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WIFI signal ?
gazza1591 - 14/8/11 at 03:39 PM

Hello All

Well the garage is coming on well all electrics in and painted out. but i was hoping to use the spare laptop in there to save
having to come back to the house if i want to look at anything while doing the build.

my garage is at the end of the garden about 40ft from the router in the house.
if i stand out side the garage i can pick up the wifi but if i go inside i cant
so i was wondering if there was any way of getting a better signal in the garage can i buy anything
to bost the signal ? im not to good on computers so not sure what to do ?


thanks for any help


Surrey Dave - 14/8/11 at 03:43 PM

I believe you can buy external aerials for wifi

or make from a Pringles can???

Pringles Can

[Edited on 14/8/11 by Surrey Dave]


bmseven - 14/8/11 at 05:35 PM

Try moving the router around the house if you can and preferably upstairs


gazza1591 - 14/8/11 at 05:42 PM

tried that and still the same :-(


RichardK - 14/8/11 at 06:43 PM

Run a bit of ethernet network cable from the router to the laptop/pc in the garage, will be quicker too.

Cheers

Rich


gazza1591 - 14/8/11 at 06:47 PM

was thinking of that but its a lot of cable to run,and dont rea;;y have a way to run it.
so would like to go wireless if i can ?


Dickyboy - 14/8/11 at 07:07 PM

You can buy adapters that distribute the network signal superimposed on the mains, so you plug into an adapter in a 13 amp socket and connect. Obviously a similar adapter would be connected to a port on the router. Not tried it but not heard it rubbished, no doubt someone will know!


RichardK - 14/8/11 at 07:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gazza1591
was thinking of that but its a lot of cable to run,and dont rea;;y have a way to run it.
so would like to go wireless if i can ?


I can sort you the cable out, haven't you a fence that it could be p clipped to?

Cheers

Rich


bmseven - 14/8/11 at 07:59 PM

As Dickyboy said if cabling isnt an option and your workshop is onm the same mains supply then some Powerline connectors circa £50 I have one in the back of a Humax digital box and with a speed of 183mbs per second its great for streaming video


gazza1591 - 14/8/11 at 08:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by RichardK
quote:
Originally posted by gazza1591
was thinking of that but its a lot of cable to run,and dont rea;;y have a way to run it.
so would like to go wireless if i can ?


I can sort you the cable out, haven't you a fence that it could be p clipped to?

Cheers

Rich


hi i could run it down a fence i have but is it ok to be out in all weathers ?


Ninehigh - 14/8/11 at 08:37 PM

Don't see why not, as long as it's not cut or otherwise broken. I suppose worst case it might play up under freezing temps...


Dangle_kt - 14/8/11 at 08:53 PM

we ran a 40m cable (nicknamed the General) outside an office - it worked fine.


RichardK - 14/8/11 at 09:11 PM

Its fine outside just make sure you loop down and then up into the garage and house either end to stop rain tracking down and into the building.

I can make you up a cable with the ends already on but this will mean a bigger holes. Let me know. Cheers Rich


gazza1591 - 14/8/11 at 09:30 PM

just had a look and to run a cable might not be so easy ?

as the router is by front door currently so would have to run it from there all way through house or around out side
of house then down to garage ?

would prefer to go wireless if i could ? or if there is no other option i may just not use lap top in garage :-(


mookaloid - 14/8/11 at 10:12 PM

Ethernet should run up to 100m ok as long as it is correctly terminated.


Dangle_kt - 14/8/11 at 10:15 PM

You can get a repeater(bridge), but it would be half way down the garden...

are there not routers with better wifi range?

If the router is at the front of the house, that might be the problem.


gazza1591 - 16/8/11 at 11:21 AM

would somthing like this on ebay do the job ?

Item number: 230638095546


hughpinder - 16/8/11 at 12:02 PM

Positioning the router in a room at the end of the house nearest the shed may help, especially if its in the window/line of sight from the shed. Get/borrow an extension cable and just lay it along the floor while you see if you get a decent signal, then work out how to clip the cable so its inconspicuous if its ok.

ETA, something like this:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/extension-kits-882

Regards
Hugh

[Edited on 16/8/11 by hughpinder]


MkIndy7 - 16/8/11 at 12:18 PM

I've seen the outer insulation of normal Network cable be destroyed whb outside, presumably from UV exposure or just general weathering it all goes really brittle, cracks and breaks off.

I'd have said either re-positioning the existing equipment or one of those mains powerline networks is the way to go, and also usefull for other things in the house in the future like an Internet enabled TV or the suchlike.


gazza1591 - 16/8/11 at 12:37 PM

As said above I he tried moving the Router to the back off the house
And up stairs. And still the same.

Also can't get one of those plug in adaptors as the garage
Is Not on the same ring mains as the router I beleave ?


James - 16/8/11 at 01:54 PM

To speed your build my recommendation would be.... DON'T!!!!!!!

After I moved a laptop into the garage I kept finding I'd go to the garage to work on the car for the evening then find I'd spent the few hours I had on here!!!
Pace slowed massively.

You'll get the car done far quicker if you have to go into the house for those quick (2 hour!) LB checks!!!


Or maybe you're more self-disciplined than me!


Cheers,
James


blakep82 - 16/8/11 at 02:08 PM

you can get high gain antennas for some routers, but that might mean you need a new router too. plus they don't tend to be cheap

eg http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=297381&CatId=308
don't know how much better they are though, if at all


britishtrident - 16/8/11 at 02:09 PM

Just keep the router where its then use a couple of Home Plugs to install a D-Link wireless repeater/access point and add an external antenna at the rear of the house..
Also make sure your access point is operating on a wifi channel that isn't over crowded, for example on my street nearly every Wifi router is on either channel 6 or channel 1

A lot of people are upgrading Home Plugs so a lot of earlier ones are on ebay ---- for example I just bought a pair of Solwise 85mbps home plugs for less than £16 inc postage.

The link below is a to D-link access point on Ebay I have used the seller for these before and bought them from him about £16 + packing only downside is they usually come with a non-UK mains plug so need an adaptor.

D-Link Wireless G AirPlus Access Point DWL-G700AP | eBay


britishtrident - 16/8/11 at 02:15 PM

Outdoor antenna

2.4GHz 25dbi Yagi Wireless WiFi Antenna RP-SMA Female | eBay
autoeshop_uk


splitrivet - 16/8/11 at 03:24 PM

You can get external cat5 cable its black in colour, regular cat 5 isnt UV stable in saying that you should get at least 6 months out of regular before it goes brittle.
Cheers,
Bob


Ninehigh - 16/8/11 at 05:38 PM

Given the amount of sun we get it should be ok until 2025...


bmseven - 16/8/11 at 05:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by gazza1591
As said above I he tried moving the Router to the back off the house
And up stairs. And still the same.

Also can't get one of those plug in adaptors as the garage
Is Not on the same ring mains as the router I beleave ?


As said just get a pair of power plugs they do not need to be on the same ring main only supply

No other equipment is needed one network cable to your existing router and the other plug in the garage with the cat 5 cable to your lappie - Job Done