Wifi in garage

[Daddydavesr86]

Since I have had my metal detached I have notice my wifi from house is not reaching garage and my personal phone t mobile cell signal not very good.
I have been using my work phone (at&t) hot spot to listen to music via Bluetooth in my garage speakers.
Does any one use a wifi repeater or extender from home wifi network?
We have broadband internet and router on the other end of house.

Thank you

 

[jdepiero]

I had the same problem. My large front detached garage is 125 feet from my house and my rear barn is 100 feet from my house. I purchased the eero mesh devices and now I have wifi in both. Works great !

 

[DGersic]

I run an Ethernet over power line adapter to extend the house network out to the detached garage. Works for me.

 

[Dreamer1975]

I ran cat 7 from the house into the shop. Then I bought a used router and reconfigured it into a WI-FI extension. Now I have full bars inside the shop at all time. The reconfiguration can be done on any router and the directions can be found on YouTube on how to do it. I learned early on that the WI-FI won’t go through the metal well. Hope this helps

 

[GrayFlattop]

Cat 6 from the house to a WAP (via a switch) in the garage. The signal strength inthe garage is just ok without the WAP, button more is better.

 

[PassnThru]

Options for extending WiFi are getting better but still not as good as running an ethernet cable to the detached garage. I know - trenching and all that mess - but run a cable underground and get wired and wireless in the garage. Nice to have a computer in the garage that has a gigabit connection to the house. Consider it your cloud for 'off site' storage.
Buy a cheap wireless router - fix the IP address to 192.168.1.2 since your house router is probably 192.168.1.1 and turn off DHCP. Oddly they make dedicated devices for that but a cheap wireless router does the same thing much cheaper. And they come with a switch built in so you can run wired devices in the garage also.
Now you have full speed wireless in the garage and full speed ethernet. No compromises.

 

[Dave Carney]

I run a Ubiquiti Networks NanoStation loco M5 in my metal barn/shop. It's looking out a window in the barn towards the window in the house where the wifi router is. The distance is about 80 feet. Basically, it's 1/2 of a wireless bridge setup. Works great, I get about 90Mbps out there (I get 360Mbps in the house). Youtube has videos on setup. The nano then feeds the internet signal to a wifi router in the barn via an ethernet cable.

 

[Gutman]

I use a pair of ubiquiti loco m2 nanostations for point to point from my house to my garage (about 200 ft), with a wireless router in the garage. I tried range extenders but coverage was spotty/inconsistent. Easy to set up and very reliable.

 

[Sumboodie]

How about getting wifi from inside a metal building to outdoor things like cameras?

I tried those oobiiboogi things and WAYYYY above my pay grade on getting to work!

 

[Just_Steve]

I have one of these in my garage. Works just fine. $20

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC750-WiFi-Range-Extender/dp/B07N1WW638?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Dave Carney]

How about getting wifi from inside a metal building to outdoor things like cameras?

I tried those oobiiboogi things and WAYYYY above my pay grade on getting to work!

I have 5 security cameras in the shop, 2 looking out the windows. They have good low light capability so I don't need to use the infrared emitters which would bounce off the glass at night. I have one outside under an eave to which I ran ethernet, it was wifi capable but the ethernet is more dependable with the metal siding and all.

 

[Dagny]

I need a translator.

 

[Sumboodie]

I have 5 security cameras in the shop, 2 looking out the windows. They have good low light capability so I don't need to use the infrared emitters which would bounce off the glass at night. I have one outside under an eave to which I ran ethernet, it was wifi capable but the ethernet is more dependable with the metal siding and all.

I have a doorbell and camera up on top of a trailer

 

[Chickenpants]

I had the same problem. My large front detached garage is 125 feet from my house and my rear barn is 100 feet from my house. I purchased the eero mesh devices and now I have wifi in both. Works great !

My shop is about 125’ west of my house and a monther-in-law cottage about 90’ east. I also used Eeros in a mesh. So easy to setup even I could do it!

 

[PoorUB]

For years I fought with WiFi in my garage. I have spent hundreds of dollars only to be less than satisfied. A couple years ago a spaded in Cat 6 and put an access point in the shop. I should have done it years ago.

 

[finn]

I have had the power line adapter for maybe five years now. Occasionally I have to reset the part that’s in the basement. Maybe once a year, usually after a thunderstorm, but otherwise it’s fine.

 

[Jackfre]

I bought the Ubuquiti set up a few years ago, then went with Star-link for the property so never installed it. Gave the hardware to my SIL and they remodeled their barn about 200’ away with the Ub system. It is working great for them.

