Long distance network help needed

[Simon Strauss]

I need to design a network that is as simple as possible but able to have significant bandwidth over distances of about 700 feet and would like some suggestions.

The system consists of 13 members moving between 8 points from which large files will be uploaded (the uploads will occur only when they are stationary but they wont always be at the same spot) and a non central base station that needs to have a strong enough connection to download significantly sized items in a reasonable time. Access points and any other external equipment needs to be able to withstand rain and the occasional splash of salt water and though there is high speed internet at two of the base points none of the pieces need to access the internet and those two points are in one corner of the area at which I am working.

At first I was hoping to be able to set this all up as a bunch of different peer to peer networks and allow the base station to connect to a member and download the info but then I ran into the issue of what the wireless bridges can handle as far as switching between signals. I want to stay away from setting up a full network (real and virtual) if I can because the information being sent is fairly important and cant really get out and it requires a few more levels of complexity than are wanted in that the area doesn’t have any existing servers.

For the first and hopefully not last (but it probably is) time in my Robotics career I can say that money is not an issue, also I would prefer to work with linksys equipment but the project doesn’t depend on that.

Thanks for the help,
Simon Strauss