Extending Wi-Fi to the garage

Tomsdad

Tomsdad

Tomsdad

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Ross on wye
Hi everyone, first time post. Not even sure if this is the right place but…..
I need to extend my Wi-Fi to my garage. My Wi-Fi is fttp giving speeds of 149 mbs download and 31 mbs upload. The garage is about 20 metres from the house and about 30 metres from the router. My supplier is currently PlusNet and it’s their router. The Wi-Fi needed in the garage is for an EV charger which uploads data to remote servers. So I think Wi-Fi strength more than pure speed is needed. The Wi-Fi at the charger is currently -75 db. but able to pair with the router using the wps button, but unable to upload any data so on the app it appears as offline.
Now I am absolutely no expert in this matter and all advise is welcome. I can think of three possible solutions
1. Wi-Fi booster
2. Powerline Wi-Fi extender
3. Running a networking cable from the BT fibre box on the house, to the garage then into a second router?? Is that even possible?
What do you people think I should do?

Thanks in advance.
 
Does your garage have power and if so, do you know how? Like do you have a dedicated breaker in your main house which is for the garage circuit for example?
 
Yes. The fuse box (distribution board) in the house has a dedicated breaker for the garage. Then the garage has its own smaller distribution board with a dedicated breaker for the EV charger.
 
Depending on how the ring main and circuit in your house are will depend on the results from this, but basically if you buy a powerline ethernet adapter set you could try those. It's simple and quick. So plug one in to a mains socket near the router (preferably straight into the wall rather than via an extension socket) and then an ethernet cable into that and into the router. Then plug in the corresponding powerline adapter into a socket in the garage. Then test your speeds. If it's good, you can plug in any wireless router in your garage to the ethernet port of the powerline adapter in the garage and just have it as an extension of the main house wifi by calling it the same network with the same wifi key. Or make a separate one.

Worst case scenario is that there is nowhere in your house that is hard wired via ethernet to your main router that is next to a socket which is on a good (the same electric) circuit to give good speeds. For example, some houses don't have simply upstairs and downstairs ring main circuits. Some are wired more like front of the house and rear of the house and any combination really depending on various factors. The garage could just be on it's own radial circuit/spur which means it sort of won't "talk" via any local wiring to anything else without going back through the main consumer unit. In your case it goes through one immediately in the garage anyway. The only way is to buy a set and try it in various sockets and see what speeds you get.

Failing the above, secondary option would be to just run a new ethernet cable all the way to the garage but obviously requires work to put it safely in the ground.

The option you mention about a wifi booster is the weakest solution if you are already struggling. This is basically just putting something that broadcasts a wireless signal, right on the edge of your existing house, somewhere like say the backdoor right on the perimeter. Then hopefully the signal reaches. These work best if they are hardwired back to the main router first, otherwise they are just wireless repeating the signal, but it may be enough. I use one in my hall, but it is a powerline booster, so it gets the signal through house wiring, then braodcasts out another wireless signal so my front ring doorbell can work. A garage 20-30 metres away would struggle.
 
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Thanks for that. So I have just ordered TP-Link Wireless G.hn2400 Powerline AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 Kit, Range Extender/Wi-Fi Booster
Let’s see if that works. I’ll report back either way.
Appreciate your help.

***NO COMPETITOR LINKING PLEASE***
 
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Powerline is a horrible idea, especially over three breakers (house MCB, to garage sub board main MCB to garage sockets MCB), that said for very low data situations like this, it may be acceptable. Personally, I would prefer to go with either a wired link with an AP on the end, or wireless link. A pair of directional AP's are reasonably inexpensive now assuming a reasonable line of sight exists and should give a more reliable and quicker connection.
 
An Access point is just a dumb router with wifi, I would run a cable. goto your local purveyor of all things electrical and ask them to cut some external cable that you can bury to length and pop some ends on for you, Once at your garage plug that into a switch or an access point with multiple lan connections. It's not rocket science tbh, even I can do it.
Thats of course you have drills and stuff, being an older human I would expect that to be the case!
 
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Thanks for that. I think in the end it will be the Ethernet cable solution. So if I run an Ethernet cable from the back of my router into the garage, into a cheap dumb router it should work?
Maybe instead of the dumb router I can run the cable straight into the EV charger which has an Ethernet port.
 
Looking at these cable prices, it’s actually the cheapest solution. Just involves a bit of work burying the cable.
If I buy the external double sheathed cable made for burying, can Ethernet connectors be crimped on. Or does it need to go to a junction box and from there change to internal cable to crimp?
 
I only recommended power line as a suggestion because it's super quick and easy and relatively cost effective. You can also send them back if the speeds are not good enough. Of course a hard wired dedicated ethernet cable will be best, but you've got a lot more work to get that in place.

People often knock power line but my experiences have generally been good. Good enough at least. The worst speeds I've ever had have still been about 60mbps in non optimal, old house wiring.
 
If it’s just to provide your EV charger / car with WiFi then bandwidth is a relative low bar needed.

I’d just try the power line first, as suggested if it doesn’t work out then send it back and go for the more bullet proof Cat6 cable run.
 
I just use a mesh and it reaches the EV charger good enough. It's just on the edge of my WiFi range.

After years of powerline adapters and boosters and running cables the mesh made all the wifi problems go away.
 
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