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Thread: Adding WiFi to a garden room

  1. #1
    Master
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    Adding WiFi to a garden room

    Hoping someone clued-up in these matters can advise.

    We have a garden room that is just about finished. WiFi from the house reaches it but we also ran an ethernet cable from the router in the house to the outside room.

    In order to make the WiFi coverage better in the garden room, is it simply a question of plugging an access point to the port in the outside room?

    Am I missing a better way of doing it?

    Appreciate any thoughts and thanks.

  2. #2

    Adding WiFi to a garden room

    We use powerline adapters. But only works with mains electrical supply if you have that.

  3. #3
    Master Skier's Avatar
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    As you have run an Ethernet cable then yes, an access point will be a good option. Have you run a mains cable from your home? If you have, as previously mentioned, you could use Powerline Adapters but the access point is likely to be the best/fastest option.

  4. #4
    Master
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    Yep, got mains power too. Cheers both.

  5. #5
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Is the Ethernet cable run longer than 50m?

  6. #6
    Master
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    No (I wish)

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Is the Ethernet cable run longer than 50m?
    Is that an issue beyond 50m then?

  8. #8
    Master
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    Our garden room power is run off a socket in the dining room so I’ve used an Ethernet over power adaptor plugged into the Ethernet port of a mesh disc in the dining room, works perfectly.

  9. #9
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Should be good to go with just running a decent outdoor/armoured cat6 cable.

    You can choose a different access point for the garden room or get another access point for your existing. You can keep the WiFi name in the outdoor room the same if you want to.

    Not sure how practical but I always thought if I ran ethernet to the back of the garden I’d do it in a tube so I could pull and replace the cable if I ever needed to.

  10. #10
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tz-uk73 View Post
    Is that an issue beyond 50m then?
    Haven’t read up on it for nearly three years when we did our house but I think cat6 has a steep drop in speed after 50m in length.

    If you’re running longer than 50m you can consider fibre going back into RJ45 or maybe something like this if you have PoE https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/produc...ernet-repeater

  11. #11
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Should be good to go with just running a decent outdoor/armoured cat6 cable.

    You can choose a different access point for the garden room or get another access point for your existing. You can keep the WiFi name in the outdoor room the same if you want to.

    Not sure how practical but I always thought if I ran ethernet to the back of the garden I’d do it in a tube so I could pull and replace the cable if I ever needed to.
    The cable to the outside room is already laid and there is an ethernet access point in the room, I'm just wondering what I should plug into it if that makes sense?

  12. #12
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bondurant View Post
    The cable to the outside room is already laid and there is an ethernet access point in the room, I'm just wondering what I should plug into it if that makes sense?
    Pop it into any wifi access point

    If you have a spare one from the house throw that in there

    If not just buy whichever one you like the look of

  13. #13
    Master
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    Cheers

  14. #14
    I would get a POE powered Access Point while you are buying it. That way you can stick a POE switch at either end and use that to power the AP if that makes a cleaner install or to optimise the AP position.

    Cable to POE switch in Garden Room and then cable only from switch to AP up high for example.

  15. #15
    I am pretty sure I have a Draytek AP 912C in the office you could have for a fundraiser donation - if that would suit your install.

    They are easy enough to configure but ceiling mount really although also will wall mount.

  16. #16
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Since you mention Access Point - I assume you have a Wired network (or sufficient LAN - to use WAPs) in the main house?

    If so - then get the same make of WAP to plug into - in the Summer Room. Use a POE injector at the Router - to push voltage and data to the summer house.

    If you use the same make- then you should be able to set up/interogate/control from the same app on your PC/Laptop.


    Pretty sure the Ubiquiti system I have - I can easily shut down a WAP on a regular schedule if required, which you may like for holidays?

    If you angle the WAP out the front of the summer house door - it will probably cover most of your garden too.

    (and at the danger of telling my granny to sook eggs........... using WAPS means that your devices will switch seemlessly between house and summer house as you wander around).

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Maris View Post
    Our garden room power is run off a socket in the dining room so I’ve used an Ethernet over power adaptor plugged into the Ethernet port of a mesh disc in the dining room, works perfectly.
    This is the way (minus or with POE). Most mesh systems can do an Ethernet back-haul to deliver a seamless and fast mesh.
    "Bite my shiny metal ass."
    - Bender Bending Rodríguez

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by stooo View Post
    This is the way (minus or with POE). Most mesh systems can do an Ethernet back-haul to deliver a seamless and fast mesh.
    Not sure that power to an external building should be run off a socket in the house.

  19. #19
    Master
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    I had to get a line run from the mains for mine.

    Thanks all for the additional suggestions. I think I'm just going to get a wireless access point, seems to be the easiest and cheapest option for what I have.

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