How do I boost a WIFI signal 50m between buildings?

DGX

Hi

I had a look around the forums, but couldnt find what I was looknig for...

I have a garage at the bottom of my garden (approx. 50m away)
I want to have an internet connection in the garage, and rather than running a cable, I wondered if there was a way to boost the signal over this distance?

Maybe there is a router which I could fix to the wall outside the house which would send a strong enough signal?
(The only ones I've found so far seem to have to be kept indoors)

Then maybe I could fit some kind of aerial fixed to the garage wall?

Is this a reasonable propositon, or is there an easier way?
Can someone advise me on suitable products which are on the market?

Thanks

steve1980

What sort of budget have you got?

free4440273

if power is in existence then power plugs could be an option , or even a wireless extender.

kwikbreaks

You can get directional yagi antennas on ebay for ~ £8 delivered (search for wifi yagi)

You'd need a wireless router with a detachable antenna and a wifi adapter that can take an antenna too (PCI ones have this option usually) and an antenna at each end. Doing this would badly affect your in-house WiFi unless your router has multiple antennas or you are happy to keep swapping antenna. You might get away with just one at the garage end but 50m is a long way.

You could use HomePlugs over that distance too which would be by far the easiest option imo.

vacheron

I'd second the directional Yagi antennas. (especially if the link only needs to be point to point).

If your standard router antennas are connected inside the router with a standard connector (usually SMA or SMB type), you can purchase an outdoor weatherproof antenna and connect that to your router inside the house.

I used to have an in car PC with a wifi adaptor in the boot and an external magnetic directional antenna on the boot lid. I could regularly pick up access points 100-200 meters away.

As kwikbreaks mentioned above, if your router has dual antennas you could subsitiute one for a focused (beam) antenna and retain the other antenna to serve the rest of the house.

I remember when wifi first emerged on the scene that people were reportedly using two pringles cannisters as a home made beam antenna and reaching distances of hundreds of meters. Not sure if it still (or ever did) really work though

Fifer

A third vote for a directional Yagi. But running 50m of network cable through the garden is worth considering. Could you attach it to a fence for example?

DGX

Many thanks for the advice (Such quick responses!!!)

I dont want to spend a fortune
Using Martin's Money Mantra, Maybe a hundred quid at the most (and preferably a lot less)

The existing house wifi box has 2x antennae sticking out of the back
I like the idea of maybe connecting to one of those and then connecting to an outdoor weatherproof antenna on the wall of the house?

Not sure what "Power plugs" are - I'll have to go googling and find out


If I ran a network cable, what sort would I need?
and how expensive would that be?

Thanks

peteb23

Power plugs send the data via your existing electricity cables. So if the the garage is on the same supply as the router you could just plug a cable from your router to the network plug and do the same at the other end into the pc (or you can use a wifi plug at the garage end if you want).

Alternatively, maybe you could use something like this waterproof ethernet cable to hard wire the network (about £25 plus connectors and socket faceplates): http://www.msdist.co.uk/product_Cat_5e_waterproof_metre.php - I did read that you may also want to use some sort of surge protector on the cable just in case of lightning strikes (!) (http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/cablingcat5/f/cat5outdoors.htm)

vacheron

A 50 meter cat 5e patch lead will cost you less than a tenner delivered from certain a famous auction site.

If you were burying it underground and building a patio on top or something you might want to buy an armoured cable and junction box, but the cost would be prohibitive and would be far better and cheaper just to buy another standard replacement if you put a spade of a pair of shears through it.

No need to worry about screened cable either. Garden environments are electromagnetically quieter than households.

I would always go the cable route over wireless if it is possible. Far cheaper faster and more reliable.

steve1980

£12.70 http://www.amazon.co.uk/RJ45-stranded-network-cable-Grey/dp/B0000992WJ

[Deleted User]

Got power in the garage? Here's a 50 quid solution that involves no digging
http://www.amazon.co.uk/D-Link-DHP-307AV-PowerLine-Homeplug-Network/dp/B003L78F6U/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1312546118&sr=1-1

Plug one in next to your router, plug one in your garage, then you're good to go.