Boosting WiFi signal

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Boosting WiFi signal
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boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 9:55 am Post subject: Boosting WiFi signal
What the best way to get a WiFi signal into an outhouse/shed. Currently the signal won't reach even to the end of the house (stone walls) so how can I boost it as far as the shed. Said shed will be insulated (foil backed) so would I be better off trying to run a cable? Can I run a cable from the router out to the shed and then plug cable into a WiFi doodah?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 12:04 pm Post subject:
You can buy a wifi booster. You plug them in where they can reach the wifi and they extend the range. I bought one when I thought I would need wifi in the garage for the solar, but it turns out it's all in the cellar, so I haven't tried it yet. I will, because our wifi doesn't reach to the end of the house, either.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 12:17 pm Post subject:
Does the shed have power? If so a pair of power line adapted are the way forward. Last edited by Nick on Sat Apr 23, 16 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 12:35 pm Post subject:
iirc cable length is a factor. that said cables are better at carrying a signal through walls than wifi . if the shed is a farraday cage wires are the best option even if they need a booster inline to make up for the loss due to resistance.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 5:13 pm Post subject:
Shed has power. Shed has thick masonry walls and foil backed insulation so I think perhaps Ethernet cable and a second router?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 5:17 pm Post subject:

We have an aerial in the static van that picks up the wifi signal from my router in the house(fifty yards away) and just plugs into Jaki's laptop. It works pretty well, though it was a bit of a pain to set up.

Cable will work as well, but is vulnerable to rodents and men with scythes (guess how I know

). If you have a way of shielding said cable from external stress that might be the simplest option. Fifty yards worked for a while.

Henry

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 5:35 pm Post subject:

boisdevie1 wrote:

Shed has power. Shed has thick masonry walls and foil backed insulation so I think perhaps Ethernet cable and a second router?

Power line adapters. Why lay cable when what you need is already there?

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/netgear-powerline-500-essentials-edition-a72tc?cmpid=ppc&gclid=CP_CtZumpcwCFRIUGwodAvsM1w

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 16 6:10 pm Post subject:
What Nick said, but maybe shop around more. Also, I have heard that you can use a WiFi router as a booster. Since many ISP's seem to give away routers at the drop of a hat, you can probably pick one up for next to nowt or less.

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 16 3:42 am Post subject:
Another vote for Nick. I use these and they're brilliant. They're passthrough, too, which means that you don't even have to lose a plug socket.

OtleyLad

Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 16 5:26 am Post subject:

Nick wrote:

boisdevie1 wrote:

Shed has power. Shed has thick masonry walls and foil backed insulation so I think perhaps Ethernet cable and a second router?

Power line adapters. Why lay cable when what you need is already there?

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/netgear-powerline-500-essentials-edition-a72tc?cmpid=ppc&gclid=CP_CtZumpcwCFRIUGwodAvsM1w

I've used this method to provide wifi in my garden shed office and the nearby decking - its faster than the standard house wifi as well.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28235
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Apr 24, 16 7:41 am Post subject:
I use Tp-link poweline adapters, they can have the odd funny 5 mins, but they do work in general. We have 2 slaves, one in my office which only otherwise gets a weak signal and one in the garage helping out with garage and summer house.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat May 14, 16 7:10 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

boisdevie1 wrote:

Shed has power. Shed has thick masonry walls and foil backed insulation so I think perhaps Ethernet cable and a second router?

Power line adapters. Why lay cable when what you need is already there?

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/netgear-powerline-500-essentials-edition-a72tc?cmpid=ppc&gclid=CP_CtZumpcwCFRIUGwodAvsM1w

If I bought such a device, is there any reason why I couldn't plug them into the 50m extension lead that I use when I want power in the field?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat May 14, 16 10:11 pm Post subject:
Nope.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun May 15, 16 7:25 am Post subject:
Hmmm. There may be people who won't leave.... Ta

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 16 11:09 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Nick wrote:

boisdevie1 wrote:

Shed has power. Shed has thick masonry walls and foil backed insulation so I think perhaps Ethernet cable and a second router?

Power line adapters. Why lay cable when what you need is already there?

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/netgear-powerline-500-essentials-edition-a72tc?cmpid=ppc&gclid=CP_CtZumpcwCFRIUGwodAvsM1w

If I bought such a device, is there any reason why I couldn't plug them into the 50m extension lead that I use when I want power in the field?

Can anyone tell me, from experience, if these powerline adapters have to be on the same ring circuit to work, or is being on the same household fuseboard enough?

Henry

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