We stayed for two nights at Breakwater Resort, and it was truly an enjoyable experience filled with both relaxation and a touch of adventure. During our visit, I also had the opportunity to work for the resort by assisting them with some essential networking upgrades. My main task was to install their bridge access point to improve wireless connectivity around the property. In addition, I needed to replace the existing indoor network cable with a more durable outdoor Cat 6 cable, making the network more reliable and resistant to the elements.
On the second day, things took an unexpected turn. The newly installed access point stopped working suddenly, which led to a troubleshooting session. After careful inspection, I discovered that our NanoStation device had suffered significant damage—the Ethernet port had overheated and actually melted, rendering it unusable. Clearly, the device had been fried, possibly due to an electrical surge or unsuitable cable infrastructure.
To resolve the issue, we promptly swapped out the damaged NanoStation with a brand-new unit. However, in the process, I realized another problem. The existing Cat 5e cable that ran outdoors wasn’t compatible with Power over Ethernet (POE) requirements, meaning it couldn’t reliably supply power to the new access point devices. Recognizing the importance of proper cabling for outdoor networking hardware, I decided to upgrade the setup by replacing the old wire with a robust outdoor-grade cable specifically designed for POE support and harsh weather conditions. This ensured that the new access point would function optimally and remain protected against similar issues in the future.
Overall, my time at Breakwater Resort was a rewarding blend of leisure and technical problem-solving, leaving a positive impact on both the guest experience and the resort’s IT infrastructure.
Next, I installed an outdoor WiFi 6 access point, which provides extensive coverage across our parking lot. The connection speed is now nearly on par with our Starlink service.
First, I rewired everything and labeled it neatly. Let’s take a look at the original setup before the improvements.
After I complete the rewiring and accurately label all components,
