topic Re: Help a Tech Newb: How Do I Fix My Garden Office WiFi? (Explain Like I’m 5) in Broadband

Help a Tech Newb: How Do I Fix My Garden Office WiFi? (Explain Like I’m 5)

Dylan1234567 — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:25:25 GMT

Alright, guys, I need some advice—super basic, no fancy jargon. Pretend you’re talking to a 5-year-old about WiFi.

Here’s my situation:

I’ve got a standard WiFi router from Sky at the front of the house. Speeds are fine inside (60 Mbps via fast.com).
My garden office is about 15–20 meters away, but walls and other stuff in between mean the WiFi doesn’t reach it well.

What I’ve tried so far:

I got a Netgear WiFi Range Extender (EX6110). It’s plugged in halfway between the router and the garden office. On 5GHz, I used to get decent speeds (45 Mbps+), but it recently stopped working for 5GHz. The 2GHz band still works, but it’s way too slow for me (8–9 Mbps). I think the issue might be that I moved my desk about 1 meter further into the garden, but whatever it is, I’m stuck.

Now I need to figure out the best option to fix this. Again, simple terms, please!

My Questions:

Is there a "receiver" type gadget I can plug into a socket in the garden that’ll grab the 5GHz signal and either repeat it or send it directly into my laptop via cable? Would that weaken the signal too much?
Would upgrading to a larger/more powerful WiFi extender help push the 5GHz signal further?
What about using a second access point/router in the garden office?
Would something like a TP-Link powerline kit (plugs into the router and then into the garden office socket) help?
Is there another solution I’m missing?

Some details about my setup:

Standard Sky WiFi router with typical devices (phones, laptops, etc.) connected.
I’d prefer not to run Ethernet cables from the router to the garden (too messy and costly).
I don’t think a full mesh system makes sense because I’m only trying to boost the signal to one specific area (the garden office).

Any advice would be awesome. Thanks!

Re: Help a Tech Newb: How Do I Fix My Garden Office WiFi? (Explain Like I’m 5)

FLC — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:16:49 GMT

Powerline would be my first choice to try. The devices ideally need to be on the same circuit & not placed in trailing leads to get the best performance. Even then, they only achieve a fraction of the advertised speeds due to marketing nonsense. The only way to know if they'll work for you is to try, so make sure you buy from a retailer with a no quibble returns policy.

You can get straight ethernet pairs or with built in WiFi. I expect you'll also need WiFi for your phone, so the latter is probably the best option. Although you can also add a separate WAP (wireless access point).

Re: Help a Tech Newb: How Do I Fix My Garden Office WiFi? (Explain Like I’m 5)

Dylan1234567 — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:56:56 GMT

Thanks - I'll try powerline out.

Although you can also add a separate WAP (wireless access point).

- Is this a hard wired-in option?

Re: Help a Tech Newb: How Do I Fix My Garden Office WiFi? (Explain Like I’m 5)

FLC — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:00:54 GMT

It's an ethernet connected device you could add to the plain powerline. But as they exist with WiFi built in, may as well go that route.