 

[JCQuick]

I have the same problem I have tried extenders with limited success
I purchased 1 of these to try it as i have coax run out there all ready

https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Bonded-Ethernet-Adapter-ECB6200K02/dp/B013J7O3X0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[WisJim]

I have the same problem--steel siding on the house and steel siding on the shop/garage.
I have read all the posts so far, and 99% of what I read is meaningless/confusing to me, as an old guy who is not particularly computer savvy. I agree with @Dagny---"I need a translator".

 

[My Old Tools]

If you have windows, you might be able to use a mesh or wifi extender.

 

[toyotadriver]

I run an Ethernet over power line adapter to extend the house network out to the detached garage. Works for me.

I'm looking at the same thing and then want to to put in a router in the shop. How well does it work for you? Speed loss?

Thanks!





Nothing in this post should be misunderstood, interpreted, misinterpreted, or construed to be of a political nature.

 

[Sumboodie]

If you have windows, you might be able to use a mesh or wifi extender.

My router is near the window, wifi signal barely is available outside. Same with cell inside.

 

[ScaldedDog]

I used one of these Ubiquity NanoBeam 5AC antennas on the outside of my house and another on the outside of my metal shop 120' away. (The shop has metal walls inside and out, so extenders were not a solution. Dirt cheap and has been rock solid for four years.

airMAX NanoBeam 5AC - Ubiquiti Store United States

Compact, UISP-ready, 5 GHz WiFi bridge with enhanced surge protection and an optimized radio and antenna.

store.ui.com

It'll do several hundred Mbps, which is more than enough for my 70Mbps WISP internet service. If you need gig speeds in your shop, and don't mind spending $500, they have a 60Ghz version.

Mark

 

[Ran58]

For years I fought with WiFi in my garage. I have spent hundreds of dollars only to be less than satisfied. A couple years ago a spaded in Cat 6 and put an access point in the shop. I should have done it years ago.

My shop is 350 ft from house. What can I do to get internet.

 

[Hooked]

I now have Eero mesh setup in the house and workshop (170' away metal building) and I get great speed out there. In fact both my daughters 'work from home' out there when they visit and have internet TV working fine.
Similar to above I have one Eero unit near a window in the house with direct line of sight to Eero unit inside a window in the workshop. The Eero mesh is easy-peasy to install.

Prior to getting fiber cable availability I had range extenders set up similar to how the Eero units sit today. It was only limited on speed by the speed of our internet service.

 

[ScaldedDog]

My shop is 350 ft from house. What can I do to get internet.

The Ubiquiti setup I linked above will do that easily.

Mark

 

[housewolf]

If you have windows, you might be able to use a mesh or wifi extender.

I have one tiny window on the door of my shop and as luck would have it, the window is in line with an outlet and the WiFi router for the house about 80’ away. A very inexpensive extender plugged into the outlet works perfectly. I was building and rebuilding (quickly) after a tornado in spring/summer of ‘20 while prices were climbing daily and a few small things fell through the cracks. 20/20 hindsight, I’d have put my router in the finished room over my garage, between the house & shop, and run CAT6 out to the shop in the same trench as the power & water.

 

[Burt Shaver]

I need a translator.

This fellow can explain everything

 

[Mike65]

My garage/shop is a metal building that is about 30' from the house & the house is brick. If I put my laptop on the shelf, I put under the window in the shop that faces the house the computer will work, if I move i to a different spot in the garage/shop it will stop working.

 

[jblnut]

Ok I’ll be the guy that says to run fiber lol

Seriously though, I’ve installed almost 100 Ubiquiti Point to Point sets over the years and they’re awesome. They work well and easily provide enough speed in a garage or wherever you need basic web access.

A few years back I “borrowed” the local phone companies trencher and ran fiber from my demark to the house, chicken barn, steer barn, farm shop and machine shed. All locations have WiFi and cameras in them. Looking back I’d pay to do it again. I was given estimates in that $3-4k range just for trenching but got away with diesel and a couple cases of cheap beer.

There are tons of YouTube videos showing how to set them up. Heck, if you could get me your router IP address I’d set a pair up with a cheap router setup as an AP and send them to you. The point to point stuff is in that $130 area and a cheap WiFi ap is less than $50. So all in less than $200 to get a rock solid link.

 

[DGersic]

I'm looking at the same thing and then want to to put in a router in the shop. How well does it work for you? Speed loss?

Here’s the on I put in



The smaller box lives in my home office, wired connection to my house network, and is plugged in to a wall outlet under my desk.

The larger box plugs in to a wall outlet in the garage. It provides wireless access in and around the garage.

Speed is good. 300 MBit is sufficient for my needs.

Looks like this one has been supplanted by a newer version. I expect that’s probably better, overall, but I see no need to replace what’s working for me now.

