Wifi extenders

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1

I have a P1S in an outbuilding 150’+/- from my computer and router and have no signal. I have seen a bewildering number of wifi extender/boosters on line and am curious if any will solve my problem. I am NOT at all knowledgeable in this and would like to know if anyone has done this or has any suggestions. It’s a long walk in the dark with the SD cards. Thanks

2

An extender will work only if there is some reasonable signal for it to receive. 150’ is difficult. A powerline Ethernet extender (some have WiFi access points included) might work. A probably more expensive solution is an outdoor-rated transmitter/receiver with a focused beam.

Amazon.com: WAVLINK AC1200 Outdoor Wireless High Power Weatherproof WiFi Long Range Extender/Access Point/Router with Passive POE,Dual Band 2.4+5G Repeater,Gigabit Port, No WiFi Dead Zones for Working from Home : Electronics might work - be careful reading the reviews, as many of them are for a different product. The reviews of this specific one seem good.

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3

Replace your WiFI Access Point with a “Mesh” WiFi system like the Linksys Velop. These work much, much better than WiFi extenders do - faster and more reliable connections. And they’re easy to set up.

I already had a WiFi router when I upgraded my system. So I just turned off the WiFi in the router and plugged one mesh node in to a ethernet port on the router. But these mesh systems can be configured to act as firewalls, too.

4

My X1C consistently picks the mesh node with the weakest/poorest signal. I run some TP-Link Deco whatever mesh, and the printer is the only device, out of maybe a hundred, that doesn’t just work fine. If I use the mesh functionality to force it to the strongest node, it usually refuses to connect at all. I’ve learned to just ignore it - it works most of the time if I don’t mess with it but let it sit there with the weakest signal, silly thing. But I’m hoping for some firmware upgrade of that wifi module.

5

Thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated. Further research hints that if I run a cat6 cable from my router to an extender in the outbuilding it would create a reliable and fast connection. Is this correct? Digging a 150’ trench doesn’t excite me, but if that’s what I need, then…

6

Sure, you could do that (run it in Watertight conduit), but I think the outdoor extender I linked to is worth a shot.

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7

Does direct burial cable need to be in conduit? (Sorry for all the dumb questions. I’m completely ignorant of this stuff)

8

Not by any safety regulations as it’s just a signal cable, but if you’re digging you probably want it to last for years.

9

Sorry to abandon the thread. Medical issues. An ethernet bridge was suggested to me by a friend. I guess its something like this?:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5G8LDF5/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B0B5G8LDF5&pd_rd_w=Bn38P&content-id=amzn1.sym.386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_p=386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_r=Z3X9BTH1N0X07DKPK7N2&pd_rd_wg=tTLVX&pd_rd_r=63a215c3-1bb3-45d3-a7f5-87aedd33f27e&s=electronics&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1. Again, I am in the dark on how these work. Any thoughts?

10

This would work, but you would need a WiFi access point in the outbuilding as these would provide only an Ethernet jack. You would also need to run Ethernet to the one in the house. I think one of the outdoor WiFi extenders suggested earlier would be easier.

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11

Clearly, I’m missing the mark on how these things operate. I assumed that I would need an extender on each end to boost the signal back and forth from the extender at the shop to the extender at the house. Not so?

12

Some extenders simply repeat the WiFi signal using better antennas, so you don’t need anything special on the other end. Others relay the signal to a receiver that then has its own WiFi transmitter.

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13

I just installed a tp-link RE505X range extender in my printer room and that helped as it let me rename the SSID of the 2.4g size of the wifi network. The X1C seemed to have trouble connecting when the 5 and the 2.4 had the same SSID.

14

What I finally installed was a :
UeeVii Wireless Bridge Dual Band,2.4G 300Mbps | 5.8G 900Mbps | 16+9dBi High-gain Antenna | 5KM Working Distance | Point to Point Ptmp WiFi Bridge Outdoor CPE with Gigabit RJ45 Port,2Pcs (CPE852)
from Amazon. It’s working great so far. Easy set-up and its working through a single pane window with a screen on one end and a double-pane window on the other. Connected to a cheapo router on the recieving end and it works a treat. No issues. Thanks to all for the advice and info.