What kind of gadget do I need?

jackieblack

We are having an annexe installed in the garden of our home, which I will be moving into.

Along with other services, the annexe people will be running a Cat6 internet cable into the annexe ending in a RJ45 computer socket.

We are with Sky broadband and have a (Sky supplied) wi-fi router in the living room (with a booster closer to the bedrooms on the opposite side from where the annexe will be). The router in the living room will be between 15-23 metres away, depending on whereabouts I am in the annexe. It has been suggested that I buy some kind of gadget (router?) for the annexe in order to get good wi-fi signal inside - I have been having a bit of a look online but I don't understand the technical stuff in the product descriptions and have no clue what kind I need to get…

Any advice, please?

Emmia

Is the annexe connected to the main house for electricity? Or is it a separate supply - if it's connected on the same electrical circuit, then you could look at ethernet over power to with power line adapters to give you an internet connection.

ladruid

Is the Annex Cat6 cable routed to the living room where the Sky router is?

If so, then the Sky router will plug into the cat6 socket in the living room. This will in essence give you a hardline cable to your annex. You can then use various routers, hubs, etc… we would need to know your requirements… what devices will you be running in the annex?

JSmithy45AD

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981574#Comment_81981574

Yep, if there's only the Sky router in the main house and it does it's job then plug an ethernet cable in the Sky router to the living room new ethernet socket. In the annexe plug something like a TP-Link Deco BE65 via another ethernet cable into the other end of the new cat 6 cable socket. That'll give you spare ethernet ports if needed at either end plus (hopefully) good WiFi access. Just need to copy the Sky SSID and password to the TP-Link so you have roaming from building to building.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D54CYQQJ/

flaneurs_lobster

Why would you need a £200 router in the annex? Home setup only needs one router, the Sky one that the broadband supply goes into.

Look on your favorite online store for a Wireless Access Point, might be £25-50 depending on bells, whistles etc.

Might need a Network Switch too, depending on how many devices might need to be hardwired - about £10-15.

jackieblack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981573#Comment_81981573

I'm not sure about the electrics, but I'll have internet in the annexe, I've been told that I'll need something in the annexe because the wi-fi signal from the house won't be great

jackieblack

I believe so, they've mentioned a trench/running a cable along the side of the house (just above ground level) from the corner of the living room where the router is.

What I need in the annexe is wifi for phone, laptop, iPad and Firestick

jackieblack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981726#Comment_81981726

Well, I don't know if I do, that's why I've asked the question really, I'm not sure what I do need…

I'll Google Wireless Access Points, thank you

MyRealNameToo

Who/what is the annex for? Will it be a home office for you? Going to be rented out as a holiday let to unknown persons?

Assuming it for your own use will there be much moving between the property and the annex and wanting to keep/maintain connection between the transition?

Networking equipment has become vastly expensive if you want all the bells and whistles but you can still get cheap options if you dont want to be on the bleeding edge. At the expensive end of the market you could get a mesh wifi 7 system with three nodes that supports a wired backhaul enabling all parts of the property to be on the same wifi network and potentially continuous cover whilst transiting between the property and annex. If you dont want to lay the cat 6 cable there is at least one that can do the same over power lines.

At the other end of the spectrum you simply put in the cat6 and stick a basic wifi access point to it in the annex. Probably sensible to set it up on a different SSID which may result in you needing to manually switch between networks if you do get a weak single of the house/annex in the other but would cost you less than £50 -v- several hundred.

The other consideration is what the kit you are connecting to it… little point spending more for Wifi 6/6e or 7 if the most update kit you have is an iPhone 6 which only supports Wifi 5

JSmithy45AD

"little point spending more for Wifi 6/6e or 7 if the most update kit you have is an iPhone 6 which only supports Wifi 5"

It does give you future proofing however.

jackieblack

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81982332#Comment_81982332

The annexe will be for my own use, but I mainly wfh and have a home office in the main property - my ‘commute’ will be two minutes across the garden.

The cat6 cable comes as standard with the other service connections.

My current iPhone is an XR, but will need upgrading at some point… the iPad is at the point where I can no longer get updates and some apps have stopped working, so I’ll be replacing that fairly soon (it’s on my ‘to do’ list)

Mobile signal here isn’t fantastic (rural area) so I am pretty reliant on wi-fi