WiFi help.

[Biscuit]

my first foray into PC and IT area

i've got an issue that i'm sure is easily solvable but I'm getting lost in the internet and quickly getting out of my depth.


my home set-up is a wi-fi connection with UK Online and a UKO supplied Actiontec router. its been pretty good so far but we want to put a home office at the bottom of the garden - the room's already there with light and power etc but not phone.

the present signal from the Actiontec doesnt get that far so what are my options?
can i buy an off the shelf router that would work out of the box with more range
can i adapt the present one - its not line of sight where its sighted now and its 100 feet to the office, one house wall plus an office wall to negotiate.

someone recommended getting a signal down the electric supply cable - office is wired from house - but that sounds like something i'd be getting someone else in to do.

I've tried talking to UKO but they've been pretty clear that the routers arent really anything to do with them

 

[crockers]

Not sure but wouldn't a long ethernet cable reach? May have weather issues but it could be shielded.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

my first foray into PC and IT area

i've got an issue that i'm sure is easily solvable but I'm getting lost in the internet and quickly getting out of my depth.


my home set-up is a wi-fi connection with UK Online and a UKO supplied Actiontec router. its been pretty good so far but we want to put a home office at the bottom of the garden - the room's already there with light and power etc but not phone.

the present signal from the Actiontec doesnt get that far so what are my options?
can i buy an off the shelf router that would work out of the box with more range
can i adapt the present one - its not line of sight where its sighted now and its 100 feet to the office, one house wall plus an office wall to negotiate.

someone recommended getting a signal down the electric supply cable - office is wired from house - but that sounds like something i'd be getting someone else in to do.

I've tried talking to UKO but they've been pretty clear that the routers arent really anything to do with them

A newer router may do the trick, as for the network over power, have a look at something like this:

HomePlug and Powerline - from £21 - easy home / office networks Share broadband

Essentially you plug in an adaptor at each end and you can 'extend your network' assuming the power is on the same ring main. This will probably be your easiest solution.

 

[Sp!ke]

Linksys PLTK300 85Mbps Homeplug Powerline 4-Port Ethernet Starter Kit

 

[Ian Hunt]

I use a range expander: Linksys by Cisco Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
Loads of other options by DLink, Belkin etc.

 

[Biscuit]

Linksys PLTK300 85Mbps Homeplug Powerline 4-Port Ethernet Starter Kit

looks good but i"m apple and it doesn't mention supporting Apple specifically. will that be a problem?

 

[SG CL500]

I have the homeplugs and they work great - just don't get the ones where you can plug an appliance in still, they seem to overheat and need resetting. I have use 200mbps and can stream movies from one room to another no problem so shoudl be sufficient for office use. Sorry, not sure of the make I have.

Doddle to set up too.

 

[Sp!ke]

looks good but i"m apple and it doesn't mention supporting Apple specifically. will that be a problem?

Its irrelevent, everything uses the same IP protocols.

 

[bolide]

Just use a long Ethernet cable

Nick Froome

 

[MikeL]

Essentially you plug in an adaptor at each end and you can 'extend your network' assuming the power is on the same ring main. This will probably be your easiest solution.

Usually works over different ring mains as well - don't ask me how but mine does.

Mike

 

[MikeL]

looks good but i"m apple and it doesn't mention supporting Apple specifically. will that be a problem?

Go for a 200 Mbps - you never get what is on the box so the better you start with is always good.

Mike

 

[Biscuit]

Just use a long Ethernet cable

Nick Froome

problem is the base unit is sited in quite a nice kitchen on an internal wall trailing a cable out to the french doors is a cut into walls replaster and repaint job just to get to the garden itself.

maybe it is the best possibility but i don't want to start doing it to find some wireless solution that would save the hassle.

 

[Shude]

Homeplug is the way to go in your position. I have a couple at home because wireless barely makes it's way through the 100-year-old stone walls of my house but sadly the wiring is from the same period and the homeplugs run a bit slowly. If the wiring is fairly modern you should be fine.

I don't like the idea of trailing a cable across the ground for any reason. A company I used to work for bought a smaller company and we had to look into upgrading their network infrastructure to bring it up to company standard. They had previously trailed a length of coax cable (might date the anecdote a bit!) and lightning had struck the cable, frying several pieces of equipment in two buildings! We recommended fibre to link the buildings as it's non-conductive. Doesn't really help your situation I suppose...

 

[w124coupe]

Usually works over different ring mains as well - don't ask me how but mine does.

Mike

It will work across all circuits "inside" the same meter - with the occasional exception where two circuits are on different RCCB trip switches (it varies by make of trip switch).

We have a pair to "wifi" the detached garage (for when "stuck" working on the car). One on the house ring #1 and the other on the garage radial RCCB protected circuit with no issues at all.

Any of the 200mbps ones will be fast enough to more than fully use today's internet connections, assuming the wiring is of decent quality.

 

[PhilG]

I use a range expander: Linksys by Cisco Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G
Loads of other options by DLink, Belkin etc.

Used one of these once, I could never get it to work right. Powerline probably a better option.

 

[Piff]

You can get "external" grade cat 5 cable to bury underground or string overhead. Cable is faster than wireless and is worth considering if you can link it to your router without too much internal disturbance.