So how do we get internet in what some would consider to be, the middle of nowhere?

First, a little background ...

Over the three years of searching for property, we'd learned how to spot where Fiber optic internet was or could be available. When we scouted out this property, we realized that fiber was available here! Though the main road, where the fiber was spotted, was about a mile and a half away, we chatted with our nearest neighbor to see what type of internet they had.

Once they confirmed they had fiber, the next step was to call the Internet Service Provider to see if they could provide a fiber line to our property as well. It turned out that they would pull the cable to our property free of charge if we signed up for their monthly service! Since we all work remotely, we really needed the service anyway so it turned out to be the best option for us to get internet! And not just internet, fiber! If we had not had this option, we would have gone the Starlink route.

It took about two weeks for the cable work to be completed. We needed a structure where they could mount the modem and also provide a way to power it. We had actually not moved onto the property at that time. My trailer was there but I did not want to use that for mounting as I will likely be moving it to a different location on the property at some point. So this meant I needed a shed and also a small off grid power solution.

To get some sort of off-grid power set up, we needed a solar charge controller, an inverter, battery cables, a solar panel, and a battery.

Before going through the steps you may be wondering what all of this equipment does. If you're already in the know, please feel free to skip the next section.

Solar Panels

To state it in a very basic way, the solar panel takes sunlight and converts it into electricity.

Solar Charge Controller

The solar charge controller then takes the electricity and charges the battery in a controlled manner so as not to over charge and damage it.

Inverter

The inverter converts the direct current (DC) from the battery into an alternating current (AC) to power the various appliances that we use. The inverter usually has the electrical outlet that we all are familiar with.

Now onto the steps ...

The solar controller battery cables come with one end stripped and the thin wire strands exposed and the other end having the battery ring terminals. Loosen the screws on the controller and then insert the stripped ends into the battery plus (+) and minus (-) slots and tighten the screws. Give it a little tug or pull down to ensure that the cables are secured. Secure the other end of the cables to the battery terminal using the screws that came with the battery. You may notice a spark but that is normal.