PrairieOaks Network
A multi-site, wireless networking deployment
PrairieOaks, a rural non-profit community in LeClaire, Iowa, hosts WWOOF and HelpX workers who exchange their labor for housing, utilities, and food. However, PrairieOaks struggled to provide reliable internet access to the workers due to their existing networking setup. They relied on multiple Verizon Hotspots at each staging location, which proved costly and offered inconsistent coverage. The hotspots had data caps and prioritized mobile customers, resulting in limited access for workers during peak usage hours.
I served as a Network Engineering intern at PrairieOaks during the summers of 2020 and 2021 to provide solutions to these problems. In addition, I continued working after graduating from Iowa State University for a new networking expansion. The work can be divided into three phases.
Phase 1 - Ideation and Site A (Home) Deployment
Working with PrairieOaks, we chose Site A as the first deployment zone. This was based on the location being the hosts’ home, and it also had a direct phone drop coming in from the telephone company to use for DSL. Other options were considered for internet access; however, DSL was the most performant, dedicated, and cost-effective of all options.
In evaluating the hosts’ technological needs, I understood that they favored simplicity as the main design principle in technology solutions. As such, for the networking deployment, I chose to use Ubiquiti’s networking equipment due to its simple to use interface but advanced underlying functionality.
Also, the hosts wanted to have an on-site NVR IP camera solution deployed on their property. Ubiquiti’s equipment (routers, switches, access-points, and cameras) was chosen for this purpose as well due to the simplistic front-end, complex back-end design philosophy and also due to integration with the pre-existing networking infastructure. Camera distributions are not discussed in the following phases; however, they were added to each Site to cover all compass directions relative to the Site.
Phase 2 - Site B (Workshop) and Site C (Pavilion) Deployment
Initially, when Site A was being mapped out, the interconnections between builds was not planned. As such, the design and implementation behind connecting Site A to Site B was a challenging task. We intially considered a wireless link; however, due to multiple tree coverage in the area, and inability for the hosts to cut down branches (as the property has a mission to upkeep the land and promote environmental sustainability), we chose to move forward with a wired fiber-optic link. In planning with the hosts, we determined that a series connection between the buildings would work best as multiple trenched paths was not in line with the mission of the property in conservation. However, it is important to note that a series design is not as effective as a hub-and-spoke model. For example, if any link between buildings is severed, the rest of the buildings down the line lose network connectivity.
Similarly to Site A, Ubiquiti access points were deployed. However, for the point-to-point switch (i.e., the switch that intercepts the fiber optic connection from Site A), we chose to use Mikrotik’s outdoor-rated switches. This was due to non-ideal environmental conditions, causing the switch to take in dust and harsh temperatures. For the ease of use of the system for the hosts’ administration, we chose to put the point-to-point switch in bridge mode so that the entire network from Site A to Site B is a singular Local Area Network (LAN). As such, the administration of the network is handled by the Ubiquiti back-end. The same process was replicated for Site B to Site C.
Phase 3 - Site D (Guest House) Deployment
For the final distribution, we brought the connection to Site D, where the HelpX and WWOOF workers are primarily housed during their stay. As with Site A to Site B and Site B to Site C, a fiber optic cable within a conduit was buried connecting to switches at each end in series. However, since Site D had the environmental advantage of being indoor, a Ubiquiti switch was used to save costs. Additionally, this switch has Layer 3 capability, enabling the hosts’ to throttle and administer traffic at Site D for their specific needs.