 

[Old Man Roger]

The wifey is only allowed in the garage if she’s bringing sammiches. Oh! You said Wi-Fi

 

[Jerrysends]

I designed / built our garage in 2008. We had an empty 2 inch conduit that I laid in the trench between our house & garage for expansion.
A few years ago, I pulled direct burial cat 6 cable through the conduit & bought a second $70 Amazon router.

 

[4x4Pete]

I have a TP link ethernet over powerline adapter that feeds the shop 100' away(over 200' on the powerline). It works great in the shop, I can stream youtube, sports and Spotify on the Amazon stick. It works great, no buffering.

 

[olytdi]

My 36x36 steel clad shop building is about 70 or 80 ft from the house. I put a google mesh puck in a window up at the peak in the shop and another in a bedroom window in the house a couple rooms away from the router. The shop puck and bedroom puck have line of site and the wifi in the shop is excellent. Cell over wifi for the iphone. All works fantastically and the whole 4 puck google mesh system cost me $70 off of CL or Offerup...can't remember which...

Definitely worth trying mesh before digging and running cable if you have line of sight with the house.

 

[Lumpy102]

I just completed the installation of cat6 cable to the shop, steel clad. It's about 250 ft from the hub? in the house to the router I put in the shop. When I got my power directional bored in I had them pull back power, water and an empty conduit (1-1/4) with a tracer cord in it. Pulled 2 cat6 cables in the conduit and then pulled the tracer back through so its there if I need something else. Bought a thousand feet of direct bury cat6 for $200, and have 2 buddies wanting the leftovers. There's no doubt that there's a signal there, unless it's out in the neighborhood. No screwing around, it's a positive feed, direct wired.

 

[Lumpy102]

the Wilton Trenching tool might be useful. no affiliation, never even seen one, but somebody recommended it

Purchase The Wilton Thinline Trenching Spade. Official Site

The only place to purchase the Wilton Thinline Trenching Spade. The toughest, most well crafted hand trenching tool in the country. Tried and true by Drop Bury Contractors all across these United States. Bury wire, cable, conduit and irrigation piping faster and easier without the mess of...

www.wiltonthinlinetrenchingspades.com

 

[CraigStu]

At a previous house I made something like that Wilton tool. I only needed to go 30ft through a lawn so it was pretty easy to do. It might be worth looking around for cable installers w/ similar tools or there is a wheeled version I have seen Comcast guys use. A lot of times the cable runners are actually independent business that that Comcast or similar companies hire. I suspect some may be amenable to a side job for cash. It makes a narrow slit in the earth that you close up by simply walking on it. No need for a ditchwich or similar.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Options for extending WiFi are getting better but still not as good as running an ethernet cable to the detached garage. I know - trenching and all that mess - but run a cable underground and get wired and wireless in the garage. Nice to have a computer in the garage that has a gigabit connection to the house. Consider it your cloud for 'off site' storage.

It still really has not caught on yet (limited audience) and I don't know how well it will work inside of a metal building, but the 802.11ah protocol (HaLow) is designed to transmit over long distances. Because it works over a lower frequency (900 MHz) than other WiFi signals (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz). It SHOULD penetrate building better.

One example
WiFi HaLow, Wireless Bridge 802.11ah,Point-to-Point Long Range Wireless Access with 20DBi High-Gain Antenna, Ethernet Air Bridge Repeater Supports 2600 feet Outdoor Transmission Distance - Amazon $60

 

[duneslider]

It still really has not caught on yet (limited audience) and I don't know how well it will work inside of a metal building, but the 802.11ah protocol (HaLow) is designed to transmit over long distances. Because it works over a lower frequency (900 MHz) than other WiFi signals (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz). It SHOULD penetrate building better.

One example
WiFi HaLow, Wireless Bridge 802.11ah,Point-to-Point Long Range Wireless Access with 20DBi High-Gain Antenna, Ethernet Air Bridge Repeater Supports 2600 feet Outdoor Transmission Distance - Amazon $60

Not trying to be a jerk but where are you getting this information? One of the advantages to higher frequencies is they ARE better at penetrating "stuff". Lower frequencies are better for distance. So, a 900mhz setup will generally have better range but less ability to go through "stuff" than say 2.4ghz.

The item you linked has some advantage over some items due to having a larger high gain antenna (it might also have a higher power output), which can also help overcome issues but in general the higher frequencies will go through stuff better than lower frequencies. Back in the day with landlines when cordless phones made the jump to 2.4ghz from the 900mhz it made a HUGE difference inside the house since it did better going through walls and floors.

Metal buildings are really good at blocking electrical waves/frequencies, basically faraday cages.