are typically directional, antenna alignment is easy when outside, if you can see the other end, point at it and check signal strength.
In the pictures posted there are several long distance antennas shown, not very suitable for indoors.

 

[tom baker]

And often wi-fi is used between buildings in a campus setting.

 

[acardin]

Suemarkp - Delivering Internet via a wireless connection between a home and a tower (fixed wireless) is becoming a common practice. For better or worse, a reception antenna has to be placed on the building and pointed at a tower in order to create the link. Most fixed wireless requires a line of sight between the tower and home.

 

[suemarkp]

Thanks. I had not heard of having wi-fi available this way. I understand the antenna and pointing issues, and this explains why they would be outside and possibly on a mast or tower. I just didn't realize some communities had this as a service (don't know of any here -- it either cable, DSL, satellite, or Cell signal). This could also occur for cell phone coverage when your signal is weak and you need an outside antenna to repeat it reliably inside the house.

 

[zbang]

My house and two neighbors (more than half the houses in this neighborhood have this installation).

 

[grich]

Out here in the sticks, a company that's changed names a time or two has been providing fixed wireless for years, typically mounting their fixed equipment on top of grain elevators and water towers.

 

[tom baker]

Zbang- what type of service are those antenna for?

 

[zbang]

Tom- Internet. It's a commercially-operated Ubiquity mesh network (mostly using 5GHz channels). I get 65-80mb/s down and up, and right now 8ms ping time to one.one.one.one (operated by cloudflare). The original operator had some "issues" but sold the system to another local fixed-wireless company that actually know how to run things.

With the cost of entry for new physical cable plant, more ISPs are installing some kind of fixed-base wireless to reach people who don't want or can't get the local telco or cable-tv Internet.

 

[acardin]

zbang, did the installers ground the tripods to the ground rod with a #10 wire?

 

[Open Neutral]

WiFi outdoor radio examples.

This one contains the WiFi radio, POTS & CATV

I object! As the long-time ham & a telephony nerd, I state POTS has never needed an antenna. If if is not a twisted pair to the CO, it ain't POTS.

Yes, even irrespective antenna of the Code, masts/mountings/antennas should be well grounded. You could consult the ARRL antenna manual for details.

As others above have stated, fixed wireless TCP/IP is popular in places where there is no alternative, and/or many places served solely by a cable company with multiple C's in its name.

I've also installed multiple Ubiquiti Unifi units, and spec'd out some longer range P-P proposals.

At some point we'll see 5G (or as I call it 5 Gee Whiz, since it's so overhyped you need hip boots...) outdoor installations. The 2 biggest of Ma's stepchildren are trying to escape maintaining, much less upgrading, their outside plant. The reality is to meet their own hype with indoor antennas, they must have a node/site every 1000 ft. That's unlikely to happen in our lifetimes. I don't know when external antennas (really antenna+radio on the mast) will emerge for 5G but I'd not bet against same.