extending wi-fi range

M

madmardle

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,056
Name
Ken
Edit My Images
Yes
Before either upgrading my laptop, or getting another desktop, I need to extend my Wi-Fi coverage. My router is in my living room, and my desktop, is in the garage in my old darkroom, the Belkin dongle I used to get wi fi through when I was with talktalk wont now connect since I changed ISP. When I use the laptop in the darkroom, being wireless enabled it does pick up the signal, albeit very weak. Whether I get a new desktop, or use the laptop statically, ie having my printer and scanner attached to it, I really do need to extend the signal to my darkroom. I can't use an Ethernet cable, and the market seems mindboggling with the amount of extenders ranging from a few pounds to hundreds,
Any suggestions for a simple solution please?
 
You could try using powerline adaptors. Plug one in next to router and connect to router with ethernet cable. Plug another adapter in next to desktop, then another ethernet cable from adapter to desktop.
That's how I do it.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
You could try using powerline adaptors. Plug one in next to router and connect to router with ethernet cable. Plug another adapter in next to desktop, then another ethernet cable from adapter to desktop.
That's how I do it.
Click to expand...
There are cases where it won't work depending on wiring especially to an outdoor place like garage or shed - worth a try though and might be useful in another room.
If you get the type which also create a wifi patch, it might be possible to set up close to the problem area without tying up a socket in there.
I found even a cheap ebay wifi extender.(not powerline type) worked quite well for odd times I wanted to run a laptop in a workshop - which has the separate circuit issue for powerline adapters.
 
4wd said:
There are cases where it won't work depending on wiring especially to an outdoor place like garage or shed - worth a try though and might be useful in another room.
If you get the type which also create a wifi patch, it might be possible to set up close to the problem area without tying up a socket in there.
I found even a cheap ebay wifi extender.(not powerline type) worked quite well for odd times I wanted to run a laptop in a workshop - which has the separate circuit issue for powerline adapters.
Click to expand...
There are adapters that work on separate circuits. I think the devolo ones do. I used them when I needed to extend to upstairs.
 
Well that was a waste of a few hours of my life. The short version, Amazon delivered them nice and early this morning, and they've also been booked to pick them up on Monday ;) Yes they are going back.

They were much more hassle to setup than I anticipated, but once you worked around it the interface is fine. My problem was that whilst I could pick and boost considerably the 2.4Ghz band, and it was really good. The 5Ghz band was just useless. I could only pickup a decent signal in our house right next to the router, but it degraded to 60% already in the next room. At 5Ghz it is just very weak, and guess what I bought the top of the range ones for that extra speed.

So whilst the home-plugs aren't giving me the speed either from my Office to the Garage, they do via the Lounge to the garage :( They would still sync at 182Mbps opposed to the 72Mbps I could get by just using 2.4Ghz. Very disappointing, so bar tracing the issue with our electrical wiring to get the full 1113Mbps I get from my homeplug from the lounge to the garage, or just running Cat6 cabling, the extenders don't work for me.

At least with Amazon it is easy to return.
 
Yeah the nighthawks are OK if you use them wired, trouble with wifi extenders is they are usually a compromise and piggy back off existing. A customer bought them and we ended up running additional structured cabling to them. For best results you really need to use an access point wired.


I've got some power line adaptors, allegedly up to 2gb, to feed the cabin. Power goes from the house to a separate circuit box in the garage and into the cabin. I lose a bit to the 30 year old chest freezer and tumble etc in the garage, but still get a good go connection to the cabin in the garden.
From that it goes to a small switch and another access point. Wired for the cabin devices, wireless for stuff in the garden.
 
You could use a WiFi antenna.

I use two systems in my campervan. The first is this kit:
https://www.wifi-antennas.co.uk/wi-kit-02.html

This kit picks up WiFi signal for a few 100m in all directions and the little box with it acts as a wireless router meaning as many devices as you like can get a WiFi signal. Walls etc will impede the signal somewhat, so you may get less than 100m (but that's a long way). Don't worry that your other router is indoors - every network I connect to has the router indoors and it's not an issue. I use this system all the time for working from my camper at the beach (beats the office right :) ).

The second system I use covers far more distance. This is the antenna:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Wi...69884951&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+antenna+outdoor

It connects directly to TWO USB ports on a PC/laptop. It's a directional antenna so only picks up a signal from the direction it's pointing, but will pick up WiFi up to a mile away.

Most of the time the first system I linked to works perfectly. I wild camp in remote areas and usually get fast broadband enabling me to work, use VoIP and watch Netflix in the evening. I only use the longer antenna on the rare occasion I need more range.
 
Wissel said:
You could use a WiFi antenna.

I use two systems in my campervan. The first is this kit:
https://www.wifi-antennas.co.uk/wi-kit-02.html

This kit picks up WiFi signal for a few 100m in all directions and the little box with it acts as a wireless router meaning as many devices as you like can get a WiFi signal. Walls etc will impede the signal somewhat, so you may get less than 100m (but that's a long way). Don't worry that your other router is indoors - every network I connect to has the router indoors and it's not an issue. I use this system all the time for working from my camper at the beach (beats the office right :) ).

