WI-FI Bridge Guidance needed for Eero

[SimonMurray]

Hi All,

I am having fibre installed from a broadband provider this week and they use the Eero Wi-Fi 6+ router/extender units.

Due to circumstances the fibre connection is being installed into my garage, not the main house.

The garage had a small Comms rack and the house has one also, approx 10 metres apart.

The plan is to put an eero 6+ unit in the garage Comms and one in the house Comms and they will like wirelessly through the common ‘TrueMesh’ platform.

However, if the link between both units is not strong enough, I have been told I might need a wi-fi bridge installed, (assume they are referring to a point to point link between the house and garage).

There is a clear line of sight between both locations.

( I am using an extender unit between locations at present on the old copper connection, approx 4mb only and have full bars in the garage location. Main BT router unit is in the house).

If the signal with the new units isn’t strong enough between the garage and the house and I need this bridge, I want to ensure:

1. I select the right type of bridge product and

2. I select a bridge product that is suitable to work in conjunction with the Eero TrueMesh system (and can support same).

Ideally when all completed I would like to see only one network to connect to within the property, regardless how many eero units I end up having.

Appreciate any help or guidance on the attached so that I get this right if I need to go down the bridge route?

Best

Simon

 

[CaNsA]

It's a funky one, and yeah I know you want to stick with using WiFi.....
But if this the main comms trunk into the house, would you be able run & bury a cable?

Would the WiFi be able to give you full use of the bandwidth available?

 

[Steveocee]

Putting wifi devices in metal boxes isn't going to help them. Maybe try putting them on top.
-also-
How is there clear line of sight? Surely there are walls between your garage and where it will go in the house? I take it your house has walls? Clear line of sight literally means that - can one location directly see the other.

I think over 10M you should be OK, it's not ideal though, it's pointless running a WiFi bridge for 10M. You'd be better and cheaper cabling either overhead or in the ground at that distance.

 

[Illusion]

Do you mean your current copper service is only 4mbit or you only get 4mbit via the current extender? What speed is the FTTP service and what speed would you be happy with in the house? And was the fibre installed to the garage because you didn't want to drill into the house or due to install limitations from the ISP (or some other reason?)

If you want maximum performance in the house and you need a bridge between house and garage then I'd probably look at Mikrotik/Ubiquity point to point APs mounted outside the garage and the house with the Eero device at each end plugged into the external APs via Ethernet, you could then add additional Eero APs wirelessly in the house if necessary (although as pointed out above it's a lot of hassle for a 10M gap)

 

[Steveocee]

I'd dare argue a 10M gap the radios would end up desensitising each other as they'd be too close.

 

[SimonMurray]

Do you mean your current copper service is only 4mbit or you only get 4mbit via the current extender? What speed is the FTTP service and what speed would you be happy with in the house? And was the fibre installed to the garage because you didn't want to drill into the house or due to install limitations from the ISP (or some other reason?)

If you want maximum performance in the house and you need a bridge between house and garage then I'd probably look at Mikrotik/Ubiquity point to point APs mounted outside the garage and the house with the Eero device at each end plugged into the external APs via Ethernet, you could then add additional Eero APs wirelessly in the house if necessary (although as pointed out above it's a lot of hassle for a 10M gap)

Yep, current copper service is only 4MB maximum. I live in a rural location. The FTTP service is 300MB minimum. The fibre is being installed into the garage because to put into the house they would have had to dig up a lot of tarmac and would have been a right mess. In short, the wife said no lol.
I agree for 10 metres its a lot of hassle, however when referring to line of sight i was referring to the bridge, in that i can create a clear line between them. The Eero units are behind some walls etc. Really appreciate your help and support, Simon.

 

[SimonMurray]

I'd dare argue a 10M gap the radios would end up desensitising each other as they'd be too close.

Appreciate your help, the eero units are behind walls as correctly assumed, 1 in the garage and 1 in the house. Approx 10 metres apart. The performance might be ok, but getting a cable between garage and house would be really problematic as area tarmac'd over and overhead is not really an option.

 

[SimonMurray]

Putting wifi devices in metal boxes isn't going to help them. Maybe try putting them on top.
-also-
How is there clear line of sight? Surely there are walls between your garage and where it will go in the house? I take it your house has walls? Clear line of sight literally means that - can one location directly see the other.

I think over 10M you should be OK, it's not ideal though, it's pointless running a WiFi bridge for 10M. You'd be better and cheaper cabling either overhead or in the ground at that distance.

Thanks Steve, much appreciated. Sorry, when i was referring to line of sight i can create a clear one between the garage and house for the bridge units. The eero units are behind walls at either end, Best Simon.

 

[Steveocee]

Appreciate your help, the eero units are behind walls as correctly assumed, 1 in the garage and 1 in the house. Approx 10 metres apart. The performance might be ok, but getting a cable between garage and house would be really problematic as area tarmac'd over and overhead is not really an option

A 60Ghz link would work and you'd get Gb over it but I do think the radios would be screaming at each other even if you tunred power all the way down, it's not good for them to be that close.
-but-
I do think where you're not seeing a way of running a cable, there will be a way. Any chance of some generic images or drawn badly using paint diagrams? I just think for what it's worth a good link would be £300+the hassle of drilling and mounting where a cable would be like £10 plus the hassle of mounting and be more reliable over time.