Broadband coverage

[OhLou]

I have converted my garage to be able to work from it, however my broadband doesn't reach it. 

I've tried 2 different wifi extenders (low price & high price) & neither work to extend the range of the Sky router. 

I also tried the upgraded router from Sky (white one) & that made no difference. 

The extenders don't even pick up the router signal as "good" unless they're in the same room as the Sky router! The wifi projected from the Sky router is so poor. 

I don't know what else to try. I don't have unlimited data on my mobile so can't even rely on 4G. 

[JimM1]

@OhLou The power level of all wifi devices is a preset, trying to extend wifi with booster's is not always possible. Do you have power to the garage, if so then you should look at powerline devices to extend the broadband to your garage, there are 2 types, ethernet only and combined Ethernet/Wireless, plus do not expect max speed's all down to the length of mains cable from point A to B.

[Chrisee]

@OhLou the Sky Wifi Max hub uses high frequency 5GHz signals to link to its extenders and if your home has solid internal walls they simply wont pass through them. I had a similar issue with Wifi Max in my home so ended up rejecting it. .To be fair any similar 3 channel wifi mesh system would hit the same issue.

The powerline suggestion is sound but the best solution for any garage or similar space is running an ethernet cable from the hub to the garage. It need not cost a fortune but obviously is easier at the conversion stage. Wifi through external walls is always dodgy for the same reason that microwaves dont pass well through solid masonary .  

[OhLou]

The garage has already had a high spec conversion & also isn't attached to the property, there's a garden path (gate width) between the house & the garage meaning running a cable isn't really an option. 

Power line devices sounded great until the speed being impacted! 

I've got 4 months left on my Sky contract so will probably just cancel & move onto Starlink or similar. 

[jamesn123]

@OhLou 

I don't see how Starlink will solve your problem because you'll either have the starlink router in your main house which means you likely wont get a WiFi signal in your new garage conversion, as you are currently experiencing with your Sky WiFi. Or you'll have the Starlink router in your new garage conversion meaning your main house wont get a good WiFi connection.

What you need is an ethernet cable run from your house to the garage, this should have really been done during construction if it was a conversion. Honestly the builders should have suggested some Cat5e/6 if they knew it was going to be used as an office space.

[OhLou]

The garage isn't connected to the house so not sure how I'd connect ethernet to the main router in the house 😅 

I mean I guess it could be drilled through the ceiling, through the loft to the external wall, hang outside then go to the garage. 

However, there must be a simpler solution. I live in a tiny bungalow. The wifi should be able to go through 2 walls. There are huge properties out there with wifi reaching every room so don't see why I am experiencing such issues from a simple problem. 

[OhLou]

I'm pretty sure you can connect multiple routers to the Starlink dish. 

[jamesn123]

@OhLou 

Well its usually done during construction, a cable is drilled out of the wall at a low level, buried, then brought back up inside the extension. 

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@OhLou wrote:

However, there must be a simpler solution. I live in a tiny bungalow. The wifi should be able to go through 2 walls. There are huge properties out there with wifi reaching every room so don't see why I am experiencing such issues from a simple problem. 

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Your forgetting that most WiFi solutions only have to penetrate interior walls which are often hollow or made of thin materials. Your requirement is two exterior walls which I imagine are both solid brick? 

You could try a mesh system with high power nodes but again this may not be able to penetrate the two brick walls effectively. 

[jamesn123]

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@OhLou wrote:

I'm pretty sure you can connect multiple routers to the Starlink dish. 

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You can connect multiple mesh nodes/WiFi repeaters but your still relying on that signal to get through two exterior walls. At this point you are hitting the limit of WiFi technology. 

[TimmyBGood]

@OhLou

'multiple routers' are almost never appropriate in a domestic setting, and really complicate things.  

Reliable WiFi through walls (particularly external walls) is always a challenge: that's inherent to the technology. Cabling is always better, or there are more specialist point-to-point wireless solutions.

[OhLou]

It's not an extension. There was no build, just interior conversion of a garage.

Digging up a block side path certainly wouldn't have been feasible. 

I'm surprised there isn't a technological solution for this as I said previously there are huge homes out there without cabling & they have perfect internet. Yet my tiny bungalow has 2 bricks walls so I'm screwed. 🤣

[jamesn123]

@OhLou 

There is solutions. 

- A powerful mesh WiFi system, which was already recommended to you

- Powerline, however this only works when its on the same electrical ring usually.

Huge homes do not suffer the two main issues you have, which are internal walls are rarely thick brick & all the electrics are wired to the same ring.

[TimmyBGood]

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@OhLou wrote:

There was no build, just interior conversion of a garage.

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We have a garage conversion where the previous occupants chose to line every bare surface with Celotex foil/foam laminate insulation panels: consequently the enclosed space does a fair impersonation of a Faraday Cage...

I found running an ethernet cable to the room and putting in a switch and access point was the only way to get fast and stable network access.

[simon194]

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@OhLou wrote:

It's not an extension. There was no build, just interior conversion of a garage.

Digging up a block side path certainly wouldn't have been feasible. 

I'm surprised there isn't a technological solution for this as I said previously there are huge homes out there without cabling & they have perfect internet. Yet my tiny bungalow has 2 bricks walls so I'm screwed. 🤣

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You could try an outside wifi access point. You can get directional models and if required you can  have an outside antenna on the garage.