The second system I use covers far more distance. This is the antenna:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Wi...69884951&sr=8-2&keywords=wifi+antenna+outdoor

It connects directly to TWO USB ports on a PC/laptop. It's a directional antenna so only picks up a signal from the direction it's pointing, but will pick up WiFi up to a mile away.

Most of the time the first system I linked to works perfectly. I wild camp in remote areas and usually get fast broadband enabling me to work, use VoIP and watch Netflix in the evening. I only use the longer antenna on the rare occasion I need more range.
Click to expand...
I utilise a similar systems like that with a high gain antenna and very sensitive Alpha networks receivers for some security work. And yes you can grab signal much further away than with ordinary systems, but frequency is still limited to 2.4Ghz and whilst you get connectivity it generally isn't the fasted and subject to interference. Personally I couldn't have use it as my standard infrastructure to do reliable work on it. Good to hear it will give you a solution of sorts. In the house I would just go for homeplugs with build in wifi.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I've looked at powerline adapters, I have noticed that some seem to be attaching TV's etc. and don't have WiFi, which wouldn't be what I am looking for, I also don't really understand what is meant by pass through sockets.
 
madmardle said:
Thanks for all the replies, I've looked at powerline adapters, I have noticed that some seem to be attaching TV's etc. and don't have WiFi, which wouldn't be what I am looking for, I also don't really understand what is meant by pass through sockets.
Click to expand...
Pass through socket means it has a socket on the front so you plug the adapter in, and can still plug something else in, so not losing use of the socket.
You can also get powerline adapters that do wifi as well.
 
OP. Why can't you use Ethernet cable? Do you still have the TalkTalk router?
 
Ideally run an Ethernet cable but if cabling is not an option, powerline are probably the next best thing.

I have had issues with Wifi Extenders in the past so tend to avoid them unless needed.

I have 2 Cisco Access Points in the house (upstairs and down), one in the garage and an external one in the back garden!
I bet my neighbours wonder why they see 5x SSID's from three houses over :)
 
noneforit said:
Ideally run an Ethernet cable but if cabling is not an option, powerline are probably the next best thing.

I have had issues with Wifi Extenders in the past so tend to avoid them unless needed.

I have 2 Cisco Access Points in the house (upstairs and down), one in the garage and an external one in the back garden!
I bet my neighbours wonder why they see 5x SSID's from three houses over :)
Click to expand...
My guest network ssid is called: VIRUS.EXE :) I've left it open with a proxy. Funnily enough I've never had a stranger connect to it.
 
JohnX said:
OP. Why can't you use Ethernet cable? Do you still have the TalkTalk router?
Click to expand...
No John, I don't have either of the two talktalk routers I had, I asked if they wanted them back but they said no so I took them to a local charity shop. If there is someway to utilise one of them I'm sure I could get one back.
 
Would an apple time capsule extend your wifi?or what does an apple time capsule do?
 
madmardle said:
No John, I don't have either of the two talktalk routers I had, I asked if they wanted them back but they said no so I took them to a local charity shop. If there is someway to utilise one of them I'm sure I could get one back.
Click to expand...
You can re-purpose many routers to become Wireless Access Points. I use my old BT ones as AP's, but on the end of an Ethernet cable attached to my main router/hub.

Is there a reason you can't use Ethernet, or is it simply that you'd need to run it externally and think that might be an issue? If protected, it's not, but you could maybe run an Ethernet cable as far as you can then attach an old router in AP mode?
 
Hi John,
I can't run an Ethernet cable to my PC as the router is in the living room and my PC is in my old darkroom which is a room inside the garage, I'll see if I can get the later one of the two routers back from the charity shop and be in touch again to ask you exactly what to do, ( you have probably guessed I am not to computer literate)
 
Couldn't get a router back so I have bought a pair of powerline adapters with pass through, ( thanks to Bob I knew what that meant) so I will have a go at setting them up and report back on how I get on.
 
If you buy them as a pair then there shouldn't be any setting up, just plug them in.
 
It works guys! I'm posting this from my old PC, it's a bit slow but I think that's down to the computer, at least I don't keep losing the signal like I did with the Talktalk router,or not been able to get one at all with the Post Office one. It means I can now start to look for a new PC, which I had held back from as I knew I wouldn't be able to use it to it's best advantage.The only decision to make now is what OS to go for, I have W10 on my tablet and can't say I'm particularly enamoured with it, I've read too many bad reports about W8, and although I like the sound of W7 as apparently it is very similar to XP which I am used to, I'm concerned about getting a system that will only be supported for another few years, ( although at 75 perhaps I shouldn't worry about that aspect too much), but that's for another thread. As a matter of interest, the adapters I bought are; TP-Link AV500 Powerline Adapter with AC Pass Through Starter Kit, Model No. TL-PA4010PKIT, it was £34.99 from Maplins. I know I could have probably bought it cheaper elsewhere, but the reason was because I was assured I could take it back if I wasn't satisfied, even with the shrinkwrapping removed.
Thanks again guys for all your help, Talk photography does it again!
Ken
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top